West Seattle, Washington
13 Monday
(Photo courtesy Mark)
Have you seen the sign? ALKI, spelled out with 53 rocks in the 59th SW median south of Admiral Way. We noticed it in passing last week and tweeted a photo, but got caught up in other things and didn’t get around to mentioning it here. Since then, though several other people have called it to our attention, and wondered whose work it is – we don’t know either, so we’re publishing the photo to ask if YOU know!
Thanks to Mark Wangerin for the photo of a pigeon guillemot that’s now sporting its springtime look. As we bask in unexpected sunshine, here’s what’s ahead for today/tonight from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:
SEEDS FOR EARTH DAY: With your coffee (or any other purchase) at Hotwire Online Coffeehouse (WSB sponsor) today, get a packet of wildflower seeds, in honor of Earth Day. (4410 California SW)
MINI-PLANTS FOR EARTH DAY: Also in The Junction, an Earth Day traditiona at Fleurt (celebrating its 5th anniversary!) – drop off an unwanted pot or jar, get a mini-plant. (4536 California SW)
BLOOD DRIVE: The Bloodmobile is at South Seattle College (WSB sponsor) 10:30 am-4:30 pm today, with a break from 12:30 pm-1:30 pm. All who can donate are welcome to stop by and do so; more info here. (6000 16th SW)
GET OUT OF THE (HOME) OFFICE: Noon meetup at West Seattle Office Junction (WSB sponsor) for entrepreneurs, at-home workers, etc. – come network, take a break from the usual setting, see what everyone else is up to. (6040 California SW)
BEACH CLEANUP FOR EARTH DAY: 2:30-4 pm, join the local Surfrider Foundation chapter in cleaning up Alki Beach, as previewed here.
YOUTH-LED COMMUNITY DISCUSSION ABOUT SAFETY: 5:30 pm at High Point Community Center, be part of a youth-facilitated discussion about community safety, world-café style – explained here. (6920 34th SW)
TALK ABOUT SPACE! NASA Solar System Ambassador Dr. Ron Hobbs is at Explorer West Middle School (WSB sponsor) at 6:30 pm, and the community is invited:
Dr. Hobbs’ presentation, titled “Exploring Strange New Worlds; A Space Exploration Update,” will introduce exciting developments in space exploration. This talk is aimed to inspire upper elementary and middle school students and their families. Admission is free of charge. An RSVP is requested by email at events@explorer-west.org.
In this special Earth Day Explorer presentation, Dr. Hobbs will talk about the new frontiers including the latest discoveries in comets, dwarf planets, and the Mars rover. With the goal of igniting enthusiasm and imagination of the new frontiers that lie in outer space, Dr. Hobbs will also illustrate the ways that the discoveries from these missions will impact our life on earth.
Please note the RSVP request above. (10015 28th SW)
HIGHLAND PARK ACTION COMMITTEE: 6:30 pm potluck, 7 pm meeting at Highland Park Improvement Club – as previewed here, a new city employment initiative will be discussed. Plus, District 1 City Council candidate Chas Redmond. (12th/Holden)
COMEDY SHOWCASE: 8 pm at Feedback Lounge, hosted by West Seattle’s own Mona Concepcion, it’s the Jay Wendall Walker 55th Anniversary Show – laugh it up! (6451 California SW)
AND THIS IS JUST THE START … see everything else happening today/tonight (and beyond) by going to our calendar.
Several people are asking this morning about a helicopter search in eastern West Seattle early today. Here’s what we’ve found out: Guardian One helped Seattle Police try to catch a man who robbed the 35th/Avalon 7-11 around 2 am. According to the police report we’ve obtained, the clerk was mopping the floor when the robber approached him from behind and placed the barrel of a handgun against his neck, ordering him to empty the register and give him all the money. After the clerk complied, the robber grabbed six packages of cigars and ran out of the store – dropping the cigars in the process, but not the money. The clerk summoned police immediately; they searched on the ground with a K-9 and from the air with Guardian One, but couldn’t find the robber, whose track ended in an alley near the golf course, several blocks east. No description – we’ll add it if we get it.
