day : 04/01/2018 12 results

An exciting day for 16 West Seattle schools – delivery of 2,400 eyed coho eggs for the Salmon in Schools program. We were at Highland Park Elementary, one of the newest participants, as longtime volunteers Judy Pickens (above center) and Phil Sweetland (below right) made the delivery and explained how things work.

At HPES, 4th grade teacher Danielle Meier (above left) is overseeing the program this year. Participants at other schools range from preschool to high school (Chief Sealth International is another new participant). But this isn’t just a West Seattle program – Judy and Phil are on the steering committee for all of Seattle, with 73 public and private schools having obtained state Department of Fish and Wildlife permits to raise and release fish. Today, volunteer Shannon Ninburg helped them make the rounds of local deliveries.

The students and teachers will observe the salmon growing until May, when the fry will be released there – 1,800 fry by 744 visiting students last year. The eggs are from Soos Creek Hatchery in Auburn and are not to be taken for granted, as we were reminded in 2016.

Share This

WEST SEATTLE CRIME WATCH: Stolen blue CR-V (update: found!); trial date set for Admiral attack suspect; Pigeon Point shed break-in

January 4, 2018 8:38 pm

| 1 COMMENT

| Crime | West Seattle news

~~Two~~ Three West Seattle Crime Watch items tonight:

ANOTHER STOLEN CR-V: For the second day in a row, we’ve received a report of a stolen CR-V. The one stolen yesterday was found by a WSB reader hours later. Maybe you can find the one taken overnight from Sarah in Seaview:

I’d like to report the theft of my vehicle sometime last night, 1/3-1/4, in the 5900 block of 48th St SW, it was parked legally in the vicinity of my residence and it’s been verified by SPD as not towed.

The vehicle is a blue 2011 Honda CR-V; notable features include Maryland license places and several Washington, DC parking permits, as well as a whole lot of bumper stickers including: Sierra Club, Bernie Sanders, Barrie School, George Washington University, Ocean City Brewing Company, West Marine Sailing, and several magnets for Marathons, Half-Marathons and Cycling. It’s pretty distinct and that’s not an all inclusive list, but hopefully could help positively identify it if spotted.

If you see it, call 911 – and then let us know.

(Sunday update: Confirmation that the CR-V was spotted by a reader – southwest of The Junction – and has been recovered!)

ADMIRAL ATTACK SUSPECT UPDATE: Today brought another hearing for Kierra Ward, charged in October’s knife attack on a mother out walking with her baby. Documents from the hearing indicate that Ward is choosing to go to trial rather than seeking a plea bargain; the date is tentatively set for February 21st, depending on what happens at a readiness hearing set for February 9th. Ward remains held in the King County Jail in lieu of $400,000 bail.

ADDED 8:50 – PIGEON POINT SHED BREAK-IN, TOOLS TAKEN: This just came in from Elizabeth, minutes after we published the above two items, so we’re adding it:

I wanted to let the Pigeon Point community know that my shed was broken into either last night or sometime today. The thieves stole all of my tools. (4100 block 19th SW) … They cut the hinges off my shed to get in. Below are a list of the tools stolen I have identified so far in case anyone hears or sees anyone out there with new things.

-Rigid Miter Saw, collapsible
-Rigid Table Saw, collapsible
-Rigid Hand Sander
-Rigid Nail Gun & Nails
-Dewalt Cordless Hand Saw
-Dewalt Cordless Reciprocating Saw
-Dewalt Cordless Drill
-Dewalt Cordless Impact Drill
-Dewalt Drill Bits (4-5boxes)

Unfortunately I don’t have any cameras working that could help catch these people. My thought is that they drove some kind of truck and reversed back into my driveway up to the shed and broken. This would have shielded them from being seen from all sides (the other sides are surrounded by two other neighbors and my house as I have an open driveway, no garage. I’m guessing they had some kind of van as the miter saw and table saw are big.

Wanted to let the neighborhood know so everyone can keep an extra eye out on their homes as well as hope that someone saw something that could help catch these thieves.

Share This

SOUTHWEST DISTRICT COUNCIL: Hot topics from Councilmember Herbold; what you don’t know about the Senior Center; logistics, updates, more…

January 4, 2018 7:12 pm

| 11 COMMENTS

| Southwest District Council | West Seattle news

(L-R, Councilmember Lisa Herbold, SWDC co-chairs Tamsen Spengler & Amanda Sawyer, secretary Roxane Rusch; Gunner Scott of HPAC, Mat McBride of Delridge NDC, Lora Swift of WSJA)

By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

New year, new information – many community updates filled last night’s first 2018 meeting of the Southwest District Council, representatives of groups and organizations around western West Seattle.

