West Seattle, Washington
11 Wednesday
Now that you’ve recovered from last weekend – time to start planning what to do when this week is over. This week, Holy Rosary‘s annual community fun festival — West Fest — is sponsoring WSB to make sure you get the word about this big West Seattle celebration marking the start of fall. As Holy Rosary’s West Fest announcement puts it: “There’s something for the whole family. School grounds will be host to an arts and crafts fair, live entertainment, kids games, inflatable rides, bingo, food and other family activities.” You can buy discounted wristbands for the rides right now at Curious Kidstuff in The Junction, $13 (doesn’t include kids’ games, soccer shootout, speed pitch, haunted house or cake walk); whatever’s left will be sold at West Fest while supplies last for $16. Meantime, there’s quite a live music lineup for Friday night and Saturday afternoon/evening (with some dance and even a talent show mixed in!):
FRIDAY:
6:00 pm to 7:30 pm – “House Broken” – rock band
7:30 pm to 10:00 pm – “Funband” – rock bandSATURDAY:
12:00 pm to 12:45 pm – “Tara Academy of Irish Dance” – dance troupe
1:00 pm to 1:45 pm – “Blue Tones” – rock band
2:00 pm to 2:30 pm – “Regicide” – rock band
2:45 pm to 4:00 pm – “Dennis Fender with Adam Bishop” debuting music from his new CD release “Walls” – Christian Rock band
4:00 pm to 5:00 pm – “West Seattle Idol” talent show hosted by Jim Dever
5:00 pm to 6:00 pm – stage quiet
6:00 pm to 7:00 pm – “Full Life Crisis” – rock band
7:30 pm to 9:15 pm – “Tupelo” rock band
West Fest happens at Holy Rosary (42nd/Genesee; here’s a map) 6-10 pm Friday and 10 am-10 pm Saturday; check out the official website here.
Latest numbers in from County Councilmember Dow Constantine‘s office – the Elliott Bay Water Taxi is still headed for a recordbreaking season, up 9 percent overall this summer, though last month’s ridership was a bit down from same time last year (remember the Water Taxi crowds because of Freeway Fright ’07?). Here’s the official announcement:Read More
(top photo shows damaged sailboat, with Coast Guard boat nearby)
Thanks to the tipster who called with word of this – All that activity in the water off Alki Point is because of what the Coast Guard says was a collision between a sailboat and a power boat. Three people are reported to have minor injuries. The Coast Guard has a 41-foot vessel involved in the rescue, and says the Seattle Fire Department is involved too. Helicopters (including TV-news choppers) are also in the area. 3:34 PM UPDATE: The fire boat is reportedly bringing the injured people to Don Armeni – we’ve got a crew there and just confirmed with SFD that the fire boat’s heading that way, to meet up with an engine that just pulled up. 3:49 PM UPDATE: The injured boaters have now arrived at Don Armeni, where fire, medics, and TV crews are all gathered too. We just added two cameraphone photos from the Don Armeni arrival – looks like it was actually one of the smaller Coast Guard boats involved in bringing them in. More as we get it. 4:10 PM UPDATE: We’re south of Alki Point now, and what looks to be the sailboat involved in this (TV news choppers hovering over it are a giveaway) is closer to the Emma Schmitz-vicinity Beach Drive shoreline and coming close to shore – we’re heading that way. 4:36 PM UPDATE: We’re still at Emma Schmitz, where Coast Guard boats have been up next to the sailboat that we believe to be the one that was involved (hard to tell for sure because two are out there):
The TV news choppers continue to hover, so if you’re in front of a TV you may have seen more from their megazoom aerial cameras. Meantime, back at Don Armeni, an SFD briefing confirms the three people who were hurt will all be OK – two with leg injuries, one with head and neck lacerations. A fourth person was brought ashore but is not hurt. 4:47 PM UPDATE: The sailboat has moved further away from where we are – it’s southwest of Emma Schmitz, probably more directly west of Lowman Beach, but out in the middle of the sound. 5:01 PM UPDATE: Looks like the damaged sailboat is now heading slowly north, and will be passing by here (Emma Schmitz still) before too long, it’s got a boat ahead of it and one behind, escorting it. 5:26 PM: We’re watching now from Constellation Park, just south of Alki Point – it’s closer in as it approaches this part of the shore, with a smaller Coast Guard boat right alongside. Definitely a sizable yacht; haven’t seen anything yet about its name or ownership (let us know if you have, and by the way, THANKS AGAIN to everyone who called, texted, etc., as this unfolded – once you let us know, then we can get busy helping find out what’s up so everybody else knows too! call, text, e-mail 24/7 – all the options are here). 5:48 PM UPDATE: The sailboat and its entourage are starting to pass Alki right now, heading east (we’re watching now from just west of 64th) — spoke too soon, now it’s pointed north, perpendicular to the beach, still offshore at 64th … then headed northward, where we’re ending our surveillance. Here’s video we got earlier, just after the injured boaters were brought to Don Armeni:
8:18 PM UPDATE: The Coast Guard has issued a news release identifying the sailboat involved in the collision as the chartered 70-footer Neptune’s Car; the other sailboat we saw was the Obsession, out picking up some of the passengers who were still on Neptune’s Car after the original rescue. Here’s the full text of the USCG release:
The Coast Guard, Seattle Fire and Police responded to a vessel collision one mile off of Alki Point, here, where a 22-foot runabout and a 70-foot charter sailboat, Neptune’s Car, collided Monday.
