West Seattle, Washington
27 Saturday
The Alaskan Way Viaduct gets all the attention, but the South Park Bridge poses an even-more-urgent problem, with no guaranteed solution – yet. Here’s where things stand now.
By Jack Mayne
Reporting for West Seattle Blog
The bridge carries almost 20,000 passenger vehicles and 3,000 trucks a day across the river from an unincorporated King County sliver in South Park to the City of Tukwila and beyond.
The bridge’s closure would mean traffic would have to be diverted to the already crowded First Avenue South Bridge across the river.
County Council Chair Dow Constantine, a candidate for county executive, says he is pushing particularly hard for the $99 million TIGER grant, or Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery grant, a federal bailout program Congress approved to help states with shovel-ready construction projects. The decision on that grant is expected by mid-February.
Just east of West Seattle – but part of the Seattle Public Schools‘ West Seattle “region” – Concord International School held its first assembly today under its new designation, one day after a similar assembly at Denny International Middle School (WSB coverage here), whose principal Jeff Clark was on hand (not only to visit with potential future Denny students, but also because he’s a Concord dad). The Concord assembly also featured cultural performances – and new Concord principal Dr. Norma Zavala explaining why multiculturalism matters, after talking about growing up bilingual/bicultural in a small Eastern Washington town:
Concord social-studies teacher Robin Kanev (a West Seattle resident) told us she’s excited – she’s been at Concord for nine years and specifically wanted to work at a school with a dual-language program. Meantime, district Superintendent Dr. Maria Goodloe-Johnson also noted the significance of Concord’s new status:
And of course, there were performances – African-Cuban drummers to open the assembly, and shortly afterward, these dancers:
Concord has more than 300 students speaking 15 languages, and, as described in a Seattle Public Schools news release, “two classes of Spanish/English dual immersion program as well as an English cohort in kindergarten and 1st grade, (adding) 2nd grade this year, continuing to expand to additional grades each year.” Never been to Concord? Here’s a map.
Lashanna sent that photo just as “Crank It Up” was about to get going in South Park’s Cesar Chavez Park (7th So. and So. Cloverdale; map). She’s there doing facepainting – as she’s done at lots of West Seattle events too! “Crank It Up” continues till 6 pm and is just a short hop from West Seattle – here’s the list of what’s happening, starting with a bike ride that’s under way now and then moving on to live music starting at 3 with The Not-Its (who played the Alki community picnic recently) – There’s Full Tilt Ice Cream at “Crank It Up” too! UPDATE: Another photo from Lashanna – Ambulance is one of the bands that played – she says they’re all middle- and high-school students from Ballard:
(Thursday night photo by Christopher Boffoli)
KENNEY SALE: West Seattle’s newest official city landmark, The Kenney‘s cupola-topped Seaview Building, marks the site of one of today’s many sales – Household goods, treasures, more, 9 am-4 pm, with this sale at The Kenney benefiting its fund taking care of residents who “outlive their financial resources.” 7125 Fauntleroy (map).
LOTS OF OTHER SALES: Other fundraising sales (like one for PAWS) and garage/yard sales happening TODAY are listed in the WSB Forums’ Freebies/Deals/Sales section – any time you have a sale, whether yard or business, you’re welcome to post there for free too.
HOLY FAMILY STREET FAIR: Holy Family School is on the line between West Seattle and White Center and inviting everybody in both communities – and beyond – to its El Carnaval street fair today and tomorrow, 10 am start both days. 20th SW will be blocked off just south of Roxbury for the fun (map).
MORE EVENTS/ACTIVITIES/ATTRACTIONS! … listed in the latest West Seattle Weekend Lineup.
AND A TRAFFIC REMINDER … The South Park Bridge is scheduled to be closed 7 am-7 pm today for repair work.
Just in from the King County Department of Transportation:
The King County Road Services Division will close the South Park Bridge over the Duwamish River on 14th/16th Avenue South this Saturday, Aug. 29 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. for repairs. The bridge will be closed to vehicle and pedestrian traffic over the bridge and to large marine vessels on the water.
The repairs involve drawbridge alignment – more details here.
