West Seattle, Washington
14 Wednesday
Hope the wind doesn’t whisk this bird away! It’s a reminder from the folks at West Seattle’s HomeStreet Bank (a just-returned WSB sponsor) that they’re hosting a turkey drive for the West Seattle Food Bank in just two days. On Saturday (November 8th), 11 am-2 pm, bring a 10-to-12-pound frozen turkey to donate, or $15 cash for WSFB to make its own purchase(s). HomeStreet is at 41st/Alaska.
(Thanks to John for sharing the photo from Fauntleroy – sun, rainbow, whitecaps!)
After a difficult commute – and with a wind advisory now in effect – a relatively quick look at to highlights for the rest of your Thursday:
CANDY BUYBACK: A Place for Kids Too children’s dentistry (WSB sponsor) in The Admiral District is having its first post-Halloween “candy buyback” until 3 pm. Donated candy goes to U.S. troops; the “buyback” incentive is a raffle ticket for each pound of candy, with a gift-card prize for raffle winner(s). More details in our calendar listing. (2617 California SW)
CITY COUNCIL DISCUSSES BUDGET POSSIBILITIES: They continue today. Live on Seattle Channel right now, they’re discussing possible items for the Office of Housing, including exploring a bond issue for a “large” project to build publicly owned affordable housing. This afternoon at 2 pm, they’re looking at items for SDOT, including the possibility of “transportation impact fees” for development. SPD is on the schedule today too, with items including the “gunshot locator system” discussed (but ultimately not funded) in past years.
THRIFTWAY’S HOLIDAY TASTE! 4-7 pm, West Seattle Thriftway (WSB sponsor) rolls out the tempting tastes of food/beverages you might want to serve your family/friends/etc. this holiday season. Just three weeks till Thanksgiving! (California/Fauntleroy)
WEST SEATTLE TIMEBANK ORIENTATION: 6:30 pm at Southwest Branch Library – get and give the gift of time; find out how to be part of the Timebank. (35th/Henderson)
FAUNTLEROY TRAFFIC/TRANSPORTATION: Special meeting organized by the Fauntleroy Community Association, 7 pm at The Hall at Fauntleroy, as previewed here. (9131 California SW)
‘ROSENCRANTZ AND GUILDENSTERN ARE DEAD’: West Seattle High School Drama Department presents Tom Stoppard‘s Shakespeare spinoff, and tonight is opening night, 7:30 pm at the WSHS Theater. Details, including ticket info, in our calendar listing. (3000 California SW)
LOTS MORE … on the calendar.
Serving? Have served? You’re invited! From Kyle Geraghty:
American Legion Post 160 of West Seattle and American Legion Auxiliary Unit 160 would like to invite all active duty, reservists, members of the national guard, veterans and their families to our annual Veterans Day Italian Dinner. It will be held on Sunday November 9th from 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM. This is American Legion Post 160’s thank you to all veterans in our community who have served our country. The menu includes: pasta, homemade sauce, garlic bread, salad, dessert, coffee and tea. The cost is absolutely free.
Here’s the official flyer with more information.
(WS bridge and Highway 99 views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
Good morning! No road trouble to report so far. Transportation-news notes:
FAUNTLEROY TRAFFIC MEETING TONIGHT: 7 pm at The Hall at Fauntleroy (9131 California SW), city leaders will meet with community members about traffic/transportation challenges, as first announced last month. All welcome.
TRANSIT VOTE UPDATE: After two more vote counts, Transportation Benefit District Prop. 1 is at 60 percent “yes.” Here’s our report on the Wednesday morning media briefing about what was called the “framework” of a city-county agreement on where the money will go for starters.
7:15 AM: Scratch the “no trouble.” Just got a text “wreck on the bridge.” It’s just before 99, blocking an eastbound lane. It was not listed on the 911 log, which at least means “no injuries.”
7:32 AM: The regular bridge camera has been down for two days, so we can’t see the crash zone, but commenters say it doesn’t look likely to clear soon. Meantime, the weather alert for today upgraded overnight to a “wind advisory,” noon-6 pm.