At 3:03 p.m., Coast Guard Sector Seattle received a call on VHF channel 16 reporting the collision had occurred.
Station Seattle launched a 41-foot rescue boat crew.
Two passengers aboard the Neptune’s Car and the operator of the runabout were transferred to the Don Armeni ramp in West Seattle to a waiting emegergency medical crew.
The remaining 13 passengers and two crew members aboard the Neptune’s Car have been removed from the vessel, transferred to the sailing vessel Obsession and are returning to Pier 54, here.
The Neptune’s Car was taking on water from a large hole on the forward port side but the flooding was stopped by rescuers. The Neptune’s Car was able to move under its own power and is returning to CSR Marine escorted by a Coast Guard small boat.
ADDED LATE MONDAY NIGHT: Here’s a short video clip of Neptune’s Car while it was still off Beach Drive shoreline, the gash plainly in view.
County leaders just announced a stack of Metro schedule changes starting next Saturday. None directly involve West Seattle; we’re passing them along because they may involve your connections downtown or elsewhere. (As also noted on partner site White Center Now, there is one small change involving White Center – one late-night trip cut from Route 23.) Here’s the full list of Metro changes, route-by-route; here’s the official county news release, which also details some changes for bicyclists who ride Metro – more loading/unloading allowed in the downtown transit tunnel.
SDOT is sending out another round of reminders today – tomorrow marks the start of utility work on eastbound lower Spokane Street, which will be closed between 1st and 5th for the next two years, with drivers detoured northbound when they get off the bridge at 1st (at the spot shown above; detour map is at the bottom of this post). Important detail, though – we asked SDOT communications director Rick Sheridan exactly when the detour signs and barricades are going up, and he tells us it’ll happen around 9 am tomorrow – so eastbound lower Spokane will still be open during tomorrow’s morning commute, if you usually travel that way. This work is part of the preparatory stage for the Spokane Street Viaduct Widening Project. Read more about it here; check out the WSB coverage archive here.
FIRST UPDATE: Unless you live in the Gatewood vicinity – maybe even if you do – you may not ever have laid eyes on the Orchard Street Ravine, a lovely little oasis that’s way up the eastward Orchard Street hill, at the dead end of its northern fork (map). It’s a Pro Parks Levy project that’s been enhanced with tons of volunteer help through Friends of Orchard Street Ravine (including a work party this past weekend), and now it’s been announced that the city will officially dedicate Orchard Street Ravine with a ceremony and celebration on October 11. Details from the Morgan Community Association bulletin:
The ravine is in the second year of restoration and the trail connecting to the upper neighborhood will be opened at this event. Music, food, displays and information are all part of the celebration, with the official program beginning at 12:30. Parking at the site will be limited to disabled parking and dropoff only, so please plan to walk or bike to the event site.
