Followup: More about city-installed Alki surveillance cameras
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
Since our first report Tuesday on the surveillance cameras that have turned up from Harbor Avenue to Beach Drive – we’ve learned more information about them, while other questions remain.
To recap, if you missed our first story:
WSB readers started noticing the cameras last weekend. We have counted six installed on utility and streetlight poles, with wireless transmitting equipment above them: On the inland side of Harbor Avenue near Salty’s and Seacrest, on the water side at Duwamish Head, on the inland side of Alki Avenue by the Shoremont Apartments (photo above), on the water side by the Alki Statue of Liberty Plaza, and on the water side at the end of Constellation Park/Richey Viewpoint, at 63rd SW and Beach Drive.
The cameras are part of a Seattle Police-led, federally funded project approved by the City Council last spring, though the discussion at City Hall mentioned only “port security,” not specific locations or numbers, and questions are circulating now regarding an online mention that the project is likely to expand far beyond “port security.”
Last spring’s discussion of the project was at the May 2, 2012, meeting of the Public Safety, Civil Rights, and Technology Committee, with its chair, Councilmember Bruce Harrell, and member Councilmember Mike O’Brien present.
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West Seattle Thursday: 6 highlights for January’s finale
(Photo by Machel Spence)
UPDATE: Six highlights from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar, where you will find even more for today/tonight:
WINE TASTING: Try student-produced (and select alumni-produced) wines free at the Northwest Wine Academy on the campus of South Seattle Community College (WSB sponsor), 1-4 pm. Find out more here.
I-90 TOLLING MEETING IN SEATTLE: Third and final open house this week with a chance to comment on the proposed I-90 bridge tolling, and it’s the only one in Seattle, 4-7 pm at Yesler Community Center (917 E. Yesler Way).
‘CABARET DINNER’ AT SENIOR CENTER: 5:30 pm, dinner and entertainment at the Senior Center of West Seattle (Oregon/California in The Junction) – details here.
K-5 STEM AT BOREN OPEN HOUSE: 6:30-7:30 pm, interested families are invited to visit the school, 5950 Delridge Way SW.
(added) WEST SEATTLE MONTESSORI OPEN HOUSE: 6:30-8 pm at 11215 15th SW, West Seattle Montessori/West Seattle Academy (WSB sponsor), pre-K through 8th grade, invites interested families to its open house..
‘SHIRLEY VALENTINE’ … continues at ArtsWest (4711 California SW) – “the story of a woman in her 40s, stuck in a rut, unsure of how to get her groove back.” 7:30 pm, ticket info and other details here.
More school news: Projected enrollments for next year
The Seattle School Board will vote tonight on next year’s “capacity management” changes, delayed a week to await new enrollment projections for next school year. As first pointed out Wednesday on the Seattle Schools Community Forum website, those numbers are available now, in advance of the meeting. You can see the full citywide list here. Looking at projections for West Seattle schools, the only significant changes are projected for K-5 STEM at Boren (up to 327 from the current 268), West Seattle Elementary (up to 452 from 399), Gatewood Elementary (up to 506 from 461), and Schmitz Park Elementary (projected to become West Seattle’s most populous public elementary, to 596 from 536 in the 2013-14 school year).
Tonight’s meeting, by the way, is at 5 pm at district HQ in SODO; here’s the agenda.
First development proposal for upzoned South Admiral site: 166 apartments at 3210 California SW
A February 28th March 14th* Southwest Design Review Board meeting is scheduled for the newest major project proposed in West Seattle – 166 units at 3210 California SW (map). We confirmed the meeting plan via the city website after seeing the project mentioned by the Daily Journal of Commerce (subscription needed to read the story). This is part of the property upzoned two years ago when the City Council gave final approval to an application filed by local entrepreneurs Roger Cayce and Mike Gain three years before that (WSB 2007-2010 coverage archive here). The project is described on the city website as five stories, 166 apartments, 166 parking spaces, and 1,000 feet of live-work space. (The 2010 rezone was for a 40-foot limit, which usually means four stories, so we’ll be checking on that.) The application says demolition is planned for the structures at 3206, 3210, 3220, 3228, 3234 California SW. The developer is listed as Intracorp, the architect as Runberg, whose online portfolio includes two projects in The Triangle – Nova and Merrill Gardens-West Seattle (both WSB sponsors). We plan a full story with more details as we get them.
*Updated date – since we published this story, the date has changed to March 14th on the “Design Review/Upcoming” page.*
Update: Fire response in 4100 block of California SW
(Photo by Christopher Boffoli for WSB)
10:44 PM: Just north of The Junction, a major fire response is heading to the building at 4110 California SW. More shortly.
10:50 PM UPDATE: Per scanner, no fire, some kind of dryer problem. Most of the crews are being dismissed.
10:56 PM UPDATE: Confirmed by our crews on scene.
Update: Armed robbery at 30th/Roxbury gas station may be linked to others
Thanks to everybody who has texted about the King County Sheriff’s Office deputies at the 30th/Roxbury 76 station. They are investigating a reported armed robbery, according to a bulletin that also was shared with Seattle Police (whose jurisdiction ends at the city/county boundary down the middle of Roxbury in that area). No other details so far.