(Four WS-relevant views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
Good morning! No trouble reported in, or from, West Seattle so far this morning – the weather is sunnier than expected, though, so don’t forget your shades!
One traffic alert for tonight: Southbound Highway 509 in Burien will close 8 pm-5 am tonight, tomorrow night, and two nights next week – details here.
A green reminder on this Earth Day: If you’re ready to recycle items that you can’t put out with the usual curbside recyclables – good news: Fauntleroy Church‘s next Recycle Roundup is only four days away, coming up this Sunday (April 26th), 9 am-3 pm. It’s one of the two days each year that the church’s Green Committee partners with sustainable recyclers 1 Green Planet to set up the main church parking lot at 9140 California SW as a dropoff zone for your no-longer-needed items … as long as they’re on this list. See you there!
Thanks to the tipster who let us know that a crash at 47th/Andover earlier tonight was more than it looked on the 911 log. When we got there, the car above was the most visible remaining sign of what had happened around 7:30 pm – it was one of three parked cars damaged when a black Jetta slammed into them. Our tipster says witnesses saw a man get out of the driver’s seat and run after the collision, leaving an injured woman inside; she was taken to the hospital. Our tipster sent this video clip, in which you’ll hear the en-route fire engine:
We weren’t able to reach police to ask if the driver was caught but will see if we can find anything out in the morning.
Washington State Ferries says the Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth route is back to three boats now that the Issaquah is repaired. As noted in today’s traffic/transit watch, it’s been out of service since midday.
Thanks to LB for noticing that tower-crane base installed at the site of The Whittaker (4755 Fauntleroy Way SW), and sharing the photo. Crane arrivals are of interest for a variety of reasons, from traffic effects on installation day(s) to the draw of spectators, so we checked with the project team: The first of its two cranes is set for installation Monday-Tuesday of next week (April 27-28). More details to come; no date yet for the second crane. Meantime, in case you’ve been wondering – Whole Foods Market remains the only retailer confirmed for the project, which also includes 389 apartments and 594 underground parking spaces.
Over the past year or so, Seattle Police have been working with neighborhood groups to create specific local policing plans – and now, they’ve made the citywide plans public. Here are the six for West Seattle (with more to come):
Admiral
Alki
Fauntleroy
Highland Park
North Delridge
Roxhill/Arbor Heights
(Former Southwest Precinct commander, now Assistant Chief, Steve Wilske, was a leader in initiating these, as cited by SPD Chief Kathleen O’Toole in promoting him.)
Read more about the concept – and see the city’s other plans, if you’re interested – by going to this SPD webpage.
From WSDOT:
Drivers heading to Burien or Sea-Tac Airport should prepare for up to four full closures of southbound State Route 509 over the next seven nights.
Closure details
· Wednesday, April 22 to the morning of Friday, April 24 and Monday, April 27 to the morning of Wednesday, April 29 – All southbound lanes of SR 509 from SR 518/Southwest 148th Street to South 160th Street will be closed from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. nightly.
· Drivers will follow a short signed detour [onto 1st Avenue S.]. The southbound SR 509 exit to SR 518 and the airport will remain open.
· This work is weather dependent.
During the closures, contractor crews working for the Washington State Department of Transportation will grind and repave sections of the highway near SR 518. The work is part of the SR 509 project to replace the asphalt on a four-mile section of the roadway.
Thanks to the 220+ sellers – individuals, schools, businesses, organizations, blocks – who have already signed up to make Saturday, May 9th, another epic West Seattle Community Garage Sale Day – 
person-to-person recycling at its finest! If you are thinking about having a sale – we just want to make sure you know that registration, which has been open for three weeks, closes in **two days** … the cutoff is this Thursday night (April 23rd), so we can get going on the map/list, to keep our promise that it’ll be available one week before sale day. Just go here to sign up online.
IMPORTANT P.S. IF YOU’VE ALREADY REGISTERED: Please be sure you got both receipts – confirmation e-mail PLUS a receipt from PayPal (it carries WSB’s legacy LLC name, A Drink of Water & A Story Interactive) – as happens every year, a small percentage of sellers are in the system only with the former, not the latter, and if that’s you, e-mail us ASAP at garagesale@westseattleblog.com so we can send you a link to finish the process. Thank you!