From seattletimes.com: The arraignment in King County Superior Court is over, and 23-year-old Isaiah Kalebu has pleaded not guilty to charges including aggravated murder (for which the penalty could be death) and rape. He is accused of breaking into the South Park home of 39-year-old Teresa Butz and her partner in the early-morning hours of July 19 and attacking them; Butz did not survive. He was arrested less than a week later, after he was identified through DNA. He remains jailed in lieu of $10 million bail, and remains under investigation in a Pierce County fire that killed two people last month, including the aunt who had kicked him out days earlier.
COURT CASE: South Park murder suspect Isaiah Kalebu is expected in King County Superior Court at 8:30 this morning to answer charges including aggravated murder (which could bring the death penalty) in the July xx attack on two women who were asleep in their home when he allegedly broke in.
CLOSED SCHOOLS’ FUTURE: Also happening downtown this morning (9 am), the city Hearing Examiner is scheduled to hear an appeal of the June city decision determining that closed school campuses around the city – including Fairmount Park, Genesee Hill and EC Hughes in West Seattle – could be repurposed for various new uses without convening a School Use Advisory Committee.
PORTERHOUSE OPENING: The new restaurant/pub in the Admiral District (2329 California SW, just north of Admiral Theater) opens mid-afternoon. Lots of new food and beverage details in the West Seattle-headquartered Washington Beer Blog‘s review from the “soft opening” party Monday.
REP. MCDERMOTT TALKS HEALTH-CARE REFORM: Tonight, the long-hot topic gets its highest-profile West Seattle discussion yet, as the 34th District Democrats bring in Seattle’s Congressmember Jim McDermott in addition to other expert panelists. The agenda’s here, but also note the disclaimer on the group’s home page – this is NOT a “town hall meeting” and while everyone’s welcome to attend and listen, “only members may speak and participate,” per the group’s bylaws. The meeting starts at 7 pm, The Hall at Fauntleroy.
We got to Saturday’s 5th annual Duwamish River Festival at Duwamish Waterway Park in South Park just in time for the informal kids’ parade, featuring crafts young festivalgoers made from reused items:
This annual event is unique in its emphasis on education/outreach, along with kids’ activities, musical performances and other classic festival fun. A heavy-hitting lineup of government agencies, environmental groups and nonprofit educational organizations manned the booths – including the one where we found Kris from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, which designated the Lower Duwamish a “Superfund” site in 2001, next to a display mapping key spots in the toxic timeline of the river’s industrial history:
The EPA has its own website full of Duwamish-cleanup information – find it here. The wheels of government-run cleanups turn slowly – take one hop to this page, and you’ll see another “draft” report due next year, and then a proposal in 2011. As for the history of all this – an even longer list of links is on the Duwamish River Cleanup Coalition‘s site. Beyond the cleanup information, several booths offered resources and advice for dealing with everyday toxics, including the Vietnamese Healthy Nail Salon Project, run by the Environmental Coalition of South Seattle (whose festival-booth staff told us they’ve worked with some West Seattle salons, but didn’t have a list handy). Another hot topic this year: Transportation – both what’s in the works (the Alaskan Way Viaduct project had a booth) and what people wish was in the works:
That hand belongs to Sustainable West Seattle‘s Chas Redmond, showing the stickers used to create that evolving display at festivals all spring and summer long (including SWS’s own festival back in May) – participants were told each sticker represents $500 million, so if they had that money to spend on an aspect of local transportation, what would they do with it? “Transit” was the most crowded section. (He and others are working to organize a Transit Riders Union of Metropolitan Puget Sound group to work more closely on transit advocacy.) The festival folded up as scheduled at 4 pm, but the Duwamish restoration work goes on, as does the work of restoring more shoreline sections to enable more recreational use – like this small park spot just a block west of the festival, nestled between industrial sites:
You can also get out on the river during a Community Kayak Tour, organized by Duwamish River Cleanup Coalition, Alki Kayak Tours and the Seattle Aquarium Society, during one of three upcoming Monday nights: 8/17, 8/31 or 9/14. More info here.
