West Seattle, Washington
25 Thursday
(WSB photo: WordsWest co-curators Susan Rich, Harold Taw, Katy Ellis)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
The three West Seattle writers who co-curate WordsWest Literary Series say it’s the kind of series “we would like to be invited to.”
WordsWest opens its fourth season this Wednesday night at C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor) and co-curators Harold Taw, Katy Ellis, and Susan Rich say it’s become everything they hoped it would be, and more.
While we regularly feature WordsWest in the WSB calendar and previews, we thought the start of the season would be a good time to check in with the co-founders, to re-introduce (or, if you’re new here, introduce) them and what it is they do each month. So we sat down with Susan, Katy, and Harold for that check-in over lunch at Easy Street Records one recent midday.
First – we should mention that WordsWest events usually feature two writers, in an innovative format, plus a community member reading a “favorite poem,” and a chance for interactivity with the dozens of attendees. More on the 7 pm Wednesday season-opener lineup a bit later – but first, the start of their story:
For the first time in almost a decade, SDOT is reviewing parking in The Junction. Department reps will talk about it at the Junction Neighborhood Organization‘s next meeting, tomorrow (Tuesday, September 19th). Here’s the “fact sheet” for the review, just added to the city website today:
(Click image for full-size PDF on city website)
Q&A is promised, too. (Whether or not you’ll be there, the city’s just opened this online survey as part of the review.)
Also on the JuNO agenda: Next steps for the future Junction park in the 4700 block of 40th SW, following the recent “open house” – Seattle Parks reps including project manager Karimah Edwards will be there. And with the final HALA Mandatory Housing Affordability Environmental Impact Statement and its proposed upzoning maps due soon, the JuNO Land Use Committee will present an update, too. All welcome at tomorrow night’s meeting, 6:30 pm, at the Senior Center/Sisson Building (4217 SW Oregon).
As reported back on Saturday, an emergency closure at Delridge Library forced our area’s Seattle School Board rep Leslie Harris to cancel this month’s community-conversation meeting at the last minute. Now there’s a new date/time: Noon-2:30 pm next Saturday (September 23rd). If you have something to talk with her about – or want to hear an update on the district’s big issues – drop in. The Delridge Library is at 5423 Delridge Way SW.
(Archived Seattle Channel video from 5 pm swearing-in ceremony)
3:45 PM: 10-year City Councilmember Tim Burgess is about to become Mayor Tim Burgess. He was the only councilmember nominated this afternoon by colleagues eligible to vote on who would succeed Bruce Harrell, who took over last Wednesday after Ed Murray’s resignation, but said he didn’t want to keep the job through November. After several councilmembers spoke glowingly of Burgess, one councilmember did not – Kshama Sawant voted no, after citing reasons including Burgess’s support for encampment sweeps and a new North Precinct police station. He wasn’t running for re-election, so he was going to be leaving the council anyway. Burgess ran (briefly) for mayor in 2013. He promises now to help the city “heal” and “move forward. … Public service is a high calling.” After he’s sworn in, Harrell returns to the council presidency and councilmembers will have to choose a temporary councilmember for District 8, which Burgess has been representing. Updates to come.
4:02 PM: News release from the city says that Burgess will be sworn in by City Clerk Monica Martinez Simmons at 5 pm, and reiterates that he will serve until November 28th, when King County certifies election results (finalizing either Cary Moon or Jenny Durkan as the next mayor).
4:59 PM UPDATE: We’ve embedded the Seattle Channel live stream above for the swearing-in ceremony – click “play.”
5:04 PM UPDATE: Joining Burgess for the swearing-in ceremony are other elected officials including King County Executive Dow Constantine and state Attorney General Bob Ferguson. “We are united” in promising that the governments will collaborate, Burgess says. He notes, “We want our region to be a place where businesses are successful.” He repeats the “We are united” theme for a variety of other issues, including education. And with that, he becomes Mayor Tim Burgess, for two and a half months.
5:08 PM: The new mayor just answered a few media Q&A, first about the budget process, which he would have been heading up as a Councilmember, and now will be involved as submitting the mayoral budget proposal, one week from today (September 25th). Asked what he meant by saying this is a time to heal, he says the recent “crisis” was “painful for all of us.” Asked about what he hopes to accomplish, he said, “I’m going to be mayor for 71 days,” and the budget will be a major part of that time, as well as getting the city ready for its next permanent elected mayor. West Seattle/South Park City Councilmember Lisa Herbold, by the way, as vice chair of the committee that leads the budget process, now will be leading it. And there’s a council vacancy that will have to be filled – the city clerk’s website spells out the process.
