Checking the online files on various crime/court cases we have been following – we just discovered a guilty plea in one recent case: That of 28-year-old Skyler Gronholz, charged with third-degree assault for the attack that left two officers and a Good Samaritan injured after a traffic stop last month at 42nd/Charlestown. (A week later, we covered a Southwest Precinct event in which the citizen was formally thanked for helping the officers.) At the time of Gronholz’s arrest the night of that incident, he also was wanted on a warrant related to a burglary/stolen property case in which he had pleaded guilty earlier this year; court documents say that case is being folded into this one. He pleaded guilty to the November assault charge last week; prosecutors are recommending a 3 1/2-year prison sentence when he is sentenced on January 11th.
A memorial service is planned one week from tomorrow for Dick Fullington, a former longtime West Seattle resident and physician. His family shares this remembrance:
WARREN RICHARD (Dick) FULLINGTON, 82, of Olympia, born May 12, 1930, passed away on December 10, 2012. Son of Harold and Mildred Fullington, Dick was born in Parsons, KS, and graduated from Bremerton H.S. in 1948. After completing the U.W. School of Medicine in 1956, he married Lois Lundberg the next day. Following residency, he served in the U.S Army from 1961-64 in Honolulu. Warren practiced at South Seattle Women’s Clinic and at Riverton and Highline Hospitals until 1989.
Dick loved his savior Jesus Christ. Married to Lois for 56 years, she remained the love of his life. Their love shone as a beautiful example to his four sons and many others. Gentle and kind, Dick’s passions included reading, learning, football and salmon fishing with Lois and son John at Sekiu. An avid Husky fan, he rooted for the Cougars when his grandson John joined the team. Preferring to get to know people individually, apart from large gatherings, he always made you feel special and important.
Survived by his wife Lois, sons Rand (Laurel), John (Sue), Mark (Maciana) and Craig (Andrea) and 12 grandchildren, he is greatly missed. A memorial will be held at Hope Community Church Friday January 4, 2013, in Olympia. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Hope Community Church Building Fund.
(WSB publishes obituaries by request, free of charge. Please e-mail the text, and a photo if available, to editor@westseattleblog.com)
(New Year’s Eve 2011 video by Randall G. Hauk for WSB)
For the past three New Year’s Eves, the Highland Park “Not-So-Silent Night Parade” has been West Seattle’s liveliest all-ages way to ring (and drum, and shout…) out the old year. We knew a fourth annual parade was in the works, followed by the “Sage Comet,” but now we know what else is in store at the Highland Park Improvement Club next Monday night – starting shortly after 7 pm, the first-ever New Year’s Eve “Corner Bar” :
Live music from Sedagive: eclectic, centering around rock, roots rock, classic stuff Justin Hoffman: original folk rock with a reggae punch Woody Moses & friends: jam session, starting around 11 pm until after midnight. Anyone who’s interested is welcome to sit in.
Your favorite local beer on tap, wine by the glass and the return of the awesome Sangria – all for $3 each. Non-alcoholic drinks $1 each. Peanuts and pretzels for all! Champagne toast at midnight. No cover charge – but bring some dollars to support the bands.
P.S. For the parade, HPIC reminds everybody, “Bring noisemakers, flashlights, lanterns, umbrellas – whatever is necessary! Parade starts when everyone is ready!” (Around 6 pm – 12th and Holden.)
Update since we first reported six days ago that the signs were up and the comment period had opened for the 370-apartment 4755 Fauntleroy Way SW project’s land-use permit application: The deadline’s been extended two more weeks, to January 23rd. In our December 21st report, the project’s assigned DPD planner Bruce Rips had pointed out that the extension was available on request, and he confirms to WSB this afternoon that (as commenter Steve noted here) it’s been requested and granted. To comment on the project by January 23rd, e-mail him at bruce.rips@seattle.gov. Meantime, the project awaits its third Southwest Design Review Board meeting; no date set yet, though the project team has told us they hope it’ll be within the next month or so.
If you’ve been through The Junction the past few days, you might have noticed the windows papered over at Sugar Rush Baking Company (aka Coffee to a Tea). Several people have e-mailed to ask if they’ve shut down. We just reached owner Jodi Baker – who says NO, they have NOT shut down – it’s a remodel.
Actually, more than “just” a remodel.