7:40 AM: The rain is intensifying. And there’s a new crash reported on the eastbound bridge at 99, possibly 4 vehicles, per scanner.
7:45 AM: From SDOT via Twitter:
The Collision EB on the W Seattle Br is now blocking the 3 left lanes. Expect long delays and USE ALTERNATE ROUTES. pic.twitter.com/yxsqTqyaO4
— seattledot (@seattledot) November 6, 2014
Metro has even sent an advisory warning of delays.
7:59 AM: The backup is apparently leading people to drive in the bus lane at 35th/Alaska – heard via scanner, a call for any available enforcement help, so buses can get through.
8:20 AM: The low bridge is open for marine traffic and SDOT says it’ll be a “long” opening. (See the comment section for some background.)
8:36 AM: A stall parallel with Nucor on the bridge, Brian reports; “Wsea” in comments says the Water Taxi is packed and also running slower because of mechanical trouble.
8:45 AM: Lisa via Twitter confirms what sounded on the scanner like a second stall, in the Delridge onramp vicinity. On the “good news” side, we’re seeing some blue sky to the west, so the weather may be calming (until the afternoon “wind advisory”).
9:18 AM: Tow truck has arrived for at least one stalled vehicle, per scanner. Traffic will be temporarily stopped in all lanes so it can get the job done.
9:44 AM: Lost count of the stalls but one has just been picked up by AAA (WSB sponsor), per what we heard on the scanner, while another one is still blocking a lane. Meantime, we just discovered the 11th/Spokane camera is currently turned toward the “low bridge”:
(That is subject to change at any time – SDOT controls it.)
9:54 AM: Speaking of SDOT, they have captured a view of the latest stall:
I spoke too soon: a 3rd Stall on the W Seattle Bridge EB – this time in the left lane after Delridge. pic.twitter.com/Rs492bRUFx
— seattledot (@seattledot) November 6, 2014
9:58 AM: Live camera (see top of the story) suggests the stall has now cleared.
(2012 photo by Rick Rasmussen)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
Ten years after they were formally listed as endangered, what do we really know about Puget Sound’s endangered orcas, formally known as the Southern Resident Killer Whales?
Next Tuesday (November 11th), you’ll hear answers from Northwest Fisheries Science Center researcher Dawn Soren, during The Whale Trail‘s next Orca Talk in West Seattle.
One of the focal points of her research is how boat traffic affects the whales. And that was at the heart of The Whale Trail’s first Orca Talk of the season, last Thursday at C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor).
During that event, Bruce Stedman of Orca Relief talked about his organization’s proposal of a zone in the San Juans where boats would have to keep a greater distance from whales than they do now. He said it’s not the only action that’s needed to help them – but it’s the one that could make a difference the quickest. Pointedly, he noted that the recovery plan originally envisioned up to 115 Southern Resident Killer Whales by 2015, but that is at this point beyond impossible … that’s three dozen more than the current population, which has had only one birth in the past two years, the calf that is now missing and presumed dead.
(WSB photo from Thanksgiving 2013)
Only three weeks from Thanksgiving, and holiday-related event announcements are coming in, including this one, announced by Tuxedos and Tennis Shoes, which caters this gift to the community every year:
16th annual Free Community Thanksgiving Meal
at The Hall at Fauntleroy
9131 California Ave SW
Thursday, November 27 from 12 Noon to 3 PM
All are welcome
Questions – 206-932-1059We are again accepting donation of desserts and also warm blankets, throws, hats, scarves, and gloves – new or very gently used (clean) please.
T&T always stresses, this isn’t just for people in need – anyone and everyone is welcome to come enjoy the holiday meal together.
P.S.: If your business, organization, school, etc., has one or more winter-holiday-season events planned, open to the community, and you HAVEN’T already sent us the announcement – please do, as soon as you can! Don’t worry about including posters, flyers, logos, “press releases”; just a few simple lines of information, and a website link IF you have one, will do. We’re adding them to the calendar as they arrive – editor@westseattleblog.com – thanks!
