day : 03/02/2017 13 results

(Added: WSB photo)

11:28 PM: Seattle Fire has sent a “full response” to a house fire in the 3200 block of 42nd SW [map]. Early word is that flames were seen in the basement and that everyone is out OK. More to come.

11:35 PM: Fire is “knocked down,” per scanner. No injuries reported. Our crew should be there soon.

11:40 PM: The fire’s now reported “tapped” and whatever was the source of the fire (“small contents”) has been removed. They’re evaluating to ensure that the fire did not extend to any part of the actual structure.

11:53 PM: Fire’s out and it indeed has been confirmed to have NOT spread to the structure itself. Firefighters are working right now to help clear smoke out of the house so its occupants can go back inside. Many of the units from the initial big response have been dismissed.

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‘Your story is the message’: Chief Sealth IHS storytellers @ Youngstown

February 3, 2017 11:00 pm

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| West Seattle news | West Seattle schools | WS culture/arts

(WSB photos by Patrick Sand)

It wasn’t a Valentine event, but love was the theme that wound through the first three stories told tonight at the Chief Sealth International High School Young Storytellers Project event at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center, from “On Forever’s Toes,” a relationship story told by the first student performer, poet/musician Lashaunycee (above), to professional storyteller Danielle K.L. Grégoire, who told of her first lost love (age 10) …

… to Native American storyteller Roger Fernandes, who told the story of a young man coming of age, passing a test by saving those he loved, even while breaking the rules:

Fernandes also counseled the young storytellers not to be nervous, saying they are just the messenger, and their story is the message. The event was emceed by Sealth teacher Paul Fischburg:

A unique component of the teacher-organized event, which began with a potluck and mingling, was the request for the audience to write messages of support for each storyteller afterward, including a comment on how they connected with the story.

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HIGH-SCHOOL BASKETBALL: West Seattle women win @ Chief Sealth

February 3, 2017 9:47 pm

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| West Seattle news | West Seattle schools | WS & Sports

9:47 PM: In the last of their regular-season games, it’s a crosstown doubleheader tonight with Chief Sealth International High School‘s varsity basketball teams hosting their counterparts from West Seattle High School. The women’s game is in the books, and though they were tied at 39 at halftime, the Wildcats pulled away for the win, 74-68.

2:11 AM: Adding photos (a few more to come later). Above, Sealth’s #4, senior Labrea Denson, was the night’s top scorer, with 28 points. Seahawk Sydney Thomas was next with 20. Leading the Wildcats was #20, Grace Sarver, with 13 points:

WSHS’s Jenna McPhee was next with 12. This game wrapped up the regular season; postseason play starts next week.

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WEST SEATTLE CRIME WATCH: Junction police response; car prowled, again

February 3, 2017 9:21 pm

| 15 COMMENTS

| Crime | West Seattle news

Two reader reports in West Seattle Crime Watch tonight.

JUNCTION POLICE RESPONSE: A few people have asked about a sizable police response in The Junction in the 7 pm hour. Before we could break away from what we were covering, Jon sent the photos and report, explaining it’s about a recurring problem with a pickup-truck driver:

Neighbors have been trying to get this guy picked up by LEO for over two months as he routinely disturbs and puts into danger anyone who shares the streets with him.

He routinely burns out, does donuts, and drives high-speed laps around the Junction between 6 PM to 5 AM (regardless of traffic or crowds); parks, gets out, walks back and forth at the crosswalk, behaves erratically and then hops back into his vehicle where he then resumes his dangerous antics.

SPD showed up around 6:25 PM and the guy was in cuffs by 6:50 PM. We’ll see for how long.

Incident number is: 2017-42145

If anyone has videos or photos of the driver, or has interacted with him, it would help the case, tremendously. Evidence can be sent to the responding officer on scene: Christopher.Perry@Seattle.gov

Thanks to Ofc. Perry for coming out and thanks to everyone who repeatedly made calls.

CAR PROWLED, AGAIN: From Haley – “On the night of February 1, our Honda was broken into while parked in the alley behind our home. The driver-side window was broken but nothing appears to have been taken, although the driver seat was pushed all the way to the back. This is the second time, as it was also broken into this past October.”