The meeting was the first under SWDC’s new leadership, co-chairs Tamsen Spengler (of the Morgan Community Association) and Amanda Sawyer (Junction Neighborhood Organization), with secretary Roxane Rusch (Admiral Neighborhood Association).

The spotlighted guest was City Councilmember Lisa Herbold, now midway through her four-year term representing District 1 (West Seattle and South Park).

Share This

NEW FERRY: M/V Suquamish christened at Vigor on Harbor Island

January 4, 2018 4:42 pm

| Comments Off on NEW FERRY: M/V Suquamish christened at Vigor on Harbor Island

| Seen at sea | Transportation | West Seattle news

That photo from Washington State Ferries shows WSF boss Amy Scarton christening the newest state ferry, M/V Suquamish, this afternoon at Vigor Industrial on Harbor Island. It’s the fourth Olympic Class ferry, and scheduled to go into service later this year. Before that, you’ll see it out on sea trials starting in a few months. The plan for starters is for it to be on the Mukilteo/Clinton run in the summer and be on maintenance relief for other vessels at other times of the year. The ferry’s name is explained in the announcement: “The Washington State Transportation Commission selected the vessel name in 2016 to honor the Suquamish people, a tribe that has inhabited the central Puget Sound for approximately 10,000 years.”

Share This

BIZNOTE: Taqueria La Original needs a new home, too

January 4, 2018 2:29 pm

| 9 COMMENTS

| West Seattle businesses | West Seattle news | West Seattle restaurants

Thanks to Rich for the tip – less than two weeks after West Seattle Produce closed at future apartment site 4722 Fauntleroy Way SW, another closure: Mexican-food truck Taqueria La Original was towed off the lot this morning, and like WS Produce, it is now in search of a new home. We talked with TLO management by phone; they’re hoping to find a new home in West Seattle, but “it’s hard.” Once the truck does find a new location, they promise to announce it online. Taqueria La Original took the spot outside WS Produce almost exactly a year ago, same spot left by another food truck, Beloved Mexico, just over a year earlier.

Share This

WEST SEATTLE CRIME WATCH: Home-invasion robbery on Puget Ridge

January 4, 2018 12:47 pm

| 14 COMMENTS

| Crime | Puget Ridge | West Seattle news | West Seattle police

(WSB photo)

ORIGINAL 12:47 PM REPORT: Police are in the 5200 block of 18th SW on Puget Ridge (south of Dawson), after a report of a home-invasion robbery. It’s still early in the investigation, but so far, they have been told that four armed men, described only as black, wearing black hoodies, and black masks, broke into the house. At least one person was home, a man who suffered a facial injury. The robbers are believed to have gotten away in a vehicle, though SPD tells us there are conflicting descriptions. We also don’t know yet what if anything they took. Robbery detectives are on their way to the scene; we’ll check back later for an update.

FRIDAY MORNING NOTE: The report was not available yesterday but we’re renewing our request this morning. The final classification of the call, meantime, was “strong-arm robbery.”

Share This

WEST SEATTLE WHALE WATCHING: Orcas north of Blake Island

January 4, 2018 11:29 am

| 3 COMMENTS

| Seen at sea | West Seattle news | Wildlife

11:29 AM: If you grab binoculars and head for Constellation Park [map], you just might find Kersti Muul and Jeff Hogan there watching orcas. Kersti has texted us that whales are visible off the north tip of Blake Island, currently “milling,” though they had been observed northbound earlier.

11:47 AM: Jeff confirms that they’re visible from here, between Blake and Bainbridge islands currently.

Share This

Celebration of Life on Saturday for Captain Ray Armitstead, 1926-2017

January 4, 2018 11:24 am

| 3 COMMENTS

| Obituaries | West Seattle news

Family and friends will gather Saturday to remember Captain Ray Armitstead. The obituary that his daughter sent to us this morning also turns out to be a followup on an incident reported here a month ago:

On December 5, 2017, WSB published a photo sent to you of a car on the sidewalk going up Glenn Way. In that car was my dad, Captain Ray S Armitstead. He was 91, born and raised in West Seattle.The EMT were able to get a pulse and took him to Harborview, where he passed away about an hour later. My mom always said he had an angel on his shoulder. That angel was with him in his 35 years at sea and there right to the very end. The police officer, who came to our door, said no citations will be issued, no one and nothing was hit. He is survived by his wife of 73 years, InaRuth, daughter Marybeth, son Daniel, daughters Martha and Joyce.

We’d like to invite any who knew him to his Celebration of Life on Saturday, January 6, 2018, at Dakota Place Park, 2 to 4 pm.

