West Seattle Blog…

Happening now: Pathfinder K-8 teacher Lou Cutler’s 10th annual birthday run for Make-A-Wish

One of the most joyful annual fundraisers in West Seattle is happening right now on the playfield at Pathfinder K-8 on Pigeon Point. Today marks the 10th time Pathfinder PE teacher Lou Cutler has, in honor of his upcoming birthday, run one lap for each year of his age.

Today, that means 62 laps with Lou, who does not run alone – Pathfinder students and staff join him on the field too, and track the laps (above); students track their own laps too:

This is a fundraiser for the regional branch of Make-A-Wish, for which Lou has volunteered more than a decade (we talked to him about it in-depth before his birthday run in 2011), helping make dreams come true for children living with life-threatening medical conditions. Lou started around 8:45 this morning and hit the halfway point while we were there an hour ago, so he likely has less than an hour to go. You can cheer him on, wherever you are, with an online pledge via his Make-A-Wish page.

Followup: Work crews digging into Pigeon Point sinkhole

A followup today from Jeanne Turner, who along with husband Mark shared first word of the Pigeon Point sinkhole last weekend:

SDOT arrived at 19th SW and Charleston on Pigeon Point this morning with a crew and equipment to fix a sinkhole that opened up Sunday afternoon. Dan Doyle of SDOT (a fellow West Seattleite) said the hole appears to be 18 inches to 2 feet deep. Today they will knock out the concrete and fill the hole with rock and gravel to stabilize the area. This will be covered with asphalt for a temporary fix until they can pour concrete. Because the area is relatively large, affecting four concrete slabs, SDOT will probably wait until spring to make the permanent fix.

Thanks for the update and photo!

West Seattle scene: Taco Time NW contest = Pigeon Point party

The neighbors of Pigeon Point are known for their block parties – like one of West Seattle’s biggest Night Out block parties, and regular community cleanups. But tonight was one of a kind – thanks to a contest won by neighbor Thomas Prowell:

That’s Thomas, with wife Wendy Prowell and their dogs Ginger and Baxter – and the Taco Time NW Traveler food truck. Thomas won a TTNW contest for the Traveler to come cater a private block party with free food and drink for up to 75 neighbors, and tonight was the night. (Taco Time NW, by the way, was founded in White Center half a century ago and now operates more than 70 TT restaurants.)

West Seattle scene: ‘He’s 60, for Pete’s sake’

That’s what it said on longtime community activist/volunteer Pete Spalding‘s birthday cake last night at the Feedback Lounge (WSB sponsor), where wife Kerry Hughes organized a surprise party:

Back in their home neighborhood of Pigeon Point, one of the trademark signposts held a tribute:

Pete has led the Pigeon Point Neighborhood Council multiple times, as well as chairing the citywide Parks and Green Spaces Levy OVersight Committee, serving on the board of the West Seattle Food Bank, and countless other councils/groups/projects. His awards include being honored as this year’s “Westsider of the Year” by the WS Chamber of Commerce.

Pigeon Point Neighborhood Council: Crime down, traffic up, & more

After a burglary wave a few months back, some promising news about crime was heartening to the 20-plus people in attendance at last night’s Pigeon Point Neighborhood Council meeting.

Southwest Precinct operations Lt. Pierre Davis said West Seattle-area burglaries/car prowls were at a “historic low” in May – “the bad guys just aren’t playing here right now.” The Pigeon Point neighborhood itself is “pretty quiet right now,” he added. Attendees were invited to ask questions – and their biggest concerns involved speeding through the neighborhood (which includes a couple of straightaways). Before Lt. Davis left, a meeting attendee called out that he wanted to express thanks for everything that Seattle Police have done while being “severely tested” recently – and that sparked a round of applause.

