Since we reported the death of well-known West Seattleite J.B. Webster earlier this week, more than two dozen people have paid tribute to him in comments following our story (see them here). And tonight there’s something new to report: Ian Lurie sends word of a fund set up to help Mr. Webster’s wife Christi and children Tyler, Logan and Eli – he’s created this webpage for it, with information on how to get a check to First Mutual Bank north of The Junction and a link for donating online. Mr. Webster’s memorial is at 11 am next Tuesday, 4/28, at Alki UCC Church (here’s a map).
It’s official – this year’s West Seattle Community Garage Sale Day has already set a record for number of sales, and there’s still 25 hours to sign up. Last year, checking back into the archives, it appears our final count was 144 sales, which was a WSCGSD record; as of right now, we’re at 154 – and that’s just for number of sales registered … even more actual sellers are involved, given that we have schools, churches, organizations and group sales (the courtyard at Hotwire Coffee [WSB sponsor] has 25 people signed up for tables!). But remember – (a) There are almost 60,000 people on our peninsula and (b) we’re promoting this outside West Seattle too – it’s the first big community garage-sale day of the season (Greenwood moved its big Garage Sale Day to fall as of this year) AND with economic jitters, bargain-hunting is hotter than ever. Too late to mail in your form for it to get here tomorrow but online registration is open all the way till 11:59 pm tomorrow night – start here. And if you’re not selling but planning on shopping – we’ll start spotlighting some of the specifics over the weekend, while working on The Map, which will be available starting Sunday 5/3 at the WSB table at the Sustainable West Seattle Festival (and will be available online for download starting right after the festival). Thanks to everyone in advance for being part of a fun day of meeting more West Seattle neighbors AND engaging in a classic form of “recycling”!
After the state House passed the Alaskan Way Viaduct=Tunnel bill (SB 5768) the other night, it had to go back for one more Senate vote because of some amendments, including the one that says cost overruns will be covered by “property owners in the Seattle area who benefit from replacing the existing viaduct with the tunnel.” Within the past hour, the Senate passed the bill, as amended by the House, 39-9; the yes votes included West Seattle’s State Sen. Joe McDermott. Governor Gregoire said afterward, “”We are on the way to one of the most important transportation years in Washington’s history. … Members of the Senate and the House of Representatives approving a very complex project is a remarkable accomplishment. The deep-bored tunnel replacement will create jobs, help us emerge from this recession stronger and prepare our state for a 21st-century economy.”
From two big West Seattle Junction shopping events to the Snooty Walk and Pet Rodeo to the grand opening of Feedback Lounge, plus a summer-activities-info fair, cleanups from Delridge to Cove Park and beyond, an open house (with giveaways!) at Snap Fitness (WSB sponsor) and a big food drive, more than 50 events are happening in the next 54 (or so) hours ’round here — here’s the full West Seattle Weekend Lineup, brought to you by Skylark Cafe and Club:Read More
(WSB photo from 2008 Sustainable West Seattle Festival) The full website is now up and running for the 2nd annual Sustainable West Seattle Festival (which is sponsoring, and co-sponsored by, WSB), coming up Sunday, May 3, in The Junction, 10 am-3 pm. You can see the schedule here – the Duwamish Tribe will open the festival again this year, and speakers immediately afterward include Seattle Congressman Jim McDermott; there’s a long list of schedules, workshops and panels, including one that’ll feature your editor here (Local Media Panel: “Communities as Contributors, not Readers” – as we put it, WSB doesn’t have “readers”; you’re a collaborator). We’re also among dozens of organizations and businesses that will have tables or booths, all listed here – at our table, you can be among the first to get a free copy of the West Seattle Community Garage Sale Daymap, which will go public that day (tomorrow’s the deadline to sign up a sale for WSCGSD – westseattlegaragesale.com). The Sustainable West Seattle Festival’s official website starts here.