Given what happened last time it got windy – we’re sharing this heads-up for possibly blustery conditions tomorrow. (Charge everything!) The National Weather Service has posted a “special weather statement” (caps are theirs):
Blustery winds are likely on Thursday … A vigorous cold front will sweep through Western Washington on Thursday. It will likely be windy in many areas. This weather system might be strong enough for wind advisories in some areas. A High Wind Watch is in effect for the coast, where strong and damaging winds are possible. This weather system will develop overnight, so stay tuned to updated forecasts.
Next update is expected around 9 pm; we’ll update if and when the alert changes.
(WSB photos by Torin Record-Sand)
West Seattle Metro riders will get more buses with the money from Transportation Benefit District Prop 1, which got 59 percent of the first round of the November 4th vote. That’s according to the “framework of an agreement on transit funding and service delivery between Seattle and King County,” as distributed at today’s post-election briefing downtown, with city and county leaders including Mayor Ed Murray, County Executive Dow Constantine, and City Councilmember Tom Rasmussen, plus local transit advocates. We recorded it all on video (added, 3:05 pm):
Here are the West Seattle highlights, as promised in a 2-page doc distributed today (see it here):
*A list of “neighborhoods that will get more buses” includes Admiral, Alaska Junction, Alki, Arbor Heights, Delridge, Fauntleroy, Gatewood, Morgan Junction, Pigeon Point, Roxhill, Westwood Village
*”More buses on … chronically overcrowded routes” including RapidRide C Line, starting next June
*”Revised schedules on … chronically unreliable” routes including RapidRide C Line, 21X, 21, 37, 55, 56, also to start next June
*”Better frequency with more trips per hour on at least 28 high-demand routes” including RapidRide C Line and 125; this is to be “phased in between June and September 2015”
Also promised: An “expanded network of frequent transit,” defined as every 15 minutes or better.
So how will you be sure you’re getting something for your money? Another handout sheet (see it here) promises:
The agreement will:
-Require robust ridership and performance data reporting by Metro
-Allow for regular financial reviews and independent third-party audits of Metro finances and performance data
-Reduce city responsibility for county administrative overhead
-Credit Seattle for higher farebox revenue roduced on city trolleybus routes
-Pay only the annual share of new buses required for increased service
-Protect against supplanting
Constantine reiterated at today’s event that the extra funding is only a “bridge” until the Legislature fixes transportation funding someday.
Transit advocates who were there included West Seattleite Marci Carpenter:
(By the way, we learned today that Carpenter is now the president of the National Federation of the Blind-Washington – congratulations!)
P.S. In case you forgot the details of Proposition 1, here’s the heart of it, from the ballot:
To fund transit service in Seattle, the Seattle Transportation Benefit District seeks voter approval to impose an annual vehicle-license fee up to an additional $60 per vehicle, with a $20 rebate for low-income individuals, and an additional sales-and-use tax of no more than 0.1%. Each would expire no later than December 31, 2020. Combined, they would raise approximately $45,000,000 annually.
After administrative costs, including the rebate program, revenue will be used to fund: (1) Metro Transit service hours on routes with more than 80% of their stops within Seattle, with funding first being used to preserve existing routes and prevent Metro’s proposed service cuts and restructures scheduled to start in February 2015; (2) up to $3,000,000 annually, to support regional transit service on bus routes that enter or terminate service within the City of Seattle; and (3) up to $2,000,000 annually, to improve and to support access to transit service for low-income transit riders.
Any remaining revenues may be used to address overcrowding, reliability, and service frequency within the City of Seattle. Revenues will not supplant other funding for any routes partially or completely operating within Seattle that Metro would otherwise provide in accordance with the adopted Metro Transit Service Guidelines. More about this proposal can be found at: http://www.seattle.gov/stbd/documents/resolution_12_s.pdf
@westseattleblog whale in Elliot bay pic.twitter.com/DGeJLJ0VHy
— Wade Harper (@Wade_68) November 5, 2014
1:27 PM: Thanks to two tipsters who have mentioned a lone whale – believed to be a humpback – headed northbound, fairly close to West Seattle’s shore. By Me-Kwa-Mooks on Beach Drive, according to the phone call we just received. Let us know if you see it!