Three reports in West Seattle Crime Watch:
BUSINESS-BURGLARY ARRESTS: Just reported this afternoon via SPD Blotter – three 13-year-old boys were arrested after a South Delridge business break-in. The vape-and-smoke shop in the 9000 block of Delridge Way SW was broken into late Friday night, and police say that was the second burglary in less than a week. This time, the shop’s owner saw the burglars via a live video feed, called 911 immediately, and police found the suspects “several blocks away (with) numerous items from the store in their possession.” The store’s owner also gave police video from the burglary on Sunday, September 10th, and SPD says one suspect “matched the description of a suspect depicted in that burglary as well,” adding that: “All three suspects were arrested and subsequently released to their parents/guardians. The stolen merchandise was recovered, photographed, and returned to the owner.”
Two other West Seattle burglary reports are now in the online files of incidents for which narratives have been publicly posted – we’ve summarized them below:
BURGLARY FOLLOWING SHOE DEAL: This began with a transaction for a pair of Yeezy shoes, advertised online for $400, bought by someone who met the seller in the 9000 block of 10th SW early Sunday morning, September 10th, near his residence. About six hours later, the house’s residents left; one resident got a call six hours after that from someone saying he had “located a bag with her property in it in Des Moines.” The recipient of that call subsequently went home and discovered someone had broken in and stolen items including the shoes purchased earlier in the day. Police were called. Some hours later, the officer got a call from the victim, who, according to the narrative, said “she had actually recovered the jewelry and ID cards [stolen from her home] … and the stolen shoes were back [for sale online] now for sale for $350.” The narrative says police were going to set up a sting – but doesn’t say how that turned out.
CAR STOLEN IN ADMIRAL BURGLARY: A resident in the 2700 block of 45th SW called police late last Monday night (September 11th) to say that someone had burglarized her home and stolen her purse, keys, and car. She explained that she had a brand-new puppy and had gone out to show it off to her neighbors, and the burglary and theft happened while she was gone. (The report narrative does not include details about the stolen car nor whether it’s been recovered yet.)
WEST SEATTLE CRIME PREVENTION COUNCIL MEETING TOMORROW: Another reminder – Tuesday night, 7 pm at the Southwest Precinct (2300 SW Webster), the WSCPC meeting brings you a chance to hear about crime trends and bring questions/concerns directly to local police.
Alongside a school bus parked at Pathfinder K-8 on Pigeon Point, Seattle Public Schools held a media briefing this morning on the new camera-enforced crackdown on drivers who don’t stop for school buses. 120 of the 379 buses the district is using are now equipped with six cameras each – five of them in the spot you see in the top photo, one in the front-facing rear-top-left spot below – and they’ll be recording video of potential lawbreakers.
School-bus driver Ty Boulanger was at the briefing and said he sees violations often:
New school bus cams in @seapubschools starting today – driver explains why they're needed. Media event @ Pathfinder K-8 in WS. pic.twitter.com/S2WzY7tfBE
— West Seattle Blog (@westseattleblog) September 18, 2017
If an apparent violation is spotted on camera, it’ll be sent to the King County Sheriff’s Office, which is contracting with SPS to review each and every possible violation. Sgt. Ryan Abbott, who’s been the point person on that for Highline Public Schools‘ version of the program, was among those at the briefing, where it was stressed that each potential violation is reviewed by a deputy who decides whether to send it on to the driver or not.
The cameras are being installed on buses by, and remain the property of, American Traffic Solutions, the same company behind the city’s school-zone-speed-enforcement cameras and red-light-enforcement cameras. It gets $69 for every potential violation sent to KCSO for review, and other cost and revenue numbers are in this page from the School Board-approved action item that created the program (see the full document here):
The 120 camera-equipped buses are “random,” SPS says, and you won’t even see a flash. The recordings include license plates and GPS information. Warning notices are going out for those caught in the next two weeks, and then the $419 citations begin. That fee cannot be reduced, SPS tells us, while noting that violators can request a payment-installment plan. Seattle is now one of about 30 school districts in the state ticketing via bus cams.
P.S. If you’re not clear on the stop=for-school-bus law – here’s the full text.
What a way to start the day! Thanks to the King County Water Taxi‘s West Seattle crew for sharing that video – from the Doc Maynard, they saw orcas on this morning’s 6:15 and 6:35 am sailings, Frank Massaro tells WSB, adding that crew member Jade Farrar recorded the video during the latter.