(WSB photo)
We took that photo this morning in the 10200 block of Myers Way – just south of the city limits – after a texted tip (206-293-6302 any time) from someone who reported seeing a major presence of Washington State Patrol and FBI agents there. When we asked the FBI about it, they told us information would be forthcoming shortly on a multi-agency, multi-location operation – and here it is:
Federal, state and local law enforcement partners made 18 arrests and searched more than a dozen locations in connection with a two-year investigation into a violent drug trafficking organization, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Annette L. Hayes. The organization distributed cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine across a wide swath of the greater Seattle metro area. The defendants (were) scheduled to appear in U.S. District Court in Seattle at 2:00 today.
“These defendants preyed on our community by supplying drugs in neighborhoods across Seattle, and demonstrated a willingness to use violence where it served their purposes,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Annette L. Hayes. “Their criminal activities included hiding weapons and using violence in homeless encampments located along Interstate-5.”
According to the indictment and court records, beginning in February 2013 law enforcement authorities used a variety of tools including telephone wire taps and confidential sources to infiltrate and interdict this drug organization. The investigation determined that the organization distributed approximately 15-20 kilos of cocaine, 10-15 kilos of heroin and 5 kilos of methamphetamine per month.
2:17 PM: Just in via the King County Health Department:
KFC #332 located at 3501 SW Avalon Way, Seattle 98126 was closed by a Public Health food inspector on April 20, 2014 at 3:30 pm due to the imminent health hazard of sewage backup into the facility. The inspector will reopen the establishment after all issues have been resolved.
Sometimes that happens quickly, so we’ll be going over to check soon to see if they’re still closed.
2:34 PM: The restaurant is open for business. We’re trying to see if we can find someone to confirm that the problem announced by the Health Department is fixed. (Added: The KCPH webpage now says they approved the business for reopening at 11 am … hours before this alert was sent.)
In case you missed our first mention – this is just two days away, 12:30 pm-2:30 pm Thursday (April 23rd) at the Senior Center of West Seattle:
Councilmember Tom Rasmussen will host a community forum regarding affordable-housing challenges for senior citizens and options for those on fixed incomes. Rasmussen is hosting the meeting in response to concerns he has heard regarding the increasing cost of housing, particularly from low-income seniors. Representatives for senior citizens, social workers, housing affordability advocates, Seattle Housing Authority, and from the Seattle Utility Discount Program will be part of the presentation.
Forum topics include:
· Increasing housing costs
· Landlord and renter rights in Seattle
· Affordable housing options for seniors
· Opportunities for participation in the Utility Discount Program
· Q&AEveryone is invited to attend to learn more and ask questions.
The Senior Center’s entrance is on SW Oregon just east of California SW.
(UPDATED 2:11 pm with letter sent home by Denny/Sealth prinicipals)
Just in, from Seattle Police:
Police are investigating after a 15-year-old girl was grabbed while walking through Westwood Village Tuesday morning.
The girl told officers she was walking to school at 6:30 AM when a man approached her and asked where he could buy a phone charger. She answered his question and made her way to a nearby coffee shop. The girl said that when she exited the cafe, the man continued to follow her, at one point wrapping both of his arms around her. The girl broke free and ran the rest of the way to Denny International Middle School, where she reported the incident to administrators.
The victim described the man as in his early 30’s, black, wearing a black hoodie and sweat pants. If you have any information in this case please call 911 and speak with an officer.
This is the first walking-to/from-school incident reported against a Denny or Sealth student in more than a month – last one in our archives was in early March.
Reminder that, as mentioned earlier, the West Seattle Crime Prevention Council meets tonight, so if you have questions/concerns about this or anything else recently in WS, come hear from and talk to police, 7 pm @ the precinct (Delridge/Webster).
ADDED 2:11 PM: We asked Denny principal Jeff Clark to please share the letter that we expected would be sent home to parents. Here it is (it’s to be sent to Sealth families too) – please note that they still need volunteers for the safety effort we spotlighted here last month:
April 21, 2015
Dear Denny and Chief Sealth Scholars and Families,We want to share with you information right away regarding an incident that was reported this morning involving one of our scholars on her way to school.