Five days after the arrest of Isaiah Kalebu for the murder of Teresa Butz (right) in the South Park home she shared with her partner, who survived the stabbing attack, King County Prosecuting Attorney Dan Satterberg has just announced his decision on what charges to pursue: According to first word from seattletimes.com, the charges include aggravated murder, which could bring the death penalty. We will add the news release/charging-document info here when we get it. ADDED WEDNESDAY NIGHT: Kalebu is due in court August 12 to answer the charges. The court documents detail an especially brutal ordeal that lasted almost two hours. It also details what has been described as the action that Butz took, saving her partner’s life:
(Butz) eventually was able to kick the man off the bed, and she and (her partner) attempted to defend themselves. Enraged, the man punched (Butz) in the face with either his fist or the butt of the knife, knocking her across the room. He then began to stab her, striking her in the chest and upper arm. (Butz) was able to grab a nightstand and throw it through the bedroom window. She then dove out of the window herself. (Her partner) ran from the room and out the front door, where she saw that (Butz) had collapsed in the street. (Her partner) pounded on the door of neighbors across the street, screaming for help. The man apparently collected his clothes and fled out of the residence.
Butz died before aid crews arrived. The documents also detail the DNA and fingerprint evidence investigators used to identify Kalebu as the suspect, and note that he remains under suspicion in the fire earlier this year that killed two people including his aunt, as well as facing trial next month in a harassment/malicious mischief case in which the victim is his own mother.
NEWEST FORECAST: As usual, the National Weather Service issued a forecast update overnight – no reprieve, though, it still calls for a potential 100-plus-degree high today.
PROSECUTOR’S DECISION IN SOUTH PARK MURDER: At 10 this morning, King County Prosecuting Attorney Dan Satterberg is scheduled to announce his decision on charges against Isaiah Kalebu, jailed in connection with the attack that killed 39-year-old Teresa Butz at her South Park home a week and a half ago. After Kalebu’s arrest last Friday night, a deputy prosecutor had said they would consider seeking the death penalty.
BALLOTS IN THE MAIL: Also from your county government – today’s the day ballots will be mailed for the August 18 primary, the first major election King County is conducting entirely by mail. Who’s running – along with links to their websites and other info – is listed here; the city Voters’ Guide, including video links and information on Proposition 1 (the bag fee) as well as the mayor/council races, is here.
WEST SEATTLE LITTLE LEAGUE 11-12 ALL-STARS GO FOR WIN #3: The state tournament continues for the WSLL 11-12 All-Stars; tonight at 7:30, they face Pasco in their third game of the tourney, which is happening at Art Mikelson Field in Port Orchard (just a Fauntleroy-to-Southworth ferry ride away, and think of those cool breezes on the water!).
YOUTH OUTDOOR SOCCER REGISTRATION: Today is Day 2 of signups for the West Seattle Family YMCA (WSB sponsor)’s Youth Outdoor Soccer teams, for ages 3-10. Register – and find out more – online.
Just talked with King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office spokesperson Dan Donohoe, who says bail has just been set at $10 million for 23-year-old Isaiah Kalebu, arrested last night in connection with the South Park burglary/attack that killed 36-year-old Teresa Butz and injured her partner. We expect to get some legal documents in the case shortly and will add new information here once they’re in. ADDED 2:35 PM: A few details from those documents, including the major evidence they have against Kalebu (and added early Sunday – a link to a followup article with more on how police figured out who they were looking for):Read More
We have more details now directly from Seattle Police regarding how they found and arrested the South Park murder suspect tonight, within hours of publicly identifying him as 23-year-old Isaiah M.K. Kalebu and publicizing photos. The updated news release we just received says:
Preliminary reports indicate that a Metro Bus operator who had knowledge of the suspect description contacted the Seattle Police Communications Center with a possible suspect sighting at NE 65th Street and Sandpoint Way in North Seattle. This occurred at around 6:30 p.m. North Precinct patrol officers saturated the area and searched for the suspect. Officers located the suspect and his dog in Magnuson Park. The suspect surrendered to officers without incident. He is in custody and en route to Seattle Police Headquarters for questioning. He will ultimately be booked into King County Jail for Investigation of Murder. The suspect was with his pit bull at the time of apprehension. The dog has been released to the care of Seattle Animal Control.