After eight years in business, Baker explains, it was time for “updating … a fresh new look.” And that means new offerings, too. After reopening on January 2nd – next Wednesday – they will offer lunches “sandwiches and soups, salads, and we’ll continue to do quiche – grab-and-go type (food). … We have a chef now.”
Beyond that, she says, they are applying for a beer and wine license, and planning to bring back music on the weekends. And they might even branch out into roasting their own coffee. “We are incredibly excited,” she told WSB.
Parents who appreciate Sugar Rush for its extensive kids’ area need not worry – it’s staying – but Baker says “we’ll have more food for the kids, too.”
(Along Longfellow Creek; photo by Ryan Schoeb, shared via the WSB Flickr group)
Counting down to New Year’s Eve – and still adding to the NYE/New Year’s Day listings in the WSB Holiday Guide (let us know if something’s missing! editor@westseattleblog.com) – but in the meantime … here are a few notes for today/tonight:
NEW E-READER? NEED HELP? Another drop-in clinic today for anyone interested in downloading e-books and audiobooks. It’s at Southwest Library (35th/Henderson), 2-4 pm.
WINE TASTING AND SALE: 5:30-8 pm, it’s the weekly free-tasting night at West Seattle Cellars (WSB sponsor), featuring January Collector’s Club wines. Also – the year-end sale is on.
‘WINTER WONDERETTES’: Final week continues for this year’s holiday musical at ArtsWest in The Junction, 7:30 pm.
LIVE MUSIC AT SKYLARK:Avenue Music, The Horticulture Club, Chelle Epiphany, and The Black Tones, 8 pm, at Skylark Café and Club (3803 Delridge Way SW).
(Refresh page for newest image from west-facing West Seattle Bridge cam; more cameras here)
We’re expecting another lighter-than-usual traffic day, though probably not as light as Wednesday. One important transit note:
METRO CONTINUES ‘REDUCED WEEKDAY’ SCHEDULE: With Metro on this schedule again today and tomorrow (Friday) as well as Monday, then on a Sunday schedule for New Year’s Day next Tuesday, weekday service won’t return to normal until January 2nd. Scroll down this Metro webpage to see the lists of which routes are normal, which are reduced, and which are canceled.
9:25 AM: Multiple reports in comments and texts say at least one stalled vehicle is to blame for backups on 99 northbound.
Last June, Bev Corey shared that photo from the West Seattle High School Cheerleaders‘ Mini Cheer Camp for elementary-age students – and now they’re planning another one, coming up a week from Saturday; there’s still time to sign up:
The West Seattle Cheerleaders will be holding a Mini Cheer Camp Saturday, January 5th in the West Seattle Gym from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm.
K-5th grade kids will have a great time learning fun cheers and making crafts with the Westside cheerleaders. Campers will receive a T-shirt, pom poms, official team hairbow, picture of themselves with the cheerleader of their choice AND perform as an honorary West Seattle Cheerleader at an upcoming home basketball game!
The cost of this camp is $40. Registration paperwork and payment are due by December 31, 2012. Space is limited so register early to ensure your spot.
Contact Bev Corey at 206-423-5450 or coreym_b@comcast.net or Christina Ruzzine at caruzzine@seattleschools.org if you have any questions.
The registration form is part of the official brochure/flyer – which you can find here.
UPDATE: The form link has changed because of some problems – so if you tried before and had trouble give it another try! – and Bev says the deadline is now extended to January 2nd.
Big international sports event ahead: The Nankai girls’ basketball team from Chongqing, China, is coming to Seattle and will play the Chief Sealth International High School girls on January 12th. It’ll be a cultural celebration as well as a sports event, with a halftime Lion Dance and a pre-game program with Mayor Mike McGinn. Ticket sales ($5 students aged 7 and up, $7 adults, sold only at the door that night) will benefit a Seattle-Chongqing student-exchange program as well as Sealth girls’ basketball. Mark your calendar! Doors will open at 6, program will start at 6:30, then it’s tipoff time at 7.
Another update today in the case of Ryan Cox, charged with malicious harassment (hate crime) and third-degree assault for allegedly attacking a man with a baseball bat because of his perception of the victim’s sexual orientation. The incident happened as they left a Metro bus in Luna Park in late October. After repeated postponements, Cox finally had a competency hearing in King County Superior Court today. According to the paperwork, Judge Palmer Robinson found Cox not competent to stand trial, consulting results of an evaluation done in jail (documents indicate Cox was not present at today’s hearing). But, unlike previous cases against Cox in a lower court (mostly dealing with the homophobic-graffiti vandalism for which he first made news in 2009), that did not mean the charges were dismissed; Cox instead has been committed to Western State Hospital, for an attempt to restore him to competency. Felony cases allow the system more time for that process – 45 days on the level at which Cox has been charged (some felony charges allow up to 90 days for restoration). The next court date in his case is February 6th.
