West Seattle, Washington
19 Monday
Three people were murdered in West Seattle in 2007. Two of the three people arrested in those three cases are still awaiting trial — but if a hearing downtown tomorrow goes as expected, one will enter a plea rather than facing a jury. The suspect is 45-year-old Brian Sheridan Walsh; the victim was 44-year-old Harold Benjamin (“Benny”) Reside, a West Seattle native, developmentally disabled and using a wheelchair, viciously beaten to death in his Cal-Mor Circle apartment in April 2007. His sister and brother-in-law have been involved with the case against Benny’s alleged killer every step of the way since – and today, on the eve of the expected plea hearing, they sat down with WSB to tell their story:Read More
First, from Sharon:
About a week and a half ago I lost my drivers license and credit card while walking with a friend on Thistle. I thought it was lost for good. On top of losing my things, I knew my old address was listed on my driver’s license so it was unlikely I would get it back.
A very kind neighbor took the time to figure out my new address and knocked on my door the next morning and returned it to me. He told me his wife had found it jogging. I just wanted to say thanks to this couple!! They were so honest and truly went out of their way to help another person. THANKS so much, NEIGHBOR! It is good neighbors like you who can truly make this a great community in which to live.
Next one’s from Gillian – but first, you should know the backstory on this one, because it played out on the WSB Pets page, which is mostly seen only by those who lose and find pets. Gillian’s dog was one of more than a few West Seattle pets that bolted during the big storm yesterday; we got several notes about sightings, this morning and this afternoon, and posted them to the Pets page, as well as calling Gillian at one point to make sure she got the word — now Mandy is home, and Gillian sent this home:
Thanks so much to everyone for all of their help and concern. Without the great tips from each one of you, we would have been looking miles off course. West Seattle Bloggers are the best!
You are, indeed.
Alki Avenue distribution of doorhangers about the September 7th Car-Free Day will start tomorrow, according to latest word from SDOT communications boss Rick Sheridan. He also just sent us a PDF of the actual doorhanger; see it here (the map above is from the doorhanger, which includes confirmation that the no-parking zone will be in effect in the Car-Free Day zone, California Way to 63rd SW, 10 am-6 pm that day).
Bil Hood from Seattle Lutheran High School sends that photo with word that school started today: “191 students checked out their new lockers and met the new staff. The day was capped with an all-school BBQ. Regular classes begin tomorrow.” Most West Seattle schools don’t start till next week (Seattle Public Schools‘ first day is Wednesday 9/3).
That’s an eight-second peek inside The Bohemian (3405 California; map) from our visit a few days ago. At the time, proprietor Jason Todd Rice wasn’t ready to speculate on when they would finally be able to open — but we just called to check before posting this story, and he told us the health inspector’s given thumbs up, so they’re expecting to open their daytime cafe operations as soon as Tuesday or Wednesday of next week, with the nighttime/bar operations a week or so later, pending state signoff on that. Read on to see what else he told us about how things are shaping up:Read More
A tree alert just sent out by the city Transportation Department (SDOT) has some important info for West Seattle – read on to see the whole thing:Read More
As reported last night, the jail-site search that has galvanized the Highland Park Action Committee is in a bit of a slow period, so the latest HPAC meeting tackled other topics too – including a city update on the first major road work that will be affecting West Seattleites in the months/years ahead, the Spokane Street Viaduct Widening Project (which in about three years will result in what you see above). We brought you an in-depth preview back in May (read it here); then a flurry of driver concern erupted four weeks ago ago when signs went up suggesting the first phase of the work — requiring the closure of eastbound lower Spokane Street from 1st onward (aka “the route to Costco”) — was imminent (here’s our July 28 report). That closure hasn’t happened yet, and last night at the HPAC meeting, project manager Stuart Goldsmith explained why:Read More
Two of the hottest recent topics here, so we wanted to share what our fellow neighborhood-news sites have unearthed: SDOT told the Rainier Valley Post (whose neighborhood is home to Car-Free Day #2 next weekend, while we have #3 at Alki on 9/7) that some Capitol Hill residents who got towed because of CFD #1 are being reimbursed; Blogging Georgetown digs up more of who’s involved in the anti-bag-fee campaign.
Just got word from Sara Corn at Safeway regional HQ that the date’s set for the public meeting at which the company promised it would unveil full details of the proposed Admiral Safeway project before its Southwest Design Review Board meeting: That public meeting is now set for 7-9 pm September 18th at Hiawatha Community Center (one week before the SWDRB will consider the design).
Just in time for Labor Day driving: Noticed some stations into the $3.70s – California/Andover 76 and California/Charlestown 7-11 at $3.79, for example, more than 50 cents down from two months ago.
Got first word of this late last night from Thomas, who spotted it on the Aaron’s Bicycle Repair blog — where the store proprietor wrote that the Morgan Junction liquor store next door (6527 California SW) is closing next month, and that Aaron’s will be moving into the expanded space by early December. (Read the details, and see the shop plans, here.) Couldn’t find corroboration on the state Liquor Control Board website so we called Olympia this morning to inquire, and the LCB communications team just confirmed it (news release to follow, they promise) – they say the landlord chose not to renew the lease, so they are indeed closing the Morgan Junction store September 20th. Once this closure takes effect, the two nearest liquor stores are in The Junction and White Center. The LCB says it’s looking for “a new location in the area.” ADDED 1:19 PM: Here’s the official news release, though it doesn’t add any details to what we reported above:Read More
It may sound like one of those “don’t run with scissors” reminders – but in case you just aren’t accustomed to thinking about your drains this early in the year, a couple West Seattleites suggested a reminder here. And not just because of the storm — in fact, it was hours before yesterday’s deluge when we got a note from Paul suggesting some seasonal reminders including clearing your storm drain. Then, shortly after the cloudburst, Nancy from North Delridge sent the photo you see above, with the note:
Noticed the drain in the attached photo during the adopt-a-street (cleanup) Saturday.
I got home from unclogging it just a few minutes before the current deluge.
It’s not too early to start keeping on eye on neighborhood drains.
Seattle Public Utilities offers a few tips here; chief among them, planning a weekly check of drains and downspouts. Last year, SPU even offered supplies for an “adopt-a-drain” program, to encourage people to help with the drains on neighborhood streets; we’ll be checking to see if that’s in the works again this year. And if yesterday wasn’t enough of a reminder about what the weather can do, revisit the December 2007 flooding coverage!
Neil took that photo around 2 pm Monday, on SW Genesee between Avalon and 30th (map). Word on the street, says Neil, is that it happened Monday morning and involved a fourth car, but that doesn’t answer the question of exactly what went wrong. Adds Neil: “This is why I don’t park on the street.” Anybody witness whatever happened here?
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