(WSB photos by Christopher Boffoli)
We’re at the King County Courthouse, where 18-year-old West Seattle repeat offender Skyelar Hailey has been sentenced in the plea agreement he reached following his arrest in an Admiral neighborhood last November (the search that day started with a burglary, but an evidence problem resulted in the plea bargain). We had long planned to cover this anyway but the case ratcheted up a notch after what happened earlier this week – he had three warrants out for his arrest, related to theft and domestic-violence-protection-order cases, and was caught by police Wednesday night, one night after he allegedly bolted when they tried to pull him over. In court this afternoon, deputy prosecuting attorney Gary Ernsdorff said Hailey admitted to possessing the bag of marijuana found with him during his arrest that night. As for the sentencing – the prosecution asked for 30 extra days of jail time; the defense pointed out he hasn’t formally been charged with anything related to what happened this week, and also said he’s living with his girlfriend and her parents in West Seattle, pursuing a GED and looking for a job. In the end, King County Superior Court Judge Jim Rogers sentenced Hailey to time already served (he spent 16 days in jail after the November arrest, one day in the domestic-violence case in February, and has been in for two days so far since Wednesday’s arrest), plus an extra 240 hours of community service, and two years’ probation. As for how much longer he stays in jail now, depends on what happens with the warrants for which he was arrested; we are checking with the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office for the status on those. (4:40 pm update: PAO spokesperson Dan Donohoe says Hailey would go to each court with jurisdiction in the warrant cases – Juvenile and Municipal – to “resolve” them; no charges filed as of yet in anything related to the Wednesday night arrest.) WSB photojournalist Christopher Boffoli joined me in covering today’s hearing, and took the photographs included in this story. — Tracy Record, WSB editor
This just in. Hotwire Coffee (WSB sponsor) owner Lora Lewis offered courtyard space to Skillet Street Food in the wake of the sudden parking-lot cancellation that otherwise might have kept them from opening this Sunday – and “it’s a go” per a quick message we just got. Details to follow. (By the way, the reason for the lot cancellation remains a mystery; Skillet’s proprietor Josh Henderson said he got the word from Diamond Parking, but we got a call back from the Diamond manager who runs the lots in this area and he didn’t know anything about it.)
ADDED 3:15 PM: Since everyone responded so fast – including Lora! – we wanted you to see the message he sent on Twitter; by WSB, he really means YOU!
New west Seattle location this sunday… In the courtyard of hotwire coffee… Thanks lora!! And the WSB..
Direct link to that tweet here. Still working to confirm that the hours will be the same as the original West Seattle plan (which were 11 am-2 pm); here’s the menu they’ll be serving.
4:30 PM: The hours will indeed be 11 am-2 pm. Hotwire’s courtyard is just north of the coffee shop, which in turn is just north of the post office, east side of California just south of Genesee. Same place outdoor movies are shown in the summer!
We were first to tell you about the plans for City Council President Richard Conlin and City Councilmember Tim Burgess to send the county a letter, asking for an extension of time before the county ends the city’s contract to handle misdemeanor inmates; the looming end of that contract is why the city’s been looking to build a new jail, with a site in West Seattle (Highland Park Way SW/West Marginal Way) among those under consideration. Today, the letter’s been delivered, according to this announcement we just received from Councilmember Burgess:
The Seattle City Council delivered a letter today to King County Executive Ron Sims and King County Council Chair Dow Constantine requesting a “ten-year (or longer) extension of the current agreement” that provides jail beds for misdemeanor prisoners arrested by Seattle police officers.
The letter from the Seattle City Council is attached, along with King County Ordinance 16200 (which states that “it is the intent of the council that the county should continue to be the primary regional provider of secure detention”) and the King County Executive’s signing letter for Ordinance 16200.
Read the letter here. It’s a three-page letter, followed by the six-page ordinance.
ADDED 4:13 PM: Statement from Mayor Nickels (we have also requested one from County Council Chair Constantine and are told it’s in the works):
“I appreciate the support of the City Council in urging King County Executive Ron Sims and the King County Council to continue to provide regional detention and community corrections programs. The city of Seattle has long advocated for a long-term extension of the current agreement with King County to house our misdemeanants. However, King County has maintained that it doesn’t have long-term jail capacity and a new facility must be built. For months, we have been engaged in a process with cities in northeast King County to find another option. If King County determines that it now has the capacity for a long-term contract, we would welcome a new agreement.”