These photos of the dog were also made public by police earlier:
It’s been less than a week since 39-year-old Teresa Butz was stabbed to death after a man – allegedly Kalebu – broke into her home where she and her partner were asleep and attacked them; Butz’s partner survived and is out of the hospital. Just last night, hundreds of friends and neighbors gathered for a candlelight memorial at South Park Community Center, close to Butz’s home. We do not yet know how police have tied Kalebu to the crime but we will be adding more information as we get it; we’ll be checking into court records and any other background, too. He may have West Seattle ties – commenter Cheriberri, in the comment section of our previous report, says he was a classmate at Denny Middle School in the mid-’90s. ADDED 8:47 PM: The system we use to get court documents is down for the weekend but the top-level state online records are available round the clock and we have found a King County case in which Kalebu was due in court earlier this week, on a case dating back to April, with charges listed as including domestic violence and harassment. (Update: Slog has details of that case – the victim was Kalebu’s mother.) That’s one of 13 court cases listed for him dating back as far as five years ago. There is also a Pierce County case filed this month in which a domestic-violence protection order was sought against him (by the aunt who died in this fire days later; at least one media source says Kalebu will be questioned again in that case). Most of the other cases against him listed in the top-level statewide court records were also from Pierce County. 12:22 AM UPDATE: Kalebu was booked into King County Jail at 10:35 pm. He’s being held for investigation of five potential charges, including murder and attempted murder.
Just in from Seattle Police – that video and this update:
– Seattle Police homicide detectives have developed a ‘person of interest’ that they believe may be connected to the brutal double stabbing that occurred on July 19 in Seattle’s South Park neighborhood. A 39-year-old woman was killed in the attack. The surviving victim, a 36-year-old woman is recovering from her injuries.
Detectives have uncovered surveillance video of a man that they are now calling a ‘person of interest’. Detectives say that the identity of the man is unknown and they need your assistance to identify him. At this point in the investigation, he is being sought for questioning only. His hair may be shorter than depicted in the attached video. He may or may not still have the brown and white pit bull with him. Detectives believe that the man may frequent South Seattle, as well as Auburn and Federal Way.
Detectives have previously released a sketch of the person they believe responsible for the crime. The suspect is described as a black male, 20-30 years old, 5’10, with a medium brown complexion.
Anyone with information regarding this individual is urged to call the Seattle Police Homicide tip-line at 206 233-5000. Those wishing to remain anonymous are encouraged to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800 222-TIPS (8477) or text TIP486 with your information to CRIMES (274637).
Last night, friends and neighbors gathered outside South Park Community Center to remember the murder victim, Teresa Butz; here’s our story and photos. Meantime, here again is the previously released sketch mentioned in the police statement above:
By Kathy Mulady
Reporting for West Seattle Blog
A big crowd filled the grass field in front of South Park Community Center Thursday night to remember Teresa Butz, killed in her home Sunday morning by an intruder.
Butz (left) was remembered for her remarkable laugh and ever-cheerful outlook. Some called her an angel, others remembered her love of baseball.
Co-workers, neighbors, friends and even those who had just heard about the tragedy, lit candles, shared stories and celebrated her life.
Beth Yockey Jones, a West Seattle woman who used to live next door to Butz, organized the event.
METRO BUDGET: We’ll be downtown at 11 am to hear County Executive Kurt Triplett discuss the latest on Metro’s budget troubles, so we can find out how that might affect transit service. Look for live updates here.
ENCAMPMENT EVICTION? We’re awaiting word of whether organizers of the 2nd SW/Highland Park Way camp that calls itself “Nickelsville” will get a court order holding off eviction from the state-owned land. If not, they say they’ll be packing up starting around 5 pm.
DESIGN REVIEW FOR 4532 42ND SW: 6:30 pm, Senior Center of West Seattle. Here’s our preview from yesterday.
DELRIDGE PLAYGROUND’S GRAND OPENING: Six days after a volunteer army built it, tonight kids get to play on it, it opens tonight at 6:30. Look for a story later with our “Digital Darkroom” interns from Delridge Community Center taking one more look at the amazing playground-building day.
ADMIRAL OUTDOOR CONCERT SERIES KICKOFF: Summer Concerts at Hiawatha begin tonight – 6:30 pm, east lawn, Alma Villegas (find out about her music here), FREE, series presented by the Admiral Neighborhood Association and co-sponsored by local businesses including WSB. B/Y/O blanket/chair.