4:43 PM: As commenters noted, it traveled into Elliott Bay. Wade tweeted the photo we’ve added above.
THURSDAY MORNING: 7:30 am sighting near Seahurst in Burien, according to the Orca Network FB page.
Waiting to see what the second round of vote totals looks like? King County Elections just announced plans for TWO daily updates for the rest of the week:
King County Elections will post two sets of general election results reports today and for the rest of this week due to the volume of last-minute voters returning ballots. The Elections Department will issue a first set of results by 4:30 p.m. as planned, along with a second set of results by 8:00 p.m.
King County Elections has received about 518,000 ballots to date for the general election, not counting a substantial number of drop box returns yesterday. Ballots will continue to arrive, however, they must have valid postmarks indicating that they were mailed on or before election day in order for them to be processed and counted.
Each voter’s signature must be verified before a ballot is opened, inspected, scanned, and ultimately tabulated. Ballots that come in that are damaged, reflect write-in votes or were not voted consistent with the directions, require additional handling and time to process. On average, a ballot takes a little more than a day to process so it can be added to the results report.
You can use the King County Ballot Tracker to see if your ballot was received and signature verified. (Example: We dropped ours at one of the vans on Monday. Ballot Tracker shows they’ve been received.) And you’ll find the latest results update here.
(Photo by Long Bach Nguyen)
CONSTRUCTION NEXT FOR THE WHITTAKER: As teardown concludes on the site of West Seattle’s biggest development (4755 Fauntleroy SW), the project team says official construction is a few weeks away. First, they’ll be hauling off the demolition debris, and they have started work on promised improvements for the parking lot next door at the Masonic Center. While that work is under way, the center has parking space on the east side of Fauntleroy Way, north of Edmunds. Newest estimate of project completion for The Whittaker (~400 apartments, ground-floor retail, ~600 underground parking spaces) is end of 2016.
P.S. In case you missed it – over the weekend, we published a last look at the last and biggest building to be demolished.
MICROHOUSING FOLLOWUP: Vigorous discussion ensued when we published this Sunday night update on three West Seattle microhousing projects – particularly the two that are moving ahead after responding to a city memo issued in September, based on a court decision. One of those projects, 3050 SW Avalon Way, responded by saying it would remove “sinks, refrigeration equipment, built-in cabinet and counters outside the bathrooms” from the rooms so that the future building would still qualify to count up to 8 “sleeping rooms” as a single dwelling unit. The file for the other project, 3268 SW Avalon Way – where demolition happened last week – didn’t show a similar response, but DPD spokesperson Bryan Stevens tells WSB its developers made the same decision:
For this proposal, the applicant elected to redesign the floor plans so that these rooms are clearly sleeping rooms and not individual apartments. The bedrooms were modified so that they no longer have separate sinks, counters or food preparation areas. Each bedroom now only has a separate bathroom with a shower, toilet, and sink. The permit is for 7 units total, each with 8 bedrooms, a large kitchen and lounge area. This change was in response to the Superior Court ruling on the Harvard proposal and is not related to the recently adopted legislation regarding SEDUs.
(That’s “small efficiency dwelling units,” the city’s official name for microhousing.)
DESIGN REVIEW FOR ASSISTED-LIVING FACILITY: We’ve reported before about the assisted-living facility proposed for 4515 41st SW. Just added to the Southwest Design Review Board‘s schedule, for 6:30 pm December 4th (at the Senior Center of West Seattle), is the first meeting to look at the plan, now described as:
4-story assisted-living facility containing 48 sleeping rooms (66 beds total). Parking for 11 vehicles to be provided below grade. Existing structures to be demolished.
Here’s the project page on the city website.
Finally, not far from there …
REDEVELOPMENT AT 40TH/OREGON: Thanks to Jeannette for the tip – an 84-year-old house at 40th/Oregon is scheduled for teardown and replacement.
The project has just evolved in city files, she points out, from a rowhouse to a combination of two single-family homes and a 2-unit townhouse building. County records show the house and its 4,600-square-foot lot were sold two weeks ago for $500,000.