(WSB publishes West Seattle obituaries by request, free of charge. Please e-mail the text, and a photo if available, to editor@westseattleblog.com)

Share This

DEVELOPMENT: Townhouse plans for two corners of SW Brandon

January 4, 2018 10:33 am

| 31 COMMENTS

| Development | West Seattle housing | West Seattle news

Two townhouse projects in development news this morning, both on corner lots along SW Brandon:

TOWNHOUSES FOR THAITAN CORNER? An early-stage site plan has appeared in city files for 5258 California SW, current home of The Thaitan. 9 rowhouse (townhouse) units are proposed, two facing California, seven facing Brandon, with nine underground parking spaces. What’s particularly interesting is that while the adjacent, recently vacated Papa John’s site has had the same ownership, there’s no proposal in the files for that site – yet – though the site north has an 18-townhouse plan. Meantime, since the corner site is an early-stage proposal, not yet to the formal application stage, there’s no official comment period open yet either, but if you have anything you want to tell the city, you can contact PRC@seattle.gov and refer to #3030600. As for the restaurant’s future, we’ll be checking on that. (Photo: County Assessor’s Office)

(1:19 PM UPDATE: As Scott points out in comments, since we published this, a similar plan has turned up in online files for the ex-Papa John’s site – 9 townhouses, in this case, 3 fronting California, and three rows of two each behind it.)

And about four blocks directly east …

TOWNHOUSES AT FAUNTLEROY/BRANDON: A project much further along in the pipeline has received a key approval, per this notice in the city-circulated Land Use Information Bulletin. Six rowhouse-style townhouses have been approved for the northwest corner of Fauntleroy/Brandon, at 3914 SW Brandon, with six offstreet-parking spaces; today’s notice is the determination of environmental non-significance, and opens a two-week period for anyone interested in filing an appeal.

Share This

What’s up for your West Seattle Thursday

January 4, 2018 9:22 am

| 1 COMMENT

| West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

(Townsend’s warbler, photographed by Mark Wangerin)

Welcome to 2018’s first Thursday! From the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:

FAMILY STORY TIME: 10:30 am at Southwest Library. (9010 35th SW)

WEST SEATTLE TO BALLARD LIGHT RAIL ‘ELECTED LEADERSHIP’ GROUP: As previewed here earlier this week, this group is meeting for the first time at 705 Union Station on the south side of downtown, 2-4 pm. Public welcome. Meeting documents are here. (4th Ave. S. & Seattle Blvd. S. – map)

ALKI ELEMENTARY PTA: 6:30 pm meeting. (3010 59th SW)

READ THE KORAN IN 4 WEEKS: Tonight is the first of four sessions in First Lutheran Church of West Seattle pastor Rev. Ron Marshall‘s next series, 7 pm. Check to see if there’s room. (4105 California SW)

AT THE SKYLARK: Tonight’s live music features Barrett Staples, Thom Joseph, VIBE, Jay Fiddy. 8 pm. 21+. $8 cover. (3803 Delridge Way SW)

WEST SEATTLE SOUL: New monthly event at Parliament Tavern – see tonight’s lineup in our calendar listing. 9 pm. 21+. (4210 SW Admiral Way)

THERE’S MORE … on our complete calendar!

Share This

TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: Thursday watch

January 4, 2018 7:06 am

| 6 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

(SDOT MAP with travel times/video links; is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE)

7:06 AM: No outbound problems from West Seattle so far, but for those headed this way via southbound I-5, a rollover crash involving a box truck has been blocking lanes just north of the exit to the westbound West Seattle Bridge. No injuries, WSP says, but even once it’s towed, there will be residual southbound backups.

8:34 AM: WSDOT says the overturned truck has just been cleared and now they’re on to some cleanup work.

8:55 AM: All lanes open again on SB I-5 just north of the WS Bridge exit.

Share This

WEST SEATTLE CRIME WATCH: Gunfire investigation in Roxhill Park area

January 4, 2018 1:09 am

| Comments Off on WEST SEATTLE CRIME WATCH: Gunfire investigation in Roxhill Park area

| Crime | West Seattle news | West Seattle police

1:09 AM: Multiple reports of suspected gunfire have had police out searching in the Roxhill Park area for the past hour or so. So far, no reports of them having found anything or anyone; one person who called police told WSB he saw the shots fired from someone in a vehicle. We’ll check later this morning for the final incident report.

11:52 AM: Just checked with SPD, and they confirm, no evidence of gunfire found – doesn’t mean it didn’t happen, only that they did not find casings, property damage, or victim(s).

Share This