Yet another Junction-area project is getting ready for groundbreaking. It’s a site we have been tracking for more than five years – 5020 California SW, formerly known as “Spring Hill,” dating back to its time in the fold of BlueStar Development, the original developer of what became “The Hole.” When BlueStar’s West Seattle plans went awry, 5020 California SW went into foreclosure, and then was sold to a Burien-based company last year. Four months ago, we spoke with the site’s new managers, who told us nothing was likely to happen before year’s end, and that the project hadn’t changed much; today, the management company, Indigo Real Estate Services, just sent an official announcement of the site’s new name and imminent construction::
After much anticipation, groundbreaking for The Blake (formerly known as Spring Hill) at 5020 California Ave SW is slated to begin in January 2013 with a target opening of summer 2014.
Named for the most prominent island seen from the building’s expansive rooftop deck, The Blake will offer sweeping views of Puget Sound and the Olympic Mountains for all residents to enjoy.
(New Year’s 2011 Space Needle fireworks photographed from West Seattle by Cnellis Photography)
Now that Christmas is past, it’s time to get serious about New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day – next Monday and Tuesday. So we’re making sure you know that events for both occasions are listed in the WSB West Seattle Holiday Guide, which we’ve been updating all season long since before Thanksgiving; NYE/NYD is at the top of the page now – and there’s room for more! If you’re presenting – or know of – an open-to-the-public event for either NYE/NYD that isn’t listed there yet, please let us know so we can add it – editor@westseattleblog.com. (That goes for community groups as well as businesses – if it’s a special event, party, gala dinner menu, etc., send the basic info along! Special church services, too. Thanks!)
If you’re not on the Genesee-Schmitz Neighborhood Council e-mail list – or otherwise involved in the process, you might not know they’re sharing early updates from discussions about the new school to be built on the Genesee Hill Elementary site and opened in fall 2015 (assuming funding is approved by voters in the February vote on the Seattle Public Schools BEX IV levy). This morning’s GSNC update includes notes from a meeting earlier this month, outlining how the current site will be used:
On Dec. 15 (which happened to be the day after the Newtown, CT, school tragedy), the School Design Advisory Team (SDAT) met to explore possible layouts for the new elementary school to be built on the Genesee Hill site. A variety of possibilities were explored, and the design was narrowed down to one for the architects to further explore and assess from a feasibility and cost standpoint.
Here is a summary of what was included in this design (apologies that it is a text description, but no drawings or plans are currently available):
(Eagles above Alki Point, 12/23/2012, by Danny McMillin, from the WSB Flickr group pool)
… and fewer non-wildlife creatures are likely to be stirring, so we’re not publishing a standalone traffic/transit tracker today. But there’s a transportation reminder here along with other notes:
TRASH ETC. PICKUP TODAY: If you have Tuesday service, you’re supposed to get pickup today – everybody’s delayed a day for the rest of this week (and next week, same thing, Tuesday-Friday pickup will be a day later).
TREE-RECYCLING PICKUPS START TOO: Today through January 13th, dropoffs or pickups – explained here.
PRESCHOOL STORY TIME: 10:30 am at the West Seattle (Admiral) Library – details here.
GET AN E-READER FOR CHRISTMAS? Drop-in clinic on e-books and audiobooks at Southwest Library (35th/Henderson), 2-4 pm.
POETRY AND STORYTELLING: Monthly event at C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor; 5612 California SW) is tonight, 7-9 pm, with featured readers Rayn Roberts and Ian Hegwood, followed by open-mike readings – more info here.
‘WINTER WONDERETTES’: Final week for the holiday production at ArtsWest in The Junction, 7:30 pm.