REMEMBERING TERESA BUTZ: 7:30 tonight in the grassy area between the parking lot and ballfields at South Park Community Center (map), a memorial for the woman stabbed to death in her South Park home last Sunday morning. More here.
We received this announcement from Beth Yockey Jones, a West Seattleite who used to live next door to Teresa Butz, the South Park woman killed by a man who broke into her home and attacked her and her partner early Sunday. (Ms. Butz is shown at left in a photo from Facebook.) From Beth:
The South Park Community Center has graciously volunteered to host a candlelight memorial vigil so that friends and neighbors can gather and celebrate Teresa’s memory.
We will gather at 7.30pm on Thursday July 23rd, on the South Park Community Center ball fields and share memories and celebrate Teresa’s life. If you would like to say a few words, there will be an opportunity to do so.
I also created a Facebook event page here –
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=107364352557
If you need more information, you can e-mail Beth: bethyockeyjones@gmail.com Meantime, no new information on the case today – aside from police adding one note to the description of the killer – saying he had “blotchy skin.” Get the latest here. NOTE: Beth added in comments that the gathering will be in the “grassy area between the parking lot and softball fields” because of a prescheduled event on the field.
That’s the hundreds-strong, standing-room-only crowd that jammed into South Park Community Center tonight to hear from Seattle Police leadership and Mayor Nickels, less than two days after a terrifying attack that left one woman dead and another seriously hurt: A man broke into their western South Park home – not far from West Seattle’s eastern edge (map) – and stabbed them while they slept, early Sunday morning. Flowers have been placed outside the home where it happened – we went by just before the meeting:
The same police who patrol West Seattle also handle South Park, so it was a familiar face, Southwest Precinct Captain Joe Kessler, who outlined how his team has responded and will continue to search for the killer:
Most importantly, as we showed you a little earlier tonight, police have just released a sketch of the man they are looking for, believed to have been a stranger to the victims. The description remains – per the SPDBlotter report – “a black male, 20s to early 30s, 5 feet 11 inches to 6 feet tall, thin muscular build, a thin moustache, and ‘nappy’ hair.” The victims have not been publicly identified — authorities say, “to protect their privacy” — but friends and neighbors have said they were a couple and, according to this Times story, about to be married. Police did allude to the victims being members of “a sexual minority” and as such say they have not ruled out the possibility this could have been a hate crime, though they do not have any evidence of that. Read on for more of what was said at the meeting:Read More
(West Seattle Grand Parade 2009 Hi-Yu Float photo by Christopher Boffoli)
WEST SEATTLE HI-YU SENIOR COURT CORONATION: Who will ride on the Hi-Yu float in next year’s parades (among other commitments and privileges)? Tonight, the new West Seattle Hi-Yu Senior Court is chosen in an event with entertainment, excitement and suspense — 7 pm, West Seattle High School Theater. Tickets are available at the door ($10 adults/$5 students and all children 12/under). KOMO TV’s Elisa Jaffe emcees. (Here’s our coverage of last Friday’s Junior Court Coronation.)
SUSTAINABLE WEST SEATTLE: 7 pm at Camp Long; main presentation tonight, the group’s website says, will be: “Robert Burns of Envision Homes … giving an informative nuts and bolts presentation about budget conscious and low-maintenance rainwater catchment and green roofs.”
SOUTH PARK MEETING: Seattle Police plan to meet with South Park community members at 7 tonight to talk about the Sunday morning attack that killed one woman and seriously wounded another. South Park Community Center (map).
LOW TIDE: Good tidewalking conditions the next four days – with a minus 3.0 at 10 am today – then a little lower tomorrow and Wednesday – here’s the chart.
3:47 PM UPDATE: Police have added a little more information about the case via their SPDBlotter site – both victims were asleep at the time of the attack; the one who was killed was 37, the one who escaped is 40.
ORIGINAL REPORT, 10:41 AM: We covered this incident overnight on Twitter, where we often post about out-of-West Seattle news because nobody else is up covering news at that hour: Someone broke into a home in South Park and stabbed two women, killing one. (Here’s a map to where it happened.) Now the Southwest Precinct (which handles South Park as well as West Seattle) is asking that information about the attack be posted far and wide – so we’re publishing the “informational bulletin” just forwarded by Sgt. Jeff Durden:
At about 0300 hours, an unknown suspect entered a residence in the 700 block of S. Rose Street. The two occupants were attacked, and one has since died from injuries sustained in the attack. The second victim is undergoing medical treatment at an area hospital for her injuries.