SECOND UPDATE: We move on to another West Seattle greenbelt, where this Friday is your next chance for a free hike like this one:
That’s Nancy Whitlock of the Nature Consortium, explaining the sights and sounds of the West Duwamish Greenbelt to the group (including two WSB Team members – here’s our report) that joined her on the May version of its free monthly hikes through the WDG. You can join the next one, 1-2:30 pm this Friday, meet at the 14th SW/SW Holly trailhead (map) – but please RSVP first, 206-923-0853 or e-mail lisa@naturec.org – it’s a fairly easy walk, suitable for just about anyone. THIRD UPDATE: Chas Redmond, who co-shepherded the first-ever West Seattle Walking Trails map, sends word that the next phase of making West Seattle more walkable is a planning session to which YOU are invited — 10 am-noon October 18, Camp Long Lodge. What’s to be planned, you ask? Among other things, the deployment of 100,000 city dollars to install signs along the proposed West Seattle Trail Network (which is featured in the WSWT map) – 60 signs and 10 kiosks.
The photo at left shows just a segment of the fence tagged at a home at 13th/Trenton (map) over the weekend; homeowner Katie sent us a photo of the entire fence, with the entire tag, but we’re choosing not to show it, after hearing law enforcers make an impassioned case once more against media publication of photos of gang tags and gang signs (we’re interested in your thoughts on that, too). Katie sent word of the huge tag, which read “SW 13” in dark blue paint, saying, “This is the first time our property has been tagged in the 9 years we’ve owned it.” She called the police, then e-mailed us to share the alert, saying: “One of the key points I wanted to share with the WS community is to make sure and report this type of vandalism. Reporting possible gang tags gives the police a heads up on recent activity.” Speaking of which, tomorrow night is your chance to find out a whole lot more about local gang activity, what’s happening and what to watch out for, when a Seattle Police Gang Unit sergeant speaks at the West Seattle Crime Prevention Council‘s monthly meeting — all invited — 7 pm, Southwest Precinct meeting room (Webster/Delridge; here’s a map).
As of 8 am there’s still no word from the Seattle Fire Department about the cause of the fire early this morning in the 10000 block of the alley between 40th and 41st SW. Though the fire was centered in one garage, there is damage to another, and an adjacent house appears to have some heat damage as well. As soon as there’s an update we’ll have it for you. Here’s some pictures of the damage taken at 7:45 this morning. Click here for our breaking news coverage from earlier. 10:12 AM UPDATE: SFD has updated its media info on the fire; spokesperson Dana Vander Houwen says investigators “have ruled the cause (as) undetermined.” Dollar estimate on the damage: $80,000.
TONIGHT: Arbor Heights playground meeting, 7 pm, AH Community Church (project preview here). TUESDAY: Alaskan Way Viaduct open house, 5:30-7:30 pm, Fauntleroy Church. WEDNESDAY: 1st of 2 meetings about the $150 million revamp for The Kenney, 6 pm, Fauntleroy Church (project preview here). THURSDAY: New Admiral Safeway project design unveiled at community meeting, 7 pm, Hiawatha (and The Kenney hosts the second meeting about its project, 6 pm). For other events this week and beyond, see our list here.
(video added 1:42 am – this is looking toward the alley through bushes from 40th SW, close as we could get, you can see the flames’ glow and hear sirens and also hear, then see, a chainsaw crews were using)
ORIGINAL POST: First engine arriving in 10000 block of 40th SW to a “garage fire” call reported via radio a “fully involved” garage – so we’re headed that way to check it out. Two garages and one vehicle burning, according to a subsequent scanner broadcast. 1:29 AM UPDATE: Just back from the scene. At least one garage burned along the alley between 40th and 41st in the 10000 block (map). Huge flames when we arrived – even bigger before we got there, according to neighbors on two sides of that block – who told us they heard explosion-type noises shortly after the fire started (not uncommon). Here’s what else one neighbor about a block west told us:
No official info just yet so everything we report will be from what we saw at the scene and learned from witnesses. No injuries so far as we could tell – a medic unit was there and left empty. Uploading video momentarily – we couldn’t get too close to a burning garage on a narrow alley, obviously, but the flames were clearly visible between houses from a vantage point on 40th. Also note, 100th and 102nd were still blocked off from 40th to 41st when we left a few minutes ago. 1:48 AM UPDATE: The SFD media hotline confirms “two garages about 10 feet apart” burned, no injuries. Scanner traffic is still very active, so fire crews clearly will be there for quite some time. 2:18 AM UPDATE: Still monitoring the scanner; seems at least one other media crew just got there a short time ago, so you might see something on at least one of the early morning newscasts. Here’s a photo from nearby resident Kevin McClintic that shows how thick the smoke was in the air, even more than a block away:
One more clip from our video, more notable for the sound than the picture … as one engine backs up to switch locations, you can hear lots more in the distance – many more arrived even after we got to the scene:
We will update whenever there’s more official info on the damage and any possible cause.