ADDED 5:09 PM: And Constantine’s statement is in:
“I appreciate this letter from the Seattle City Council. I think we all acknowledge that incarceration rates have been trending downward in King County and that the rush to build a large misdemeanant jail—or two—now seems premature. We need to explore every alternative before we spend millions of dollars of taxpayer money. The numbers indicate that a new jail may not soon be needed, particularly if we increase the capacity and use of less expensive alternative programs, drug and mental health treatment, and housing.
“In King County, our average daily jail population is far below projections in part because of our diligent work in creating and promoting alternatives to incarceration. If we are going to spend more money in this area, it should go to programs that divert people from a life of crime.
“The right thing to do now is for the county to work not just with the city of Seattle, but with all regional stakeholders to revisit our projections and develop a plan that meets our shared long-term jail needs. The important thing is to begin this dialogue immediately.”
We’ve spent the past three-plus hours in the city Hearing Examiner‘s hearing room on the 40th floor of the Municipal Tower downtown, listening to arguments in the appeal of the city’s decision granting two “departures” for the Denny Middle School/Chief Sealth High School co-located campus project. (Those “departures” allow the project to exceed height requirements – for the “galleria” roof peak shown in the rendering above — and to not meet parking requirements, and were finalized by the city after going through a community/district advisory committee.) The appeal was argued by West Seattle-based district watchdog Chris Jackins, who brought two retired educators as witnesses; they focused largely on arguments against the co-location in general, rather than focusing on the parking/height issues that were officially challenged. Defending the decision, the city Department of Planning and Development and also private land-use lawyer Richard Hill on behalf of Seattle Public Schools. Jackins’ contentions include “The project will have adverse impacts on views and shading, removal of trees and vegetation, and parking and traffic,” and “The DPD decision … did not properly balance the ‘project’s relationship to educational needs’ ‘with the level of impacts on the surrounding area’.” Deputy hearing examiner Anne Watanabe heard the case and will now take it under advisement; she says she will issue her written decision within 14 days.
Today we welcome West Seattle’s newest restaurant, Cafe Revo, to the WSB sponsor team; new sponsors get the chance to share information about their business, and here’s what Cafe Revo wants you to know:
(From left, Kevin Fry [manager], Chef Sean Goff and Sofia Zadra Goff [owners], Milo Goodrich [manager]
Even though it’s been open for less than 2 months, diners say the atmosphere at Cafe Revo is warm and family-like. The restaurant is owned by Sofia and Sean Goff. Sofia is a fourth-generation West Seattleite, and she says it’s long been her family’s dream to bring a restaurant to the neighborhood that honors their ancestral home of Revo, Italy. Sofia says that some guests have compared their food to meals they had while visiting Italy. Sean’s cooking resume includes six trips to Italy to study the cuisine and 25 years working in Seattle restaurants. Sofia and Sean also bring some Seattle to Revo by featuring ice cream from Husky Deli, West Seattle’s Finamoré Limoncello, cheeses from the West Seattle Farmers Market, Uli’s Famous Sausage from Pike Place Market, West Seattle’s Gioia Wines, Pioneer Coffee (which has a store on Alki), and flowers by West Seattleite-owned Monday’s Flowers. Sean and Sofia are also active with the Westenders Scooter Club. They work in their children’s schools — Arbor Heights Elementary and West Seattle High School — and they’re also involved in the Arbor Heights Girl Scout Troop, as well as West Seattle’s ownEndolyne Children’s Choir. Cafe Revo is open 7 days a week for lunch and dinner. They also offer happy hour Monday – Friday 4-6:30, and they take reservations. You can see their full menus online.