Here’s the latest proof of that:
That photo is from Scott, who says the coyote was “right in the front yard” at 39th and Graham, 8 am today. *Added – an 8:20 am photo from Jamie, same area*:
Another sighting this morning, via Twitter:
There was a coyote hanging out at Fauntleroy and Raymond this morning @westseattleblog
— Dorcas Bean (@dorcasbean) November 5, 2014
And Robyn saw one “run west up the sidewalk on Rose Street west of 35th” around 5 o’clock Tuesday evening.
WHAT TO DO IF YOU SEE ONE? As the experts advise – do everything you can to scare it away. Yell, wave, throw rocks. That’s what experts urge, to encourage them to keep their distance. And remove every source of food you can (that includes outdoor pet food as well as small pets themselves, although experts say they more often eat small wild animals such as rats).
(Photo by Mark Wangerin: ‘Intergrade’ Northern Flicker – characteristics of eastern, yellow shafted, & western, red-shafted varieties)
Just a few of your options for today/tonight!
FALL PLANTING AT CAMP LONG: Can you spare a few hours today? 10 am-2 pm, EarthCorps welcomes volunteer help for fall planting at Camp Long – details in our calendar listing. (5200 35th SW)
EARLY DAYS: Drop-in support group for parents of babies up to 1 year old meets today, Limber Yoga. (Same group featured in this WSB story yesterday – expanding and seeking help to cover training costs for volunteer facilitators helping new parents.) Noon-2 pm. (6019 California SW)
WORK AT HOME? Grab lunch and take a break for casual networking and support at the Home Office/Coworking Meetup at Office Junction (WSB sponsor), noon-1 pm. (6040 California SW)
RAPIDRIDE ON CALIFORNIA IN THE JUNCTION? That’s one of the items on the agenda for tonight’s Southwest District Council meeting. Also up: The proposed Neighborhood Matching Fund changes that already have drawn opposition from the SWDC’s counterparts in eastern West Seattle. All welcome. 6:30 pm, Senior Center of West Seattle. (Oregon/California)
KENNEDY HIGH SCHOOL OPEN HOUSE: 6:30-8:30 pm, tour John F. Kennedy Catholic High School (WSB sponsor) in Burien. Details on the school’s website. (140 S. 140th)
WEST SEATTLE SOUL: 8 pm at Feedback Lounge (WSB sponsor), Rippin Chicken‘s onstage with a “free-form groove night full of insane amounts of groove and jams.” (6451 California SW)
LET YOUR LIGHT SHINE: You get the spotlight at Skylark‘s weekly 21+ fully backlined open-microphone night – signups 7:30 pm, music starts 8:30 pm. (3803 Delridge Way SW)
AND … more events for today/tonight, recurring and one-time-only, are on our calendar.
(WS bridge and Highway 99 views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
Another nothing-out-of-the-ordinary traffic morning for our area, so far. Looking ahead:
TRANSIT FUNDING PASSES – WHAT NEXT? At 11:30 this morning downtown, city and county leaders will meet the media to talk about the passage of the transit-funding measure on yesterday’s Seattle ballot. (It was ahead 59%-41% after the first and only election-night ballot count; next round of results this afternoon.)
RELOCATE RAPIDRIDE IN THE JUNCTION? Is the SDOT proposal to move RapidRide onto California SW in the heart of The Junction, first reported here in August, moving forward? An SDOT rep is scheduled to discuss it at tonight’s Southwest District Council meeting, 6:30 pm at the Senior Center of West Seattle (Oregon/California).
FAUNTLEROY MEETING TOMORROW: 7 pm tomorrow (Thursday) at The Hall at Fauntleroy (9131 California SW), city leaders including SDOT director Scott Kubly will meet with community members about traffic/transportation challenges from speeding to sidewalks and beyond, as first announced last month. All welcome.
Back to today’s getting-around watch …
7:52 AM: Low bridge is open for marine traffic. No advance-warning system yet but SDOT does continue to tweet bridge “openings” at @sdotbridges. (Added: If you’re keeping score, according to the tweets, the closure lasted about 11 minutes.)