11:02 PM NOTE: Might not be able to get more details before morning. But as the first commenter reminds us, this area has had other robberies lately – it’s only a few blocks from the 35th/Roxbury strip mall where the beverage/tobacco shop was held up a week and a half ago, and also barely a block from Roxhill Park, scene of the much-reported recent robberies targeting teens.
10 AM UPDATE: KCSO Sgt. Patrick McCurdy says this might be linked to other robberies in the county: They believe the same robber hit the Texaco and Zip Mart (in White Center) “within the last week to week and a half.” They think he got away in a car but don’t have a description of it yet. He is described as a black man in his late 30s to early 40s, medium build, 5’10”, 190 pounds, and Sgt. McCurdy adds, “In all of the circumstances, the suspect had his face covered, probably with a bandana. One of the robberies occurred in the early morning hours (around 4:00 am or so), and the other two occurred close to 10:00 PM. In all robberies, the suspect displayed a small black semi-automatic handgun.”
Tomorrow: Open-house night at West Seattle’s STEM elementary
Last year right about now, K-5 STEM at Boren – aka West Seattle STEM Elementary – was in the formative stages, and people who decided to enroll for this school year did so on a leap of faith. This year, it’s reality, and you can visit before deciding whether to enroll your child(ren). Tomorrow night’s the biggest event of enrollment season, an open house 6:30-7:30 pm at the school, 5950 Delridge Way. Four tours for parents/guardians are also set next month, as listed on this flyer.
West Seattle Crime Watch: 2 Three auto thefts, 1 with a reward
ORIGINAL REPORT, 3:35 PM: Since so many stolen vehicles are found relatively close to the theft location, we offer the chance in West Seattle Crime Watch reports to get the word out around the peninsula, in addition to the police bulletins over the radio and via Twitter. Today, two thefts to report – just blocks apart. First one comes from someone whose neighbor’s truck was stolen from her garage Saturday night near 39th and Andover:
She is offering a $300 reward for information that leads directly to the recovery of the vehicle. The thieves entered through the alley into the back yard. They opened a gate that had an eye hook lock on the inside and then went in through the side door of the detached garage to access the vehicle. They also had to open the electric garage door, which is not quiet, to get the truck out. There was nothing valuable inside the truck and no windows on the outside of the garage for them to see what was inside if they were walking by. The theft seems highly suspicious because of the extremes that the theives went to to gain access to an old truck.
The truck is a white ’92 Nissan pick-up with red interior. There is a silver, metal knob on the steering wheel that is often referred to as a “suicide knob” or a “granny knob.” The license plate number is B12695R. If you see the vehicle, please contact the police or e-mail livelife1286@gmail.com.
Just blocks away, a car theft late last night or early today, reported by Bob:
10:00 PM and 9:00 AM this morning. Car was an ’89 red Subaru Legacy with Ore plates. Stolen from 44th Ave SW between Dakota & Andover.
ADDED 6 PM: Got word of another one, from Chris:
My neighbor’s truck was stolen sometime this morning around 7:30 am. it is a 1980 Toyota truck with a white canopy w/ rack. Lic # B30651H stolen from 23rd ave sw and sw Barton st. If found, please call 763-4027. Thank you.
‘We’ve had a great run’: Rev. David Kratz’s final week as Fauntleroy Church’s pastor
(First 3 photos by Ben Ackers)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
The farewell party’s over. The final sermon has been said.
By week’s end, Rev. David Kratz will leave a job he’s had for 27 years – as pastor of Fauntleroy Church.
“We’ve had a great run,” he reflected during a recent sit-down conversation in his office at the church. While he mentions his age – 67 – without being prompted, he adds, “I’m not being forced out by the congregation, I’m not sick, just … it’s time.”
January 15, 1986, was his first day, and January 31, 2013 – tomorrow – is scheduled to be his last.
He’s been in Fauntleroy for two-thirds of his 40 years as a minister – a time of changes big and small.
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Help WestSide Baby serve 22,000 kids, with your seat at the table for 12th annual Tea
(WSB photo from 2012 WestSide Baby Tea)
There’s still room at the table for you, at one of the biggest parties of the year – the WestSide Baby Benefit Tea, coming up February 10th, just one week from this Sunday. With auction items, surprises, and tea and treats in/on fine china, the party’s become so big that even though WS Baby is headquartered here in the West Seattle/White Center area, the benefit will be in its second year in a spacious room at the Hilton Seattle Conference Center a short way south. Tickets are $30, tables for 10 start at $250 – and you’ll be helping thousands, as WS Baby’s update explains:
WestSide Baby served 17% more local children in 2012 with essential items such as diapers, car seats, cribs and clothing valued at $1.6 million. That means 22,000 children received what they needed with most of those items being gently used things coming from local families passed through our doors to others. “We saw a great increase in need and a fantastic increase in support and volunteers in 2012 that allowed us to provide more to the most vulnerable among us, children in need,” shares Nancy Woodland, Executive Director of WestSide Baby. “The majority of what we give comes from local families and goes to support other local families. This is why our theme is ‘Families Helping Families, it’s just so simple. When one family is having a hard time, another can help. Our Tea gathers together many parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles who inspire others in their own family to help. ”
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TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: Wednesday on wheels
(Live view from the east-facing WS Bridge camera; see other cameras on the WSB Traffic page)
Welcome to Wednesday! We’ll see how the day unfolds. Then tonight, same traffic alert as the past two nights – a 10 pm-5 am closure of southbound 99 between the Battery Street Tunnel and West Seattle Bridge.