Thanks again to everyone sharing Crime Watch reports so your neighbors all around the peninsula know more about what’s happening – we hope crime will NOT happen to you, but if it does, once you’ve reported it to police (911 if it’s happening now or just happened), let us know … 206-293-6302 if breaking, editor@westseattleblog.com if not. Thank you!

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West Seattle schools: Denny IMS visits Olympia

February 3, 2017 7:07 pm

| 2 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

The photo and report are from Denny International Middle School principal Jeff Clark:

Congratulations to the Denny International Middle School scholars who traveled to Olympia yesterday to meet with Governor Inslee, Reps. Fitzgibbon and Cody, and Sens. Nelson and Senn to discuss issues related to gun control, a topic they have been learning about in their Youth Ambassadors class.

Thank you to Mr. Segall and Ms. Markowitz for helping our scholars to take leadership roles on issues that they care about—in our school, city, and state. In addition to meeting with our elected leaders, they had the opportunity to provide testimony on House Bill #1387. We are very proud of them for learning to actively participate in our democracy and for sharing their insights as young leaders! Go Dolphins!

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West Seattle schools: Unity demonstration @ Louisa Boren K-8 STEM

February 3, 2017 4:49 pm

| 1 COMMENT

| West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

Rather than being a protest *against*, this was a demonstration *for*, at Louisa Boren STEM K-8 and more than a dozen schools around the city today.

Students, staffers (including librarian Mary, above), and families were showing support for unity, of all people, no matter who you are, no matter where you’re from, as Theo‘s sign declared:

The signs made for today’s show of support included Leo‘s sign made from LEGOs.

Today’s event came one week after the Presidential executive orders banning certain people from entering the U.S.

And this afternoon, a federal judge granted a temporary restraining order against the president’s order, an early victory in a multi-state lawsuit led by our state’s Attorney General Bob Ferguson, whose office announced the ruling here. (ADDED LATE FRIDAY NIGHT: Here’s court-provided video of today’s hearing.)

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MEET YOUR FIREFIGHTERS: Fire Station tours in West Seattle on Neighbor Day

February 3, 2017 2:20 pm

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| Neighborhoods | West Seattle news

(WSB photo from Station 37 tour in February 2016)

One week from tomorrow, it’s Neighbor Day in Seattle – and the long list of events includes your chance to visit and tour two of West Seattle’s fire stations. From 11 am to 1 pm on Saturday, February 11th, you’re welcome to visit Station 29 in Admiral (2139 Ferry SW) and Station 37 in Sunrise Heights (7700 35th SW). The full citywide list of stations open for tours that day is here.

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The Westy Sports & Spirits: Welcome, new West Seattle Blog sponsor!

February 3, 2017 12:15 pm

| 11 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | West Seattle restaurants | WS beverages

Today, we’re welcoming a new WSB sponsor! Here’s what The Westy Sports & Spirits would like you to know:

(Photos provided by The Westy)

If you travel up and down 35th Avenue SW on a regular basis, there is a good chance you may have passed us without even knowing it. We are The Westy Sports & Spirits. Open now just over two years, The Westy is owned and operated by West Seattle residents JP Vidican & Paul Ritums.

Once you discover The Westy, you find it isn’t your typical sports bar. Yes, you will most likely find the sports you seek showing on one of the 18 TVs, as we have been recognized as a “go-to” viewing destination for your local teams and more by the Seattle Times, Seattle Weekly, & Eater.

You’ll discover The Westy is deceptively larger than it appears from the outside. Once inside, you will discover a comfortable, neighborhood hangout where friends gather to enjoy good food, drinks, and games.

The Westy has a seasonal menu that is home to more than just deep-fried pub food, like the burger with Ghost Pepper cheese, award-winning chili (2016 Junction Harvest Festival), and one of the most popular items on the menu, our Broccoli. On the beverage side, you will find 13 monthly rotating draft beers/ciders/sours, over 120 different whiskies, 2 cocktails on tap, and much more. For your entertainment, you of course have the TVs, but also classic Skee-Ball, retro arcade game classics, and Golden Tee.