The election-night vote count for King County is in, and here’s how the local ballot measures are going:
TRANSPORTATION BENEFIT DISTRICT PROPOSITION #1 – results here
59 percent yes, 41 percent no
*Added 9:13 pm: Mayor Murray issued a statement saying in part, “Great cities need great mass transit – and Seattle is a great city. Seattle voters understand that, and today’s passage of Prop 1 is the next step to getting the transit system that Seattle wants and that Seattle needs. With today’s vote, we are now able to do something that has eluded elected leaders of this City for decades, and that’s significantly add to existing transit service in Seattle.”
*Added 11:52 pm: Murray, County Executive Dow Constantine, City Councilmember Tom Rasmussen and others will meet the media downtown Wednesday morning to talk about what’s next now that Prop 1, which includes a car-tab fee and sales-tax increase, has passed. We’ll be there.
PROPOSED TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY, CITIZENS’ PETITION (MONORAIL) – results here
80 percent no, 20 percent yes
SEATTLE PRESCHOOL MEASURES – This is a two-part set of results – here (“should either measure become law?” and here (which is preferred, 1A or 1B)
Should one become law? 65 percent yes, 35 percent no
Which one? 67 percent for 1B, 33 percent for 1A
HIGHLINE PUBLIC SCHOOLS BOND MEASURE: Results here
57 percent yes, 43 percent no (note: 60 percent approval is required for passage)
MORE RESULTS: Other county results are here.
In this story, we’re tracking the big statewide measures for starters, and will add other regional results, including Legislature and Congress races. The initiative numbers, you should note, will change often, since results are coming in from counties all over the state, and some will be counting all night long (unlike here in King County, where there won’t be a second count until tomorrow). We’ll update the initiative results, with time notations, as often as we can, in the hours ahead.
I-594 (FIREARMS) – results here
9:09 pm – 59.72% yes, 40.28% no
I-591 (FIREARMS) – results here
9:09 pm – 45.44% yes, 54.56% no
I-1351 (CLASS SIZE) – results here
9:09 pm update – 49.43% yes, 50.57% no
STATEWIDE ADVISORY VOTES – results linked here
U.S. HOUSE, DISTRICT 7 – results here
Jim McDermott, 80%
Craig Keller, 20%
STATE SENATE, 34TH DISTRICT – results here
Sharon Nelson, 98% (unopposed)
STATE HOUSE POSITION 1, 34TH DISTRICT
Eileen Cody, 98% (unopposed) – results here
STATE HOUSE POSITION 2, 34TH DISTRICT – results here
Joe Fitzgibbon, 81%
Brendan Kolding , 18%
6:41 PM: Thanks to everyone texting us about Guardian One, the law-enforcement helicopter – it’s over Highland Park because of a search for burglary suspects. We don’t know yet exactly where the break-in was, but we’re seeing some police vehicles along the 9000 block of 8th SW near Westcrest Park.
7:23 PM: Police describe the break-in that led to the search as “an armed burglary.” We don’t yet know if anyone was home or not; there were no medical calls in the area, so no indication that anyone was hurt. A K-9 team also was used in the search.
9:23 PM: According to Southwest Precinct Lt. Alan Williams, early reports indicate “two male suspects armed with handguns entered a residence in the 9000 block of 8th SW) around 6 pm. They “encountered residents inside the house and fled on foot shortly thereafter.” Despite an extensive search, no arrests yet; no one was hurt.
ADDED 1:52 PM WEDNESDAY: SPD Blotter has just published details of how police were told this unfolded:
Two traffic notes, one this evening, one this weekend:
AVALON BACKUP THIS EVENING: If you wondered what was backing up SW Avalon, probably this:
@westseattleblog Here's a pic of the bus with it's hood up. pic.twitter.com/vgsbR4N8n0
— Kevin Freitas (@kevinfreitas) November 5, 2014
Kevin tweeted that photo of a stalled school bus. Haven’t heard how conditions are now, but thought we’d mention this in case you got caught in it and never saw what was happening. Meantime, also via Twitter, we’re hearing traffic is steady headed to the West Seattle Stadium ballot dropoff (35th just south of Avalon) – you have until 8 pm to get your ballot (no stamps required) dropped off there.