Much of the rest of the meeting included other public-safety topics, from Block Watches to traffic calming: Click to read the rest of Pigeon Point Neighborhood Council: Crime down, traffic up, & more…

Video: ‘We did it!’ 61 ‘Laps with Lou’ achieved for Make-A-Wish

Three hours and 61 laps around the Pathfinder K-8 field on Pigeon Point are in the books for the school’s PE teacher, Lou Cutler, in his annual fundraising run for Make-A-Wish (donation link here), for which he’s also a volunteer (2 years ago, we photographed him as a little boy’s wish came true here in West Seattle). One of the remarkable things we’ve noticed while covering this the past few years is that it’s not even remotely all about Lou – we heard shouts of “WE did it!” from some of his young running partners. Our video above captured the last part of the last lap, and the celebration afterward. Next thing Lou did? Got some of the students to pose for a photo, waving their bright green slips (on which laps were checked off). Only THEN did he pose too.

Update: Rollover crash on bridge, victims found off bridge

1:13 AM: Very busy night for police in West Seattle, and they’re investigating another incident now – a rollover crash on the eastbound West Seattle Bridge. According to scanner traffic, police have found the crashed vehicle – but no one inside; two people may have taken off.

(Scene where victims were found, 23rd/Andover, photo via Twitter from @salishseagirl)
1:15 AM UPDATE: One “patient” is said to have been found near the bridge, in Pigeon Point.

1:24 AM UPDATE: One of the fire engines on this call is now asking for ambulances for TWO patients.

1:43 AM UPDATE: Via Twitter, Cheryl reports both patients on stretchers and going into the ambulances.

West Seattle power outage update: More than 2,000 customers

ORIGINAL 1:43 PM REPORT: So far we’ve gotten reports from Pigeon Point and Puget Ridge that some are without power. City Light‘s “system status map” happens to be down right now for maintenance, but we have a call out to the utility to find out more about what’s going on. Please let us know if you’re reading this via something battery-powered because the outage is affecting you too.

1:53 PM UPDATE: Just heard back from Scott Thomsen at City Light. He says the outage is affecting 2,061 homes/businesses. They’re not sure about the cause but he says dispatchers got a report of “balloons in the wires” somewhere in the area – and if that’s the problem, he says, it should be a quick fix (p.s., Scott adds, please DON’T release balloons, especially the mylar ones, they’re bad news for power lines); if that’s not the cause, it may not be so quick. The boundaries SCL lists – which are never precise, so this does NOT mean everyone in this area is powerless, nor does it mean no one is without power outside the “boundaries” – are Brandon SW on the north, SW 106th on the south, 21st SW in the west, 10th SW in the east. In comments here, and via the WSB Facebook page, we’re also hearing that part of West Marginal Way South – which is part of South Park – is affected too.

2:18 PM UPDATE: Thanks for all the updates. Some in Highland Park report their power’s back on. Haven’t heard from other areas yet.

4:21 PM UPDATE: No formal followup info from SCL yet but more people have reported getting their power back. The “system status” map is back too and indicates one lingering trouble spot, in Puget Ridge.

Happening now: Pigeon Point Spring Clean – did you drive by?

If you’ve headed eastbound on the high-rise West Seattle Bridge in the past hour-plus, you probably drove right by the Pigeon Point Spring Clean volunteers, hard at work in the little 22nd SW street-end park that’s something of a well-kept secret (“hidden jewel” is how Pigeon Point’s Pete Spalding describes it). It’s an annual tradition and they’ll be at it till about noon.

What the Pigeon Point police response was all about

Though we apologize for not having heard about it while it was happening (not everything’s on the scanner, so your text/call to 206-293-6302 is always helpful!), we DO now know why a sizable police response spent a while on Pigeon Point yesterday afternoon: Seattle Police media-relations Det. Mark Jamieson looked it up for us. Someone reported a suspicious item in a mailbox in the 4100 block of 20th SW (map). The police report says it was described as a plastic milk container with a screw top and foil, and it appeared “burnt.” Officers called in Arson/Bomb Squad specialists to have a look. The eventual determination, according to Det. Jamieson: It was “a device used to smoke marijuana.”