Another tale of people helping people arrived in the WSB inbox this Christmas Day night. Everyone involved had West Seattle ties – but it happened many miles away:
My husband and I, Ric and Diane Ferrero of the Arroyos, wanted to share why we love West Seattleites. On Christmas Day, we were heading back home to West Seattle after spending a couple of days with our grandkids and family in Spokane. Heading over Snoqualmie Pass, chains were required so we pulled over to chain up. There were a lot of cars on the side of the road chaining up before heading over the pass. The guy behind us was done with his and he came over to help us with our chains. He said that he worked for Les Schwab and we asked where and he said he was the manager of the new West Seattle store. He didn’t want any money for his help, just thought he would lend us a hand. We just want to say thank you to our new best friend Chris Ackland, manager of Les Schwab in West Seattle. Here is a picture of Chris and Ric puttng on the chains before we head over the pass. Thanks, Chris!
We’re bringing out the West Seattle Christmas Lights map tonight because we just got word of one more home to add. From Ken and Cora:
We have another light show up and running. Its one that’s inspired by the Helmstetler family show and we use similar equipment, although a much more modest display (this year, at least). Our light show follows a number of Holiday songs and we broadcast on FM at 101.9 MhZ and have a small set of speakers set up, too.
We are located at 4120 38th AVE SW (just a few blocks away from the Helmstetler family display).
Currently our shows occur at 6:00PM, 6:40PM, 7:20PM, 8:00PM and 8:40PM. The program lasts about half an hour.
Heard all those classic holiday favorites way too many times by now? Here are a few more holiday selections – recorded in West Seattle. Above, Belles and Beaux performing “Carol of the Wise Men” at Tibbetts United Methodist Church (WSB sponsor) earlier this month – you can find other seasonal performances on the Tibbetts YouTube channel (choral, keyboard, more). Meantime, we also happened onto 4th graders from Hope Lutheran School with a simple, short and sweet version of “Jingle Bells” :
Tweeted early today by HistoryLink.org: A tale of what “Seattle’s First Christmas” might have been like for the Denny Party settlers, 161 years ago. One feature the story has in common with today: Pouring rain. Read it here.
(Decorated boats accompanying the Christmas Ship at Lowman Beach, 12/8/12; photo by Nick Adams for WSB)
Merry Christmas! Here’s some info we hope will be helpful on this holiday:
TRANSIT: Metro’s on a Sunday schedule; no Water Taxi; the Fauntleroy state-ferry route is on a 2-boat schedule.
TRASH/RECYCLING ON ONE-DAY DELAY: No pickup today – everything for the rest of the week is on one-day delay, so if you usually have Tuesday service, it’s tomorrow instead.
NEWS: WSB never closes. Hoping for a quiet day, but if you see/hear news, text/call as always, any time – 206-293-6302 – or, if it’s not urgent, e-mail editor@westseattleblog.com. Thank you and Merry Christmas!
(Photo courtesy Jason Grotelueschen)
The “snow” that fell during Hope Lutheran Church‘s Christmas Eve services is apparently the only kind anyone in West Seattle will be seeing this holiday – the forecast has changed. The late-night forecast update from the National Weather Service now only mentions snow as a possibility for our neighbors across Puget Sound – and that’s reinforced by the 3 am “forecast discussion,” which basically says it’s not cold enough.
Santa is real. (We explained why we believe, in our own way, toward the end of the very first thing we ever published on WSB, exactly seven years ago.) Of course, there are doubters. The concept is explored charmingly in West Seattle independent video producer/animator Heather Arment‘s video, shared above.
Earlier today my husband was recipient of a random act of kindness; he found a card underneath his windshield wipers, inside was crisp new $10.00 bill with note that said “A random act to honor one of the 26 lost in Connecticut. Kindness and compassion are the antidote. Please, if you can, pay it forward. ”
I thought it was so cool, that it made my day. I hope it will do the same for you. Merry Christmas!
The e-mail doesn’t say where exactly this happened – but that really doesn’t matter, in this case.
After completing the U.W. School of Medicine in 1956, he married Lois Lundberg the next day. Following residency, he served in the U.S Army from 1961-64 in Honolulu. Warren practiced at South Seattle Women’s Clinic and at Riverton and Highline Hospitals until 1989.
with a baseball bat because of his perception of the victim’s sexual orientation. The incident 
Yet another Junction-area project is getting ready for groundbreaking. It’s a site we have been tracking for more than five years – 5020 California SW, formerly known as “Spring Hill,” dating back to its time in the fold of BlueStar Development, the original developer of what became “The Hole.” When BlueStar’s West Seattle plans went awry, 5020 California SW 
| 9 COMMENTS