The Westy is open Monday – Friday, 11:00 am until 2:00 am; Saturday/Sunday, 9:00 am until 2:00 am, with breakfast served until 2:00 pm.

Special $5 Late-Night Bites 7 nights a week, from 11:00 pm – 1:00 am

Happy Hour Monday thru Friday, 3:00 pm – 6:00 pm

And introducing our new ‘Hangover Happy Hour,’ Sat/Sun 9:00 am – 11:00 am

We are thankful for the West Seattle community and our neighbors for an unbelievable first two years, and we look forward to serving you for many more. The Westy is at 7908 35th SW; 206-937-8977.

We thank The Westy Sports & Spirits for sponsoring independent, community-collaborative neighborhood news via WSB; find our current sponsor team listed in directory format here, and find info on joining the team by going here.

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HALA REZONING: City Council briefing Monday; comment deadline; Admiral workshop reminder

February 3, 2017 11:36 am

| 12 COMMENTS

| Development | West Seattle housing | West Seattle news

A few notes today about the city’s proposed rezoning for the Mandatory Housing Affordability component of HALA (the Housing Affordability and Livability Agenda):

COUNCIL BRIEFING MONDAY, WITH DEADLINE FOR PUBLIC COMMENT: On Monday morning, the City Council‘s weekly briefing meeting at 9:30 am will include a HALA briefing. The documents related to the briefing are already linked to the meeting’s agenda. Two of them announce a date for the end of public comment: June 30th. It’s in this memo, and on the last page of the briefing slide deck – here’s a framegrab:

(The briefing documents note that only 600 people have used the hala.consider.it site, which has drawn complaints about user-unfriendliness.) Earlier this week, we reported that City Councilmember Lisa Herbold had learned the draft Environmental Impact Statement for the MHA rezoning was expected to go public in May rather than March. Some community groups including the Junction Neighborhood Organization and Southwest District Council have asked for an extra six months to comment; the draft rezoning maps went public in October but without a clear citywide announcement of what they were and who they would affect. The city now says its upcoming outreach will include going door-to-door:

The City will be going door to door in our Urban Villages to answer questions and leave
information about ways to comment on the draft proposals. The doorbelling will take place in March
2017 and will focus on the single-family homes that will be changing to multifamily.

That’s an excerpt from the memo for Monday morning’s briefing. Public comment is not taken during council briefing meetings, but you can attend at City Hall, or watch live via seattlechannel.org (online or cable 21).

ADMIRAL MEETING REMINDER: One week from tomorrow is the Community Design Workshop for the Admiral Residential Urban Village, 9:30 am-12:30 pm at West Seattle High School. It’s the Admiral version of the well-attended Junction meeting last week (WSB coverage here). Here’s the official city weblink about the meeting (child care provided, by the way); if you still don’t know whether your neighborhood is proposed for rezoning, explore the citywide interactive map.

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West Seattle Friday: Student storytellers; Clay Eals @ WWWS; Corner Bar; wine & chocolate @ Viscon Cellars; more…

February 3, 2017 10:52 am

| 3 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

(Early Thursday photo by Long Bach Nguyen, looking eastward over West Seattle)

Get your weekend going early – here are highlights for this afternoon and evening, from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:

WINE AND CHOCOLATE: Get ready for Valentine’s Day at Viscon Cellars (WSB sponsor), where winemaker Viscon’s wines will be paired with chocolate from Intrigue, 5-9 pm. (5910 California SW)

WORDS, WRITERS, WEST SEATTLE: Tonight’s edition of the author-appearance series presented by the Southwest Seattle Historical Society features its executive director Clay Eals, author of the definitive biography of songwriter/singer Steve Goodman, “Facing the Music“:

5-7 pm at Barnes and Noble/Westwood Village. (2600 SW Barton)

CORNER BAR: Highland Park Improvement Club‘s monthly pop-up event starts tonight at 6 pm, with music by Hot Rod and DJ Dr. Lehl. All welcome! (12th SW/SW Holden)

SEALTH STUDENT STORYTELLERS: 6:30 pm at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center:

Chief Sealth International High School students will take the stage at the Youngstown Cultural Arts Center to share their stories with the community. Come hear, connect, interact, and support young people you might never otherwise meet! Stories, music, time to mingle. Bring a potluck dish to share if you can. Potluck at 6:30, stories begin at 7:00.