West Seattle Crime Watch: Pigeon Point burglary briefing

More than 40 people gathered at the Pathfinder K-8 cafeteria tonight for a Pigeon Point Neighborhood Council meeting that primarily served as the annual holiday potluck – the first year the community party wasn’t at the home of the late community activist Vivian McLean, who died this past spring.

There was a bit of business for the group to handle, before they got down to serious revelry: The recent rash of burglaries, which has hit Pigeon Point hard, as well as several other parts of West Seattle. The group was briefed by Southwest Precinct Operations Lt. (second-in-command) Pierre Davis, who didn’t have news of any new arrests, but did answer questions, and provided a general update.

Click to read the rest of West Seattle Crime Watch: Pigeon Point burglary briefing…

Update: Neighborhood meetings tonight in Pigeon Point, N. Delridge

Two updates on tonight’s roster of neighborhood meetings: First, thanks to Pete for pointing out that we had omitted a mention of the Pigeon Point Neighborhood Council‘s meeting tonight; it’s their holiday potluck, Pathfinder K-8 (1901 SW Genesee), 6:30 pm. On the agenda is an update from Seattle Police on the rash of burglaries lately in that area (several of which have been included in West Seattle Crime Watch reports). Also – if you are going to tonight’s North Delridge Neighborhood Council meeting (agenda here), thanks to Diane for reminding us that the location has changed; it’s not at the usual spot, but instead at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center (4408 Delridge Way SW).

West Seattle Crime Watch: Burglary investigation; mail theft

Two West Seattle Crime Watch reports this afternoon:

Thanks to everybody who shared tips about police activity in Sunrise Heights in the past hour or so, near 35th/Webster. Police were chasing suspects in at least one burglary – and that general area, as reported here previously, has been a target lately; we don’t know if it was this same suspect, but there was a scanner report a while ago about a break-in attempt at 36th/Myrtle, not far away. At least one person has been arrested/detained. We’ll add details as soon as we get them.

And from Pigeon Point – pilfered packages and mail were found at noontime today, some with addresses from some distance away: Click to read the rest of West Seattle Crime Watch: Burglary investigation; mail theft…

West Seattle wildlife: Chicken-coveting Pigeon Point coyote

The Pigeon Point Neighborhood Council e-mail list has been abuzz about that coyote, photographed last Tuesday afternoon “on Genesee and 20th Ave SW (map), heading toward the headwaters of Puget Creek in the greenbelt adjacent to Pathfinder K-8,” according to Joni. We requested the photo after reading her account of the coyote trying to get into the chicken enclosure at her home, which is near the school. Joni says somebody tried to shoo the coyote away but it “didn’t even blink … and stuck around long enough” to be photographed. She has since raised the fence on the chicken enclosure, and reminded neighbors on the list, “Please don’t leave food out for animals, and keep your pets safe!” She also shared the link that we include in most coyote reports – “living with coyotes” info from the state – including what to do when you see one.

Seen in West Seattle: Grouchos return, after a year away

The Grouchos are back. They’re tougher to see than during their previous appearances on the north-facing slope alongside the eastbound West Seattle Bridge (our photo is from 2007) – but, as Patt posted on the WSB Facebook wall today, they’re back. Until last year, they seemed to appear magically each spring. This year, it turns out, they actually reappeared a few weeks ago, according to West Seattle writer Mark Bourne, who had chronicled them in the past; we contacted him this afternoon to mention the new sighting, and he pointed out he’d already written about it (with new photos showing they’ve multiplied!). Who puts them there? Still a mystery.