If you routinely drive California SW uphill south of Morgan Junction, you’re probably more than aware of the bumpy spot that’s been rattling drivers for a while around the crest of the hill, at California/Webster (map). Construction crews are now fixing it – that means slow going in the short run but good news in the longer run. Broadcaster New York Vinnie – who lives in the area – put together this video report:
Vinnie and your editor here worked together at Channel 13 back in the (not-so-long-ago) day; he’s got various projects going right now, and you can find him online at newyorkvinnie.com.
Thanks to Charley Biggs for that Alki view as the sun started to peek through the morning fog. Before we get to the West Seattle Weekend Lineup a bit later, wanted to spotlight a couple West Seattle events happening today/tonight: The second weekend of St. John the Baptist Episcopal Church‘s rummage sale is under way now – till 3 pm today, and again 9-3 tomorrow (speaking of rummage sales – tomorrow’s the West Seattle Community Garage Sale Day signup deadline!). Later: Tonight is the night that four Junction fashion hot spots are joining forces with local personal-care providers for “a night of beauty and fashion” — Carmilia’s, Clementine, Edie’s and Sweetie, 7-10 pm, with deals, drinks, treats and “mini-spa treatments.” More happenings are on the WSB Events calendar.
Next month, Forest Lawn Cemetery in High Point (whose HQ is shown in Google Street View above) will be the scene of West Seattle’s annual Memorial Day service (2 pm 5/25). But a few weeks before that event, another ceremony will bring community members and dignitaries to Forest Lawn – to commemorate the start of a process that will create a new memorial in honor of fallen police officers (the Seattle Police Department‘s list, dating back to the 1800s, can be seen here). Here’s the announcement from Dave Salove, general manager of Forest Lawn Cemetery:
On Friday May 1, 2009, at 12 Noon, we, along with leaders and officers of the Seattle Police as well as the community at large, will dedicate a site in Forest Lawn Cemetery where a memorial to these fallen officers will be placed. The Seattle Police Memorial will be designed and built over the next year for unveiling and dedication at the 2010 ceremony during National Police Week 2010. We are working to include active police and community leaders and residents to be involved in the creation and dedication of this memorial.
There is a Police Officer Memorial at Olympia for the state and another at the Police Academy in Burien representing various departments. There is, however, no specific memorial honoring Seattle Police officers in our city that recognizes the sacrifice of those officers who have died in the line of duty.
As the announcement notes, the memorial is not yet designed; Salove says “the design will be determined based on the number of names and final design selections that are made as a committee is formally formed. Our intention was to get this ball rolling, dedicate a site for placement, and work over the next year to promote, create and build the memorial which I envision to be very substantial. I will be working with various people in the community and looking for input from the community about this memorial.” He says Forest Lawn is donating the space for the memorial, adding, “We hope to fundraise over the next year to pay for the memorial itself … We will be forming a committee to administrate the memorial as well as the fund that will be created to care for it over time, repair etc.” (If the fundraising campaign falls short, Salove says, FL will step in to help with that as well.)
According to the Police Department’s online list, the most recent SPD death in the line of duty in West Seattle was that of Officer Dorian Halvorson, shot and killed in September 1976 during his 8th year of SPD service, while responding to a call in the 9200 block of 17th SW. SPD’s downtown HQ has an indoor Memorial Wall paying tribute to Officer Halvorson and the department’s other fallen officers.
Since we reported the death of well-known West Seattleite J.B. Webster earlier this week, more than two dozen people have paid tribute to him in comments following our story (
It’s official – this year’s 
it had to go back for one more Senate vote because of some amendments, including the one that says cost overruns will be covered by “property owners in the Seattle area who benefit from replacing the existing viaduct with the tunnel.” Within the past hour, the Senate passed the bill, as amended by the House, 39-9; the yes votes included West Seattle’s State Sen. Joe McDermott. Governor Gregoire said afterward, “”We are on the way to one of the most important transportation years in Washington’s history. … Members of the Senate and the House of Representatives approving a very complex project is a remarkable accomplishment. The deep-bored tunnel replacement will create jobs, help us emerge from this recession stronger and prepare our state for a 21st-century economy.”
From two big 
related to theft and domestic-violence-protection-order cases, and 
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