OK, who said retirement means shuffleboard? We found that pool table upstairs from the great room that was headquartered for today’s grand-opening party at the newest retirement community in West Seattle, Bridge Park (WSB sponsor). Guests of honor at the party — Bridge Park’s first residents:
Highlights from today’s event, ahead:Read More
Just got a tip about shots fired in Alki/60th vicinity a short time ago – no medic calls but scanner says police are looking for one or possibly more people “firing rounds” – one scanner description was “whitish color 2 door coupe, Maserati, white male, 20s, short blonde hair, cranking rounds off in the air” – haven’t heard the other potential description. Will update if/when we hear more; let us know if you’re in the area and seeing/hearing anything. 11:14 PM UPDATE: In comments, our original tipster says there’s word a suspect was stopped at the Harbor Ave. 7-11.
Seen from the Klahowya tonight, sailing from Southworth to Vashon (first two photos), then Vashon to Fauntleroy. The official full moon is tomorrow.
Rolfe wrote to ask that you be on the lookout for his car, stolen between midnight-10 am today from his home near 46th/Raymond (map): “1991 black Acura Integra 2 door with hatchback with tan cloth interior. Car has distinctive dent above right front wheel.” Call 911 if you see it. SEPTEMBER 28 UPDATE: The car’s been found.
Fans were already lined up through the produce section at West Seattle Thriftway this morning waiting for “Captain Phil” from the “Deadliest Catch” reality show — who signed autographs for about two hours on behalf of his new coffee company:
As fans had mentioned in the comments following our original WSB preview of his appearance, he’s had some health trouble, so we asked how he’s doing:
As you can tell from what he said in that video (sorry about the background noise – new mike’s on order, after a week of shooting events in very loud places), Captain Phil is proud of his “Deadliest Blend” (the name stirs memories of the triple-strength grind we made during overnight radio shifts decades ago, but thank heavens coffee’s come a long way since then) – you can read more about Captain Phil’s coffee here. We also dropped by the West Seattle Farmers’ Market to see how things were going at the Community Harvest of Southwest Seattle booth:
Mary Ellen Cunningham of CHoSS (pictured with Anthony Hardt of Left Coast Dog Walkers) hadn’t gotten any produce donations yet when we dropped by but was thrilled anyway because her group’s getting new citywide publicity – a KING5 tv crew stopped by the booth (look for the story on tonight’s newscasts). Community Harvest has other big news – as noted on its website, the fruit-tree harvest (if your tree has more than you can eat, donate its fruit and they’ll send volunteers over to harvest it) has already brought in more than A TON of fruit – more than twice last year’s total – and the season’s not over yet!
One week from today, California SW in The Junction will be closed (in segments: Edmunds/Alaska, Alaska/Oregon, Oregon to post office) for the first-ever West Seattle Junction Car Show (co-sponsored by WSB). Pre-registration is closed, with more than 140 signed up, but there’s room for more, says co-organizer Michael Hoffman of Liberty Bell Printing. First come, first served, on show day — pre-1975, no 4×4s, per Michael — which means be there at 6:30 am; if you really want to be prepared, you can download the registration form here – there’s a $20 fee, as this is a fundraiser for the co-presenting Maple Valley Street Rats, which has a scholarship funds for students going into the automotive field. (The T-shirts shown at left will be sold during the Junction Car Show, too, among other activities we previously reported here.) If you’re just going to view the cars, stroll The Junction 8 am-4 pm Sunday – or get there earlier for a pancake breakfast at the West Seattle Eagles (starting at 7) among other dining choices (including a special breakfast menu at Puerto Vallarta, also starting at 7). P.S. Anybody who’s entering and wants to send us a pic of your car(s) in advance, we’ll be doing more previews in the coming week and would love to show some of the cars people will be able to see: editor@westseattleblog.com
We were heading north to The Junction just before 1 pm when a Blue Angels-like roar preceded the sight of several military jets flying west. Figured it had something to do with the Seahawks game at Qwest Field; indeed, the Game Day page says “four F-15 jets” (Air Force stock photo above) were to fly over the stadium following the national anthem.