Memorial Saturday for Delridge community leader Vivian McLean

The famous Pigeon Point community signpost along SW Andover has held a tribute to longtime community advocate Vivian McLean – painted by Jim Sander – since shortly after news of her death started circulating a week and a half ago. When we published our first report about Ms. McLean’s passing at age 90, memorial plans hadn’t been finalized yet, but according to Pigeon Point Neighborhood Council chair Brita Long and the Seattle Times (WSB partner) obituary published today, they have: A celebration of Ms. McLean’s life is set for 2:30 pm next Saturday, April 9th, at Delridge Community Center.

Mourning Delridge community advocate Vivian McLean

Just four months after a well-attended community celebration in honor of her 90th birthday, legendary Delridge community activist Vivian McLean has died. That’s according to Brita Long, new chair of the Pigeon Point Neighborhood Council, who announced it to PP neighbors a short time ago and gave us permission to report it here. She says Ms. McLean’s family is asking for privacy right now, and will announce memorial details when arrangements are finalized. Ms. McLean’s legacies are many; we mentioned a few in our report on last November’s celebration, including her role as a co-founder of Delridge Neighborhoods Development Association. And Vivian McLean Place at 5423 Delridge Way SW, which includes housing as well as the Delridge Library, was named in her honor.

West Seattle Crime Watch: Seen this stolen vehicle?

Quick West Seattle Crime Watch note tonight - Jeri on Pigeon Point asks you to be on the lookout:

Late Sunday night or early Monday morning, March 13th or 14th, a 2003 white Subaru Outback, Washington license plate ACE 4203, was stolen from a driveway near 21st & Charlestown on Pigeon Point.

Seen it? Let police know.

Pigeon Point Neighborhood Council: Station 36; new chair

(City graphic of Station 36 site; purple area is right-of-way to be “vacated” for the project)
By Katie Meyer
Reporting for West Seattle Blog

The Pigeon Point Neighborhood Council was briefed last night about the upcoming work at Fire Station 36 alongside the West Seattle Bridge, one month after a city team visited the North Delridge Neighborhood Council to present a similar update.

Concerns about noise levels from both the planned construction/seismic retrofitting and the new on-site 72-hour-capacity generator were addressed: David Kunselman, Fire Facilities Levy Program Manager, said that construction will follow Seattle’s noise codes as per the zoning, and some weekend work will likely be allowed, but: “Most of the work will be internal, so it should be pretty quiet.”

Click to read the rest of Pigeon Point Neighborhood Council: Station 36; new chair…

New sign for Pigeon Point: Invitation and get-well wish

If you live in, or travel through, northeast West Seattle’s Pigeon Point neighborhood this weekend, you’ll see that sign – another creation by PP Neighborhood Council co-chair Jim Sander, whose signs have told neighborhood stories before – from a traffic detour to a fight against vandalism. The face is that of Vivian McLean, legendary neighborhood advocate/activist (whose 90th birthday was feted last month [WSB coverage here]). According to Pigeon Point’s Pete Spalding, who shared the photo, Vivian is always the hostess of the neighborhood’s holiday party, but had to skip this year because she is recovering from an injury, so Jim created a sign that holds a get-well wish as well as a party invite.

Pigeon Point Neighborhood Council: Trees and traffic

Before we get to the reports on tonight’s neighborhood-council meetings, one more from last night – the Pigeon Point Neighborhood Council. We have toplines from two of the major topics, trees and traffic – read on: Click to read the rest of Pigeon Point Neighborhood Council: Trees and traffic…

Video: Pathfinder K-8′s Lou Cutler runs 60 laps for Make-A-Wish

With dozens of students running alongside, that’s Pathfinder K-8 P-E teacher Lou Cutler scoring a strong finish to his annual birthday run this mornin – one lap around the school playfield for each year of his life, raising money for Make-A-Wish Foundation. This is the seventh time Lou’s done this, but a few things were different this year – for one, it’s the first time around the field at Pathfinder’s new Pigeon Point campus; for two, he tacked on an extra lap – 59th birthday, 60 laps. We’ll check later on the fundraising total; you can donate online here.