At approximately 6:20 am an eighth-grade female scholar was followed around Westwood Village by a man who persistently asked her questions. He was described as an East African man in his early 30’s, thin built with short curly hair and a goatee, who spoke with an accent. He continued to follow her through the parking lot and on the path from Westwood through the Southwest Athletic Center toward our campus. When she approached Thistle, he grabbed her. She broke free from his grasp and ran to school and reported the incident to school staff right away. Denny Staff notified the family and the Seattle Police Department, who are actively investigating.
The safety of our scholars is our top priority. We are continuing to coordinate with the SW Precinct Captain to discuss the safety and their increased policing efforts. We will continue to collaborate with the Seattle Police Department and Seattle Public Schools Safety and Security to help monitor the surrounding area. As a part of these efforts, we are recruiting a team of volunteers to be trained and posted around the neighborhood to serve as part of a “block watch” system as our scholars come to and from school. If you are interested in helping with this, please contact Jeff Clark at jclark@seattleschools.org or 206-252-9000.
You can help your children stay safe by talking to them about personal safety. Tips to discuss are:
• Walking in pairs or groups and being aware of their surroundings at all times.
• Leaving for school at times where there are high levels of pedestrian traffic.
• Immediately reporting anything suspicious to trusted adults (school staff and family members).
• Keep earbuds off and expensive phones out of sight.More tips and information can be found on the Seattle Police Department website: http://www.seattle.gov/police/prevention/child/default.htm.
Just spotted this while out checking on something unrelated: Signage is up for The Ripple Café, on the way to 9007 35th SW, next to West Seattle Fish House. It’s the same spot where JC’s Deli closed at the end of last year. Via Facebook, the café’s proprietor describes it as, “(A) small but funky café … Local coffee, home-made sweet and savory baked goods (gluten-free options too!!), everything fresh, everything delicious!!”, adding that they hope to open this month. When we find out more, we’ll update this story.
ADDED WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON: Proprietor Barbara Underwood comments below – including, ” In coordinating with our neighbors, we are hoping to all compliment each other and create our own little destination corner of West Seattle. We will be serving fresh sandwiches, fresh tossed salads and some baked items. We have specialty coffees and teas (Iced and Hot) but have no plans to serve espresso. We hope to consistently adjust to the neighborhood needs. Hope to see you soon.”
Thanks to “Diver Laura” James for the video from Constellation Park at low tide – one place you might consider being when the tide’s out to -1.7 feet again at 1:31 pm today. (Check tides – as well as forecasts, sun/moon times and phases, and more – on the WSB West Seattle Weather page, any time.)
Also for today/tonight, from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:
DROP-IN CHESS: 4-5:30 pm at High Point Branch Library, kids/teens welcome to stop in and play, all skill levels, coaches/game sets on hand, free. (35th/Raymond)
TUESDAY TUNE-UP FUNDRAISER: 6:30-8:30 pm, enjoy live music at Salty’s on Alki (WSB sponsor) while helping raise money for Ladybug House during the Tuesday Tune-Up – details here. (1936 Harbor SW)
CITY ATTORNEY AT CRIME PREVENTION COUNCIL: 7 pm at the Southwest Precinct, find out about local crime trends, ask questions about neighborhood concerns, and hear from this month’s special guest, City Attorney Pete Holmes. All welcome. (Webster/Delridge)
WEST SEATTLE QUILTERS: Join them tonight at 7 pm at Senior Center of West Seattle. (Oregon/California)
SEE INTO THE FUTURE … more events for today, plus what’s up tomorrow and way beyond, all on the calendar page.
This time we’ll start with the reminder:
WEST SEATTLE CRIME PREVENTION COUNCIL MEETS TONIGHT … 7 pm, precinct (Webster/Delridge). Bring your questions and concerns for local police, who will share updates on crime trends. Plus – special guest, Seattle City Attorney Pete Holmes. All welcome.