(Female downy woodpecker, photographed by Mark Wangerin)
From the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:
‘FILL THE BOOT’ DRIVE: Today through Thursday, West Seattle and four other areas of the city will see Seattle firefighters’ annual “Fill the Boot” fundraiser for muscular dystrophy. (Photo added:)
(Multiple corners at California SW/SW Alaska)
AFTERNOON BOOK GROUP: 2-3 pm at Southwest Library. This month’s book is “The Buddha in the Attic” by Julie Otsuka. All welcome! (9010 35th SW)
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT COMMISSION: This new city commission meets for the second time at City Hall downtown, 6 pm. The agenda is linked here; our coverage of the commission’s first meeting is here. (600 4th Ave.)
FAMILY STORY TIME: 6:30 pm at High Point Library, bring the kids for songs, stories, and rhymes! (35th SW/SW Raymond)
ROSTAM BATMANGLIJ LIVE IN-STORE: 7 pm at Easy Street Records, Grammy-winning songwriter/producer Rostam Batmanglij is live in-store with a special solo performance celebrating his just-released debut solo album. (California SW/SW Alaska)
LOOK INTO THE FUTURE … via our complete-calendar page, here.
You are invited to join in special events at the West Seattle YMCA (WSB sponsor) this week to celebrate Welcoming Week. Here’s the announcement:
This Welcoming Week (through Sunday, September 24th), the West Seattle YMCA will join Welcoming America, hundreds of YMCAs and other organizations nationwide in hosting free events to celebrate immigrants’ contributions to communities and bring together all residents in a spirit of unity. Welcoming Week activities are all free, open to the public and include a focus on cultural experiences.
“At the YMCA, we believe we are stronger when everyone in the community feels welcome and we can all work together for the common good,” said West Seattle YMCA Executive Director Shalimar Gonzales. “Welcoming Week is an opportunity for neighbors – both immigrants and U.S.-born residents – to connect, find common ground and celebrate our shared values – all for a better us.”
West Seattle Y’s Welcoming Week activities include:
Sept. 19, 9-10 am and 6:30-7:30 pm. Our Global Y: Presentation and Discussion. West Seattle staff member Austin Cassell will share his reflection on his recent trip to the Tijuana YMCA.
Sept. 20, 4:30-6 pm. Cooking Across Cultures. Stop in for a FREE community cooking demo where you’ll learn and taste how potatoes are prepared in three different countries: India, Korea, and Mexico. Chef Kim O’Donnel will lead an immersive culinary adventure by preparing aloo gobi (India), gamja jeon (Korea), and papas con rajas (Mexico).
Sept. 22, 6-7 pm. Film Screening of 8 Borders, 8 Days.
A single mother shows us the consequences of closing America’s doors to people fleeing war. With no answer to her application for resettlement in the US, a smuggler’s raft to Europe was the only way out. 8 Borders, 8 Days is a 60-minute documentary following their story.
Sept. 22, 5-6 pm. Afro-Cuban Dance with guest instructor Mark Lilly. Join us as we explore the traditions of the Yoruba people of Nigeria with instructor Mark Lilly. In this class you’ll learn the traditional Orisha dance movements. These dances came to the Americas during slave trade (Maafa) and are taught in the Afro-Cuban technique.
The West Seattle Y is in The Triangle, at 36th SW/SW Snoqualmie.
(SDOT MAP with travel times/video links; is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE)
6:52 AM: Good morning! Wet roads are the big news so far this morning. No incidents in/from West Seattle; though a crew was reported to be dealing with tree trouble on the eastbound Admiral Way hill earlier this morning, the city map shows normal traffic speed in that area now.
7:59 AM: Medical response at 37th/Admiral. Texter says pedestrian is hurt. On our way to check.
8:14 AM: Not there yet but getting messages that most lanes are blocked by the response, so avoid that area (Admiral near the viewpoint atop the hill to/from the bridge) for now. The SFD log shows two of its units are still on scene.
8:33 AM: Just arrived. Police can only tell us that one man was injured and is being taken to Harborview Medical Center. Apparently not life-threatening because the Traffic Collision Investigation team is not being called out, and police say they expect to clear the scene – which currently has one downhill lane blocked – within 15 minutes or so.
11:34 AM: SFD tells us that the victim is “a homeless male in his 70s (who) suffered serious injuries to head and leg.”
4:14 PM: In comments, the victim’s daughter-in-law says he is not homeless, and also is hoping to hear from witnesses.
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