The suspect is described as:
• black male,
• late 20’s to early 30’s in age
• He is approximately 5’-9” to 6’-0” tall,
• with a thin muscular build.
• The suspect has a thin moustache,
• “nappy” hair.The suspect is still at large. The Seattle Police Homicide Unit is investigating this incident, and asks that citizens call the homicide unit at (206) 684-5550 with any information, or King County Crime Stoppers at (206) 343-2020 or send a text to “crimes” (274637).
Citizens are asked to call 911 to report any suspicious activity in their neighborhoods, and to contact the Seattle Police Department Crime Prevention Unit at (206) 684-7724 for additional information on personal safety. During warm weather, citizens are reminded of the necessity to secure all doors and windows in their homes.
The public is invited to a community meeting at the South Park Community Center, 8319 8th Avenue South, on Monday, July 20, at 7:00 pm.
Interim Chief John Diaz
Since West Seattle is home to city parks big (Alki and Lincoln) and small 
(California Place, Morgan Junction), not to mention more than a few inbetween (like Fauntleroy, at left), these are meetings you’ll want to know about: First, Parks Superintendent Tim Gallagher is wrapping up a round of “hear from the public” events, and the closest he is getting to West Seattle is a gathering tonight at the South Park Community Center (map), 7 pm. Meantime, the city Parks Board (chaired by Alki’s Jackie Ramels) – meets tomorrow night downtown, and the major topic of West Seattle interest will be the board’s recommendation on whether to change some parks’ operating hours. Read on for toplines of the West Seattle-specific recommendations (all detailed in this briefing paper) …Read More
Another update today on Coreena Wolford, the 16-year-old Chief Sealth High School student who suffered major injuries in a crash by Highway 509 three weeks ago, as she drove from West Seattle to South Park to help tutor students in the READ program at Concord Elementary. Coreena’s aunt Danica e-mailed to say that her niece is now in a Burien rehabilitation facility: “She is recovering, but has a long, hard road ahead of her.” She adds that the family is looking for witnesses to the May 6th crash: “We are looking for any witnesses who may have seen the accident take place, not the aftermath. We need to get information for insurance purposes. Please e-mail me at danicacandy@hotmail.com with any information.” Family and friends also are continuing to update this website with news on Coreena’s recovery.
Concord Elementary is in South Park but it’s part of the West Seattle “region” of Seattle Public Schools, so some local families’ kids are there, and we’re sharing this: KIRO is reporting on a suspected “home invasion” nearby (800 block of South Henderson, kitty corner from the rear of the school; here’s a map), and because of the police investigation, the students at Concord are reported to be “sheltering in place.” Here’s the latest from KIRO, online.
12:19 PM UPDATE: Police are still searching the neighborhood, with K-9, according to live coverage that’s on right now. (Side note, South Park is part of the coverage area for police from West Seattle’s Southwest Precinct.)
2:16 PM: Seattle Public Schools spokesperson David Tucker confirms the “shelter in place” is over. We will work to find out the status of the investigation.
2 more notes that trace back to the West Seattle Crime Prevention Council meeting, although one is a new development just within the past few hours:
CAR-STRIPPING SUSPECT NABBED: Lt. Steve Paulsen told the group last night that officers hoped to make an arrest shortly in a case featured in the Washington’s Most Wanted reports on channel 13 – a restored 1967 Mustang was ravaged by someone who broke into the the South Park trailer where it was stored. (Read the original story here.) Southwest Precinct officers tracked down a suspect in Renton and Lt. Paulsen just confirmed to WSB that they arrested him this morning.
WANT TO KNOW IF A SEX OFFENDER LIVES NEAR YOU? We have mentioned this before, and the link has been in the “resources” section at the bottom of the WSB Crime Watch page for months, but it came up at last night’s Crime Prevention Council meeting so we want to share it again: To find out whether a registered sex offender – someone convicted of a serious sex crime – lives near you, there’s a great statewide search website you can use: Here’s the link. (There are three “levels” of sex offender – 2 and 3 are the most serious, and those are the ones you can search for by using that site.)
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