Now, the newest reader reports we’ve received about local incidents:
STOLEN CAR: White two-door 1998 Honda Civic DX, license plate ASU-1986, stolen from the 4700 block of 36th SW. Distinctive features include “a “Drager” Breathalyzer with a camera on the dash, the front end (hood, front bumper, and passenger side fender) had been repainted and doesn’t exactly match the rest of the car,” and no muffler.
PURSE STOLEN FROM CAR: Marj is hoping the prowlers who broke into her car trunk in the south-side parking lot at the West Seattle YMCA (WSB sponsor) late Monday morning might have discarded her purse – “light colored black leather with a short leather strap and a striped over the body strap. Inside was a black shiny snake wallet, green check register, black & white cat beaded glass case and small brown and green address book. Purse says made in Italy inside.” A police report was filed.
FOUND PURSE: This isn’t Marj’s purse but – whether it was stolen or lost, it turned up, empty, on a bench at Lincoln Park:
DLBJ sent the photo, saying it was “two benches south of Colman Pool.”
STOLEN LAWN MOWER: Tom reports from the 7500 block of 15th SW:
We had a lawn mower stolen from the back of a pickup truck and 150 ft of electrical cord stolen from the sidewalk on Saturday (4/18) around 2:30 pm. A neighbor had seen an unknown white male with a tattoo on his hand driving a black pickup truck looking for yard work at the time of the thefts. Police report has been filed.
BELATED BULLET-HOLE REPORT: We heard over the weekend from Barbara, who saw the report about Admiral cars with bullet holes and wondered if anyone else heard gunfire/had damage from two weekends earlier:
Our car was parked on the street on Alki Ave SW in the 1500 block (not directly in front of our condo building, but close) from the afternoon of Wed. 4/1 through Sunday 4/5 while we were out of town, in our other car. Sunday 4/5 we came home and saw the bullet hole in the driver’s side door.
Police told her they had no other gunfire reports in the area that weekend; if you have any information and/or it happened to you too but you didn’t report it, the case # is 111-279.
THANKS … for sharing Crime Watch reader reports, so your neighbors in the wider WS community can be alerted too. If something is happening NOW, please text or call, 24/7, at 206-293-6302.
Enrollment season isn’t over yet, and if you are looking at Pre-K enrollment for next year, Westside School (WSB sponsor) invites you to an open house next Saturday (April 25th). While Westside is moving into its new campus this fall, the open house is at its current campus, 7740 34th SW (map). The invite says, “You will have the opportunity to talk with members of our administration, pre-kindergarten faculty and learn about our community of engaged, joyful and creative learners!” Drop by any time between 10 am and noon on Saturday.
(Four WS-relevant views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
7:38 AM: No West Seattle trouble spots thus far in the Tuesday commute.
12:38 PM: Trouble on the ferry run:
The Issaquah is out of service due to necessary repairs. The Fauntleroy/Vashon/ Southworth route will begin operating the two-boat schedule with the 12:20pm sailing from Fauntleroy. The two-boat schedule will be in effect until further notice.
You can view the 2-boat schedule at: wsdot.com/ferries/schedule/Default.aspx
Development notes and updates – nothing major, but of interest to several neighborhoods:
40TH/OREGON: Demolition day today (thanks to Eddie for the tip) for a house mentioned here in November – a stucco-and-tile house more the type you’d expect to see in Southern California. Here’s the photo we ran then:
(WSB photo, November 2014)
The crew at the scene told us that salvagers removed the roof tiles before demolition. The house’s 4,600-square-foot lot is slated for construction of two single-family houses and two townhouses.
LAND USE APPLICATION FOR 4515 41ST SW: Not far from there, the memory-care facility proposed at 4515 41st SW has officially applied for a land-use permit, which opens another comment window – the notice from today’s Land Use Information Bulletin explains how. The project still has at least one more Design Review meeting ahead – no date yet; here’s our report on its most-recent review.
3112 SW JUNEAU: Also from today’s Land Use Information Bulletin, an application to build a three-story house on a smaller-than-usual parcel – this notice also includes information on how to comment.