West Seattle coyotes: Pigeon Point sighting

Out of the WSB inbox, from Crystal:

I noticed that the coyote sightings are being posted on the blog so I just wanted to mention that we saw one tonight. We were walking through the Pigeon Point neighborhood toward the school there and we saw one behind the fence, near the Duwamish trail. It ran away from us because we were walking our dogs, but looked pretty big.

If you missed it – our previous coyote-sighting report included a photo. And as always, we don’t publish these because they’re cause for major alarm, but because some still aren’t aware they’re among us; here’s the “coexisting with coyotes” link frequently shared here.

Once a target of crime, Pigeon Point’s signpost now fights it

Remember the saga of the Pigeon Point sign – first poking fun at a road closure, then cut down and stolen, then having its frame replaced? Now, Pigeon Point Neighborhood Council co-chair Jim Sander has created a new two-sided sign – to urge participation in Blockwatch. You can figure out the first photo; in the second one, if you don’t recognize the face, that is local uber-involved Pigeon Point resident (and former PPNC chair) Pete Spalding. Speaking of Blockwatch, dare we remind you again that tonight is the West Seattle Crime Prevention Council‘s monthly meeting, 7 pm, Southwest Precinct, which is also where the West Seattle Blockwatch Captains’ Network will have its second meeting one week from tonight – Tuesday, May 25, 6:30 pm (here’s the Facebook invite).

Followup: Pigeon Point’s stolen signpost is replaced

Just in time for next Saturday’s neighborhood Spring Clean event, the people of Pigeon Point have a new signpost. It’s been 3 weeks since someone cut down and stole its predecessor, Braveheart spoof and all, but now, Pigeon Point’s Pete Spalding shared the photo, telling the PP neighborhood list, “A big thank you to Nick for building the new sign post and to Jim for the new Welcome to Pigeon Point sign that tops it.” (Real-estate-shingle-type signposts like this one are routinely used to promote Pigeon Point Neighborhood Council meetings and other major events in West Seattle’s northeasternmost neighborhood.)

Pigeon Point Neighborhood Council: New co-chairs’ debut

Jim Sander and Theresa Hoy led the Pigeon Point Neighborhood Council meeting last night as co-chairs for the first time. Before the meeting was too far along, all 20 or so chairs set up in a circle inside the Pathfinder K-8 cafeteria were filled, one by the night’s special guest, Southwest Precinct Crime Prevention Coordinator Benjamin Kinlow. He’s always busy but has been on an extra-intense tour of neighborhood councils recently, as more groups show interest in helping facilitate the growth of Block Watch activism in their respective areas. Kinlow (who is a civilian SPD employee) stressed, “Get your entire block involved in watching out for each other’s homes. … When you see somebody out on the street or the sidewalks (who looks unfamiliar or out of place), think about them being in your back yard … call your neighbors, have everybody stand in the window and watch … if they see that (and are up to no good), they will leave your neighborhood.” More crime-prevention advice and other Pigeon Point notes, ahead: Click to read the rest of Pigeon Point Neighborhood Council: New co-chairs’ debut…

Update: 23rd SW reopens on schedule; traffic/parking changes end

Thanks to Jim Sander from the Pigeon Point Neighborhood Council and Mike Dady from the North Delridge Neighborhood Council for the word that 23rd SW reopened today, as promised, after six weeks of work adding utility connections to new homes up the hill from Delridge. (We took the photo at left a short time ago.) Jim reported in e-mail to PPNC members that the much-discussed no-parking signs along 21st SW were being picked up, too. Mike, on behalf of the NDNC Transportation Committee, wants to remind drivers that this means the end of other temporary traffic changes: In particular, it means the return of the temporarily covered “No Left Turn” and “No Right Turn” signs at the corner of 22nd and 23rd Avenues SW, which he says were hard-won after a years-long campaign – those turns are again illegal. And Metro Route 125 is supposed to be back on its regular route this afternoon, according to spokesperson Linda Thielke.