(4408 Delridge Way SW)

HIGH-SCHOOL BASKETBALL: Chief Sealth International High School‘s varsity teams host West Seattle High School tonight, women at 7, men at 8:30. (2600 SW Thistle)

SIGGIE THE VINTAGE MAN: 7 pm at C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor), “acoustic Americana.” (5612 California SW)

ROY ZIMMERMAN: “ReZist” – political satire, live at Kenyon Hall, 7:30 pm. Check ASAP to see if reservations remain! (7904 35th SW)

ROCK/PUNK: Three bands at Parliament Tavern, 9 pm. $5 cover. 21+. (4210 SW Admiral Way)

SEE WHAT ELSE IS UP … by browsing our complete calendar.

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Seattle Public Utilities’ future, and what you pay for their services: 2 ways to have a say

February 3, 2017 10:07 am

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| Utilities | West Seattle news

It’s the city department that handles water, trash, recycling, sewage, and drainage: Seattle Public Utilities is updating the road map to its future – the Strategic Business Plan.

SPU has two ways for you to let them know what you think. And as City Councilmember Lisa Herbold has mentioned repeatedly lately (the committee she chairs oversees SPU, among other things), it’s ultimately about the rates you pay. So consider weighing in on this.

The quickest way: Answer their online survey. It’s not just “yes/no” – it’s a bit educational, and a bit creative (at one point you’re asked how you want them to spend $100, if you had to split it between certain ways to do that). Several pages in, you will indeed be asked your thoughts about various rates and what SPU would be able to do and not do at certain levels. Go here to answer the survey.

You’re also invited to a meeting. It’s next Wednesday (February 8th), 6 pm, at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center (4408 Delridge Way SW). Cambodian, Vietnamese, and Spanish-speaking interpretation will be available.

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WEST SEATTLE CRIME WATCH: Car-prowl reader reports

February 3, 2017 9:04 am

| 1 COMMENT

| Crime | West Seattle news

Two car-prowl reports – 4 cars – in West Seattle Crime Watch:

IN GATEWOOD: Steve C on 38th SW sent the report and photos from a break-in at 1:30 am Thursday:

They stole some stereo equipment, car-maintenance equipment and CDs, some of which belonged to the Library. We have the whole thing on our security camera and have filed a report with the police. They also got a good set of prints that will hopefully turn up something. These guys were fast and ballsy. They pulled up in a light-color, older-model minivan. The driver stayed in the car and the passenger got out and walked right up to the truck. He very quickly entered into the drivers side by jimmying the lock in about 1 second flat. He spends time going through the vehicle and leaves a few minutes later in the van.

SPD is investigating. Please tell your viewers to be on the lookout for the van. The responding officer told me car prowls are getting more frequent.

IN FAIRMOUNT SPRINGS: Texted this morning:

Three cars with broken windows at 41st & Brandon. We’ve filed an online police report for ours. Prowlers were not thorough. Maybe the weather was starting up as they were working.

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TRAFFIC, TRANSIT, WEATHER: Post-snow Friday updates

February 3, 2017 6:07 am

| 2 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts | West Seattle weather

(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)

6:07 AM: What was left of the late-night snow is melting, and reports around the region are that roads are “bare and wet.” Go slow in case of slick spots, though. The National Weather Service says “a wintry mix” of precipitation is still a possibility.

7:03 AM: Still no incidents reported in/outbound from West Seattle. But some are reporting the aforementioned “wintry mix” – give yourself extra time.

8:50 AM: Late-commute trouble on northbound I-5 on the south side of downtown – emergency response at Yesler, in the right lane.

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