The WSBeat: What else turned up in the police files…
By Megan Sheppard
On the WSBeat, for West Seattle Blog
As always, the WSBeat summaries are from reports on cases handled recently by Southwest Precinct officers that (usually) have not already appeared here in breaking-news coverage or West Seattle Crime Watch reports, but that might at least answer the question “what WERE all those police doing on my block?”:
*At 2 pm this past Saturday, officers helped Animal Control on a call about a dog being mistreated in a wooded area on Myers Way. The dog’s owner was wanted on $5,000 worth of warrants for vehicle prowling, theft, harassment and failure to appear. Both he and the dog were taken into custody without incident. From the man’s campsite, officers recovered a pry tool, window punch tool and an ax.
*An Arbor Heights woman known to “care for dogs” refused to give a canine back to its owner, claiming she had spent $1250 on veterinary costs after the dog had been placed in her care. The owner had never approved any veterinary treatment. An officer explained that the caregiver had taken on the expense at her own risk and that if she refused to return the dog to the owner, she would be charged with theft. The caregiver said, “Fine,” and decided to keep the dog. Both parties were given a case number.
Nine more summaries ahead:Read More
Update: Heard in Fairmount Springs, apparently fireworks
9:29 PM: Mentioning it since we’ve received more than a few texts – people in Fairmount Springs (between Fairmount Park and Morgan Junction) heard something a few minutes ago that sounded like gunshots or fireworks. Definitely NO medical calls for any sort of shooting – have not heard scanner activity related to this yet, but continuing to listen.
10 PM: Commenters include people who say they saw it – fireworks.
Update: 1st Avenue South Bridge fixed after southbound-drawspan trouble
6:32 PM: Thanks to the WSB’er who texted about the 1st Avenue South Bridge having a stuck-open drawspan on the SOUTHBOUND side, with major backups ensuing; WSDOT confirms this and says crews are working to fix it. Refresh this page for the latest “live” view above, showing the drawspan still “up” as we write this.
7:31 PM UPDATE: As of about 10 minutes ago, the southbound span is back to normal, and traffic is moving.
Update: Police intercept armed man at Southwest Precinct
5:08 PM: Police are blocking off the area around the precinct. Avoid for now. Working on details.
5:23 PM UPDATE: Appears whatever this was ended quickly. Still working on details. Witnesses say officers converged on a van, which is still visible in the area, though the search/response activity is over.
7:25 PM UPDATE: We’ve heard from Lt. Pierre Davis at the precinct, who explains: “At about (5 pm), one of our officers intercepted an armed distraught male attempting to gain entry into the police precinct parking lot. A dialogue was rapidly started, in an attempt to assess the threat level and motivation of the armed subject. The subject complied with instructions to give himself up, thus ending the immediate threat and incident. Our officers did a fantastic job protecting themselves and the community in this incident.”
West Seattle’s legislators sponsoring bills to abolish the death penalty
At the State Capitol, legislators in both houses have introduced bills this week to abolish the death penalty, saying it’s too expensive. All three state legislators for the 34th District (which includes West Seattle) are sponsors of the bills – for House Bill 1504, State Reps. Eileen Cody (D-West Seattle) and Joe Fitzgibbon (D-Burien), and for Senate Bill 5372, State Sen. Sharon Nelson (D-Maury Island). The bills – subtitled “Reducing criminal-justice expenses by eliminating the death penalty in favor of life incarceration” – would limit sentencing for aggravated first-degree murder to life in prison with no chance of release. Our state has had 110 executions, most recently Cal Brown in 2010.
Wondering about new cameras along Alki? Seattle Police project
Since last weekend, we’ve been getting questions from WSB readers about installations in prominent Alki spots of what appear to be new surveillance/security cameras (a hot topic right now, as evidenced by the discussion about private cameras at last week’s West Seattle Block Watch Captains Network meeting [WSB coverage here]). Traveling the waterfront, you can see at least half a dozen similar installations along Harbor and Alki Avenues as well as one near Constellation Park. Since they’re all on utility and streetlight poles, we speculated they had to be some kind of city project, so we started inquiring with city departments, and after two days of inquiries finally have a bit of information. SDOT pointed us to Seattle Police, as did Seattle City Light, describing it as a police project related to port security. Southwest Precinct operations Lt. Pierre Davis explained that the cameras are “part of a grant project ran by SPD to observe the waterway in that area.” This online article from last summer quotes a Seattle Fire Department official as mentioning a project for surveillance cameras all along the waterfront to help public-safety personnel in case of incidents. SPD Public Affairs says more information about the project will be made public soon.
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