It’s been a quiet few days for crime reports but we’ve received a few today, starting with this one that came in as a comment on this three-week-old post, where it’s unlikely to be seen, so we’re republishing it here – it’s from Mike:
Well, I got hit Friday night. They cut the catalytic converter off my truck. It was parked on 41st between Dakota and Andover. I hope they catch this guy. I would also encourage all of us to contact our legislators to implement regulations on metal recyclers; that’s the only way were going to get control of this nuisance.
Legislations have passed two metal-theft bills in the past two years – the second one, which took effect this summer, specifically addressed catalytic converters; here’s an article mentioning both.
Highland Park activist Dina Johnson says she’ll be out on Alki again this afternoon in her suffragette garb — “circa 1912,” as she describes it — registering people to vote. Unless you’re new to this state, your deadline to register is October 4th — if you sign up by mail, that’s the date your form must be postmarked by; you can download the form from this page on the King County website. If you ARE new to Washington, your deadline is October 20, but you’d have to register in person to push it that far (more details here). The presidential race is only the top of a tall stack of important state/local races and ballot measures; go here to get a look at some of what you’ll be voting for – provided you’re signed up. (If you’d like to sign up with Dina’s help, look for her and husband Blair Johnson on the Alki promenade this afternoon. Lots of other local activists are busy trying to sign up voters too, with so much at stake.)
CAPTAIN PHIL IN WEST SEATTLE: The “Deadliest Catch” reality show co-star will be at West Seattle Thriftway 11 am-1 pm today to pitch his “Deadliest Coffee” (check this report from earlier in the week for more details and lots of fan discussion).
BRIDGE PARK: This new retirement community (which is one of our newest sponsors) is throwing open its doors for an open house 11 am-5 pm today, including guided tours and door prizes, plus a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 1:30 pm. Read more about Bridge Park (including its pet-friendliness!) here; it’s on Morgan at Lanham, just a few blocks east of 35th, across from High Point’s Commons Park.
FOOTBALL FUNDRAISER: The West Seattle Junior Wildcats junior football team will be washing cars and selling burgers/hot dogs in the West Seattle High School parking lot, 9 am-4 pm.
Three notes about today’s West Seattle Farmers’ Market: First, if you grow fruit and/or vegetables, bring some to the market today, to “Share the Bounty”> via Community Harvest of Southwest Seattle, which will donate it to the White Center Food Bank (which also serves part of West Seattle). Second – it’s tomato-tasting day, starting at 11 am (one hour after the market opens). Third – here’s our regular weekly link to the Ripe ‘n’ Ready “fresh sheet.”
We end Saturday with three beautiful photos taken close to its foggy start – that first one from WSB contributing photojournalist Matt Durham, shot from Don Armeni. (Prints of Matt’s work are available from his website, mattdurhamphotography.com.) Next two are courtesy of Creighton (who blogs at motorcyclemind.blogspot.com), taken on Alki:
Looks like Sunday morning may bring some pre-sun fog, too.
Supporters of the proposal to add a “natural playscape” to the California Place mini-park in Admiral (map) invited neighbors to an ice-cream social at the site today, funded by the smallest of two grants they’ve received from the city. At the other end of the mini-park – just yards away, a group with a different invitation:
Nearby residents who want California Place to remain unchanged waved their sign at passing drivers, and invited their supporters to sign a petition. They’ve also attended the twice-monthly meetings that the pro-playscape group has been holding (here’s our coverage from a meeting last month). Despite the proximity, the two sides avoided direct conflict today, and opponents told us they were staying low-key so as not to spoil the afternoon for the youngest partygoers, some of whom played nearby, where California Place adjoins Admiral UCC Church:
Here’s where the California Place proposal stands: As we first reported last month, the city Neighborhood Matching Fund just awarded the pro-playscape group, FANNA (Friends and Neighbors of North Admiral), $15,000 to hire an architect to come up with designs; they are continuing to schedule meetings (open to the community) twice monthly – join the FANNA Yahoo! group to find out more.
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