West Seattle crime watch: Grinchiest burglar of the year
Just back from checking the past week’s worth of reports at the Southwest Precinct (thanks again to the fine folks there for the access). 
We’ve got a variety of incidents to tell you about – starting with this eyebrow raiser (note that we have agreed, as is standard for police-blotter reporting, to omit specific addresses and victims’ names): Between 9 pm Christmas Eve and 5:30 am the morning after Christmas, somebody broke into a fast-food restaurant in the 3000 block of California through the drive-thru window. They stole just one item: The donation jar — which they had to pry off the front counter — full of bills and coins collected for a charity! No arrest reported so far. Here are more highlights/lowlights, in reverse chronological order (including the tale of the Christmas Canine Chase):Read More
Update: 9000 20th SW fire
8 PM UPDATE: According to the fire department’s media-info line, this fire did $40,000 damage to one apartment and a hallway on the building’s third floor; investigators say it’s accidental, caused when combustible items were left too close to a hot-water heater. A woman and three children were living in the apartment and the Red Cross is helping them find someplace else to stay. No one was hurt. 12:58 PM UPDATE: Video clip showing the scene. Again, not a big incident, but certainly affected dozens of residents.
11:58 AM UPDATE: Just back with pix (and video to come). No visible smoke or flames from outside; firefighters have been working on ventilating the roof to clear out smoke that’s reportedly inside the building. No word about injuries, or extent of damage.
ORIGINAL 11:35 AM POST: 9000 20th SW – thanks for the e-mail and text messages – we’re en route to check it out. (33-unit apartment building owned by the city Housing Authority, according to property records; the SHA info page with building photo is here.) Scanner communication suggests some road blocking in that area, so stay away if you can. Map:
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What’s up now in the WSB Forums
Have you signed up for our new Forums (discussion boards) yet? More than 100 people from around WSB-land have, in just the first week, and the discussions are getting ever-livelier. For example, here’s the start of a new topic in the Open Discussion section:
Here is my rant West Seattle – Please STOP for Pedestrians in crosswalks! West Seattle drivers seem to be having some troubles in this area, especially (gulp) those drivers trying to catch the Fauntleroy Ferry (Black Toyota 4Runner who did not stop 12/26 at 4:00 p.m. you know who you are!) Now on to the Admiral neighboorhood, again, at a crosswalk in front of Spiro’s (Black Mercedes who did not stop 12/27 at 6:40 p.m. you know who you are!). Please stop for pedestrians. Please. Please. Please.
BTDT – we’ve got an anecdote to share on that one ourselves, so join us in the WSB Forum for that (or head on over to the Reader Recommendations forum, where topics right now range from West Seattle burgers to searches for contractors, financial planners, mechanics, and more.
Reader tip: Save a tree, cancel a phone book
Got this e-mail from Chris (thank you!):
We got yet ANOTHER set of phone books today. If these are junk mail
(and a colossal waste of paper) to you, give them a call and opt out.
Verizon: 1-800-888-8448
This number came right off the front of the book, and my call was
quickly answered.
Let us just say, we USED TO love phone books, but as online searching gets easier and easier, at our house they go straight to the recycling bin, and what a waste that is. So in case that’s how things work at your place, we thought we’d pass this along. We don’t get Verizon books here; found this number for Dex — 800-422-1234 — choose option 4 first, then choose option 2; even though the recording doesn’t specifically say “press this number to cancel directory delivery,” the person we reached after those two choices said that’s the right place to call. (Found this related website, too.)
Alki Statue of Liberty plaza fundraiser tonight: $57K to go
More than 50 people attended a cozy fundraiser upstairs at Duke’s on Alki tonight for the Seattle (Alki) Statue of Liberty Plaza Project. It marked the start of one more big push for the $57,000 that SSLPP leaders Libby and Paul Carr say they still need to pay for their group’s full vision of a plaza to surround the recast statue and its future new pedestal. They’ve already raised more than $100,000, including $50,000 from the city and other donations including this one announced by Walter Reese from Delridge’s Nucor steel mill (introduced by Libby Carr) at tonight’s event:
Here’s part of the opening remarks by KIRO Radio talk-show host Dave Ross, who emceed the evening, telling a story about appreciating the US – and its icons such as the Statue of Liberty and replicas like the one on Alki – after a trip in Eastern Europe long ago:
Other dignitaries who attended (but didn’t make speeches) included West Seattle-dwelling Seattle City Councilmember Tom Rasmussen, his newly elected fellow Councilmembers Bruce Harrell and Tim Burgess, new city Parks Superintendent Timothy Gallagher, and West Seattle’s County Councilmember Dow Constantine. Here’s one more clip, as Paul Carr explains the state of the SSLPP finances:Read More
Traffic alert: Delridge accident reported
Just got a tip about an accident that’s blocked off Delridge. The only thing on the 911 log is a medic response to the 5900 block. We’ll see what else we can find out. 5:55 PM UPDATE: Just drove the length of Delridge; whatever was going on, has been cleared.