BATTERY STREET TUNNEL CLOSURE NEXT WEEKEND: Just announced by SDOT:
The Seattle Department of Transportation will close the Battery Street Tunnel (SR 99) to both directions of traffic from 9 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 8 until 8 a.m. on Sunday, Nov. 9. During the closure, SDOT crews will test the fire suppression system.
Northbound traffic on the Alaskan Way Viaduct (SR 99) will be routed off the viaduct at Western Avenue, then directed to Broad Street, then to Second Avenue, and on to Battery Street to return to northbound Aurora Avenue North (SR 99).
Southbound traffic on Aurora Avenue North (SR 99) will be detoured from Aurora Avenue at Denny Way, then directed to Wall Street and then to Elliott Avenue to return to southbound Alaskan Way Viaduct (SR 99).
Lots of info in West Seattle Crime Watch today, including three new reader reports and two followups:
CAN YOU FIND THIS STOLEN CAR? WSB readers have spotted three stolen vehicles in recent days. Maybe this will be the fourth. Jena shared the photo and explains, “My boyfriend’s 1991 Honda Accord Coupe was stolen from out front of our house last night sometime after 12:30 am in Arbor Heights.” Call 911 if you see it.
STOLEN, THEN FOUND: The most recent of the aforementioned three stolen cars spotted by readers was Matt‘s gold Nissan Maxima, reported here Sunday, found in Arbor Heights this morning.
RECOGNIZE THIS BICYCLE? It turned up in an alley west of The Junction.
Let us know if you recognize it. (Looks a lot like this one, but that one had been taken in for safekeeping last we heard.)
CAR PROWL: From Sage K:
Just wanted to let you know that sometime between 11:45 pm on Sunday Nov. 2nd and 8 pm Monday Nov. 3rd, my car was broken into while parked in the parking lot for the Longfellow Creek Apts on Delridge where I live (the gate which is supposed to be closed from 6 pm-6 am has been open for about a week as someone broke it, which means parking lot not as controlled). They punched the lock on the driver’s side door.
While I’m lucky that the few things they took: gate opener (which leads me to believe it was a resident or someone that knows one), blu tooth, phone charger, blue mid size Maglite, cloth Trader Joe’s bag (wt heck?) sliver car shade, and a box in the trunk that had some oil, funnels and other car maintenance misc items. Have a relatively low replacement cost and they left most of the things I actually care about. Replacing door locks even with insurance is a pain and costly.
AHEAD – as promised, a followup on the marijuana-investigation raids at two Gatewood homes last Saturday (here’s our original story):
Read More
Have you voted yet? These Gatewood Elementary kids hope so! Teacher Darren Radu explains:
Our kids got fired up about voter turnout the past couple of days; we’ll be heading over to Morgan Junction … to remind people to send in their ballots.
Not only did they make signs – they wrote you this letter (click the image for a larger view):
You have until 8 pm to get your ballot to a drop van or dropbox, as explained in our daily calendar highlights; if you’re mailing it, you need stamps and you need to make sure it’ll be postmarked with today’s date.
When someone asked recently about that “LEASED” sign on the years-empty ground floor space at the Orion Building at 2743 California SW, adjacent to PCC (WSB sponsor), we didn’t have an answer – but today, we do. Broker Blake Taylor from West Coast Commercial Realty e-mailed to announce that West Seattle Runner (WSB sponsor) is moving into the space, and we have confirmed it with proprietors Lori and Tim McConnell.
WS Runner has been located on the second floor of Charlestown Center since opening in spring 2010; now they’ll be at street level, with more room – ~2,200 square feet, about a third bigger than their current shop. Tim told us this morning that the layout also will be an upgrade – one big rectangular space, instead of one with a few too many corners. The McConnells hope to move into the new space, about two-thirds of a mile north, in January. (The back of the space will be leased, broker Taylor says – synergistically! – for an expansion location of Elite Sports and Spine.)