4464 23RD SW: This early-stage proposal in the land-use files seeks a permit to “cluster-develop 4 single family homes in an ECA. Due to potential wetlands, steep slope, and potential landslide ECA’S we propose to reduce setbacks equivalent to cottage housing per 25.09.260. A future Unit Lot Subdivision would be submitted.” (ECA = Environmentally Critical Area)
STREAMLINED DESIGN REVIEW FOR 3215 CALIFORNIA: Across the street from the 3210 California megaproject, the old commercial buildings are vacant now, and one section of the future redevelopment is in line for “streamlined Design Review” – no meeting, but public comments will be accepted. It’s 3215 California SW, four townhouses and two live-work units. While its “design packet” isn’t available on the official DR site yet, you should be able to download the 26 MB PDF here.
4111 DELRIDGE WAY SW: Full details aren’t in the files yet but there’s an early proposal for a lot-boundary adjustment here – the site is on record as three lots – and a site plan showing the 106-year-old house there now is to be demolished, along with garages and driveways.
OTHER NOTES: Demolitions/replacements that recently showed up in city files: 5956 38th SW, 97-year-old house just sold & to be replaced by a new single-family house … a demolition permit is sought at recently sold 8443 12th SW, with “existing structures” to be removed and a permit sought for a new house, as well as a lot-boundary adjustment … 4103 Delridge Way SW (not far from a project mentioned above) has a demolition permit application and a note about two single-family houses to be built.
(P.S. – WSB development coverage is archived here, reverse chronological order.)
For the first time, South Seattle College (WSB sponsor) has a student on the All-USA Academic Team. Here’s the announcement:
South Seattle College student David Yama was named as one of the top scholars in the nation by earning a spot on the All-USA Academic team, as announced by the National Honor Society, Phi Theta Kappa, today. Yama is the first student in South’s history to earn this honor.
The All-USA academic team is widely recognized as the most prestigious academic honor for students attending community college. Nominees are hand-selected by college presidents or their designated nominator for demonstrating academic rigor, leadership and civic growth.
Yama attended the national celebration today of the top-20 All-USA Scholars, where he was further honored as the sole recipient of PTK’s Pierce Scholarship. Along with receiving financial support through the award, he was selected to speak on behalf of all 20 students during the celebration. … Earlier this year Yama was named Washington State’s New Century Scholar, which is given to the top-ranked scholar on the All-Washington Academic team. In the last four years, South has produced two of Washington’s top-scholars from this team.
After dropping out of high school at the age of 14, and working a series of what Yama called “dead-end jobs,” his academic career started at South in hopes of earning his GED. With the encouragment of South faculty member Jane Harness, Yama’s confidence and aspirations continued to grow. He will graduate this spring with an associate degree while maintaining a 3.96 GPA.
Much of Yama’s success he credits to South’s faculty and staff. In addition to Harness, he specifically mentioned instructors Rochelle Fontoi, Bob Dela-Cruz, and Jake Ashcraft.
“South has the most helpful faculty and staff anywhere, with so many opportunities!” Yama said.
After graduation, Yama’s academic journey will continue at the University of Washington, where he is currently volunteering up to 30 hours a week conducting lab research, and he ultimately hopes to earn a doctorate.
You might recall that Yama was a speaker at January’s “Gifts From The Earth” fundraiser at SSC.
(WSB photo, wider look at scene, substituted for originally published cameraphone pic)
6:31 PM: A crash is blocking Fauntleroy/Alaska both ways – avoid the area for now.
ADDED 6:37 PM: Two cars and a motorcycle are involved, our crew at the scene is told, and three people are being taken to the hospital – the motorcycle rider to Harborview via SFD medic unit, two people from the cars via private ambulance. The collision happened near the southeast corner of the intersection (by Les Schwab Tires). No life-threatening injuries, and TCIS is not being called out, so this might be cleared soon.
6:55 PM UPDATE: From SDOT:
UPDATE: Collision: Fauntleroy Way SW & SW Alaska St. Only NB lanes remain blocked. Tow truck is at the scene. pic.twitter.com/WAfeiHQMH4
— seattledot (@seattledot) April 21, 2015
7:40 PM: Scene’s clear, per SDOT.
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