West Seattle weather watch: That’s it for the “snow”
This is why we love the National Weather Service “forecast discussions” more than the forecasts themselves … the brutal honesty. This, from the “discussion” posted by the NWS moments ago:
SHORT TERM…WELL THIS EVENT DIDN’T PAN OUT AS WELL AS I WOULD HAVE HOPED. 1 TO 3 INCHES OF SNOW HAS BEEN REPORTED OVER THE HOOD CANAL AREA THIS AFTERNOON…WITH LIGHT COATINGS OF SNOW IN PARTS OF SNOHOMISH COUNTY…EASTERN KING COUNTY AND THE CENTRAL COAST. HOWEVER OUTSIDE OF THAT…BASICALLY THE REMAINDER OF THE AREA HAS SEEN A VERY LIGHT RAIN/SNOW MIX AT BEST. THIS SYSTEM DIDN’T PRODUCE HEAVY ENOUGH PRECIPITATION TO SNAP IT OVER SNOW AND ACCUMULATE. A DECENT SOUTHEAST COMPONENT TO THE LOW LEVEL WIND FIELD IS ALSO HAVING A DRYING AND WARMING EFFECT FROM THE CENTRAL SOUND AND AREAS TO THE SOUTHEAST. BACK EDGE OF SIGNIFICANT PRECIPITATION IS NOW MOVING INTO THE PUGET SOUND REGION SO THEOUGH 4 PM MANY AREAS MAY SEE A BURST OF SNOW SHOWERS FOR A BRIEF PERIOD…BUT ACCUMULATIONS OUTSIDE THE HOOD CANAL UNLIKELY. WILL BE PULLING THE SNOW ADVISORY OUT OF MOST OF THE LOWLANDS WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE HOOD CANAL AS IT IS STILL SNOWING AND ACCUMULATING THERE.
Tree-cycling time: West Seattle Christmas tree recycling
We personally would like to encourage everyone to savor the season. However, in all practicality, we know some thoughts are turning to the yearly task of Tossing The Tree. Here is the official “how to put it out with your yard waste” press release, which includes this all-important info:
Seattle residents who subscribe to curbside yard and food waste collection can put their trees and greens out on their regular collection day at no extra charge from December 26, 2007 to January 13, 2008. Trees should be cut into sections of six feet long or shorter, with branches trimmed to less than four feet to fit into the collection trucks. Sections should be bundled with string or twine.
Trees that are flocked and/or have tinsel or ornaments will be collected as extra garbage. Customers will need to cut the tree into three-foot pieces and each piece will be charged as extra garbage. Each unit of extra garbage costs $5.60. Plastic trees are also not recyclable.
Seattle residents can also drop off their holiday trees and greens for free at Seattle Public Utilities’ North and South Recycling and Disposal stations between December 26, 2007 and January 13, 2008.
The tree sections must be cut to eight feet or less in length and the trunk must be four inches or smaller in diameter. The limit is three trees per vehicle. Only trees without flocking or decoration may be disposed of free of charge.
If you want to do less tree-cutting and so would prefer to drop off your tree, the South Recycling Station in South Park is the closest one to West Seattle; the city has a map here but it doesn’t address getting there from WS, so here’s a map you can use for starters (choose the “driving directions” option). Now, if you still don’t want to go to all that trouble, CL is awash in listings from people you can pay to take your tree away; if you know of any local volunteer or nonprofit groups doing that in West Seattle this year, please e-mail us so we can feature them on WSB.
Welcoming another WSB sponsor: J.F. Henry
It’s a WSB tradition to let you know when a new sponsor comes aboard: 
Joining us today is J.F. Henry in The Junction, advertising to let you know about the store’s after-Christmas 50%-60% off sale (see the ad in the right sidebar on this page for more details). J.F. Henry has been in business more than 20 years, and is located on the booming north end of The Junction, where there’s a lot going on lately (Shadow Land, Craze, Spring Hill, etc.) — you can find out more about J.F. Henry’s kitchen and tableware offerings at its website, which also features details about the store’s unique decor (including fixtures from downtown’s old Frederick & Nelson store!). And if you would like to find out about becoming a WSB sponsor, check out our Advertise page (which also lists the current sponsor lineup) – we’ve got new opportunities coming up in the new year!
After 
With less than three weeks to go till their fundraising deadline, 
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