P.S. West Seattle Runner will continue offering a slate of in-store events and clinics, according to the McConnells, and have some coming up in their current space: $10 discount on registration for the Seattle Half/Full Marathon during an info/signup event 6-8 pm next Tuesday, November 11th; Goretex waterproof running-shoe tryout during the 6:30 pm November 19th group run (walkers welcome too); Team In Training-hosted Turkey Trot group run/walk on Alki on Thanksgiving morning (meet by Tully’s at 8 am), November 27th, free (food donation requested).
(Bald eagle in Lincoln Park – carrying nesting material? – photographed by Trileigh Tucker)
Election Day is here. In honor of that most patriotic of days, we feature two bald-eagle photos in our daily preview from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:
VOTE! Until 8 pm, the ballot-dropoff vans are in West Seattle and White Center, or you can check the county’s list of fixed dropboxes, OR you can mail your ballot (which, unlike dropoffs, requires postage), as long as you’re sure it’ll be postmarked with today’s date. Still deciding? Lots of info on the KC Elections website. The first results are expected around 8:15 pm, and you’ll see them here on WSB as soon as they’re published.
VOLUNTEER MAPMAKING: Help Ebola first responders across the globe without ever leaving your home. As previewed here on Tuesday, bring your laptop to the West Seattle (Admiral) Branch Library at 6 pm tonight to find out how. (2306 42nd SW)
WESTWOOD-ROXHILL-ARBOR HEIGHTS COMMUNITY COUNCIL: 6:15 pm monthly meeting at Southwest Branch Library. The announcement from WWRHAH leadership has a question for everyone in the neighborhoods this group serves:
… Our big topic is Steering. We’ve gotten stuff done and in motion:
The Roxbury road safety project;
More police presence in Roxhill Park;
We’ve gotten Metro & SDOT to fix some road issues around Westwood;
We’ve got the Arbor Heights storm drains project slowly advancing;
We have grant money for more Roxhill Park improvements;
We helped make sure the city didn’t rush through the every-other-week trash pickup;
We got Metro to move peak hour Route #21 layovers from Westwood to 35th & Roxbury;
We’ve got the city and county studying and researching restoring the bog closer to its original state.
The Southwest District Council helped us get Arbor Heights more money for sidewalks on 35th;
The Delridge District Council and SDOT helped us do that on the south side of Roxbury by the school with the county.Most of these are in different stages — underway or done — and that’s just over our first solid year.
So, now what? You tell us: What are the biggest outstanding issues for Westwood, Roxhill, and Arbor Heights? Come tell us at the meeting … or online, or over e-mail at contact@wwrhah.org.
(35th/Henderson)
(Photo by Terri – bald eagles atop tower crane in The Junction last weekend)
WEST SEATTLE SHAMBHALA MEDITATION GROUP: 6:30 pm at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center – details here. (4408 Delridge Way SW)
‘INTERSTELLAR’ PREMIERE: As previewed here last night, 8 pm is the special sneak-peek showing of this 35mm-film first-run movie at the Admiral Theater. (2343 California SW)
OTHER NIGHTLIFE: Tuesday night is one of the busiest nights on our calendar – see why, here.
After a 12-day closure, the fitness-center building at 2629 SW Andover did indeed open this morning as the West Seattle Health Club (thanks to the commenters who provided first word). If you’ve missed our ongoing coverage, this is the building previously long known as Allstar Fitness, then for about a year and a half as the West Seattle (Athletic) Club.
The owner of the latter, Sam Adams, facing an October 24th court-ordered deadline to pay $1.1 million (mostly back rent), closed it as of October 23rd (though signage only mentioned a two-day closure); documents in his personal Chapter 11 bankruptcy case indicate that he technically “rejected” continuing the lease as of October 27th. On Saturday, October 25th, it was announced that property owner John Pietromonaco had taken it over and would reopen it as a new club with a new name. The new club’s operations VP Dan Lehr told WSB last night that there would be a “skeleton class schedule” for starters, that child care would be available, and that the pool will remain closed for repair/renovations “for about two weeks.” For more backstory, our ongoing coverage is archived here, newest to oldest (we have just merged the archives of coverage so it traces all the way back to our first report on the Allstar bankruptcy two years ago).
ADDED 4 PM: The opening exercise schedule. (Please refer to the club’s website for further updates.)
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