day : 05/11/2009 14 results

West Seattle ways to help: Volunteer Recognition; Operation Chano

November 5, 2009 9:49 pm

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| How to help | West Seattle news | West Seattle people

Both reminders, but the clock’s ticking and you can make a difference:

WEST SEATTLE VOLUNTEER RECOGNITION: November 13 is the deadline to nominate someone to get big kudos for the important work they do – it’s the second round of West Seattle Volunteer Recognition, presented by the Southwest and Delridge Neighborhoods District Councils and WSB. Here are the basics of who’ll be honored (excerpted from our original late October announcement):

*2 individual volunteers from community/neighborhood-related group efforts
*2 individual volunteers from youth-related efforts
*2 individual volunteers from environment-related efforts
*1 group award

“Volunteer” means unpaid work, done for a nonprofit-type organization, facility, campaign (etc.), primarily serving West Seattle. And when you send your nomination – please remember that what you write is all the judges have to go on, so don’t hold back on describing the great work your nominee has done! The plan is to honor the recipients at the West Seattle Community Tree Lighting December 5, always well-attended, to make sure they get a hearty round of applause from the community that benefits from their hard work. So how do you nominate someone? You’re just a click away – here’s the online form.

Friday, Nov. 13, is the deadline – the form’s fairly short – suggest somebody now! Thanks. Meantime, another reminder:

2 DAYS TILL “OPERATION CHANO”: He’s taken some great photos you’ve seen here, and 2 of Christopher Boffoli‘s images from Italy – including the one above – are among the items up for grabs in the raffle for the Westenders Scooter Club-organized “Operation Chano” this Saturday, to help the family of Cafe Revo (WSB sponsor) co-founder Chef Sean “Chano” Goff (photo right). The ticket gets you pasta, music, and the featurette “Mondo Scooterama“, with the raffle featuring a variety of prizes — full details at westenders.org. 5 pm Saturday, Rainier Yacht Club.

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West Seattle Weather Watch: Windy till midnight (or so)

November 5, 2009 6:49 pm

| 17 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | West Seattle weather

Hotwire Coffee (WSB sponsor) proprietor Lora Lewis just sent that photo of a tree blown down by her shop in The Junction – she says it “just missed the parked car.” It’s going to be windy until at least midnight, according to the newest forecast – but still breezy after that, for the next few days. 11:40 PM: Serious sleet, and thunder in the distance, just now. The sleet itself came down for a moment or two here with a roar. Click to listen.

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Wondering who replaces Dow Constantine as your councilmember?

November 5, 2009 5:29 pm

| 7 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | West Seattle politics

We asked this morning for information on the process to fill the County Council seat – representing West Seattle, White Center, Vashon Island and other areas – once Dow Constantine is sworn in as King County Executive on Nov. 24th. The info just came in – according to the process that’s being proposed, they’d be taking applications shortly for an appointed councilmember to serve until next year’s fall elections – read on for the details:Read More

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Election 2009: New numbers; McGinn still leads for Seattle mayor

November 5, 2009 4:41 pm

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| General Election 2009 | West Seattle news | West Seattle politics

King County Elections has just published its latest results, and the Seattle mayoral race hasn’t changed: Mike McGinn, 65172, 49.78%; Joe Mallahan, 64657, 49.38%. (Statewide, “yes” on 71 is further ahead of “no” than this time yesterday.) 5:18 PM: The Associated Press has officially declared Referendum 71 as having passed.

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Police officer’s murder: “Vehicle of interest” images & a “profile”

November 5, 2009 4:25 pm

| 23 COMMENTS

| Crime | West Seattle news

(added 4:34 pm – car at left is the “vehicle of interest” police are seeking)
4:25 PM: Update to the photo we published earlier, showing a car similar to the one police think might be connected to Saturday night’s murder of Officer Tim Brenton – SPDBlotter now has details on the “profile” of who they are looking for, as well as images of the actual “vehicle of interest.” We’ll pull those out in a moment but right now, go here to see them. 4:36 PM: To help this get as wide exposure as possible, here’s the entire text of what’s on SPDBlotter:

While I cannot discuss all of our current investigation details and methods, please know that we are working with local, state and federal agencies to process all of the forensic evidence. There is no technology or resource that is not or will not be fully exploited in order to identify the individual (or individuals) responsible for this crime. As we continue in our efforts, we are calling for the assistance of the public to help us identify this subject or this group. We believe this subject engaged in recognizable behaviors and activities prior to, during and after the commission of this crime. He likely possesses certain traits and characteristics that would be noted by those around him.

His skills in weapons use and close quarter techniques suggest prior training. He has likely practiced a great deal with weapons and those around him will note his abilities and interest in them. These skills may have been developed through previous employment or hobbies. In the days and weeks prior to the shooting, he may have increased his practice with weapons.

After the shooting, he may have disposed of, altered, hidden or repaired his vehicle in some form. This vehicle may have been damaged in the firefight. It is described as a 1980 to 1983 Datsun 210. It is important that if anyone has recently sold a vehicle of this type or had one stolen that they call Seattle Police at 206 233-5000.

After the homicide, he may have displayed uncharacteristic behavior, such as being silent and quiet about the shooting when others would have expected him to be outspoken about it. He may also display an uncharacteristic interest or even fascination in the news of the shooting. Regardless, the stress of this homicide may cause him to behave differently from his norm.

On Halloween night, October 31st, he was notably absent for a period of time, in the hours before midnight. If there are others who are a part of his life and aware of his routine, and this includes relatives, co-workers, friends or others, he will have had to provide a plausible explanation for this absence to them.

He likely has experienced a significant personal crisis in the recent past. This event may have been the death of a loved one, loss of job or status, divorce, financial hardship, or other failure. Whatever it is that is bothering him, he may often be outspoken about what he perceives to be a deeply personal grievance. We’d like to know what this grievance is. His grievance may relate to his employment or position in life. We do believe that although he shot a police officer, he may in fact admire them and even act like them.

He knows that there are very good officers, and Officer Tim Brenton was a very good officer who swore a solemn oath to protect our citizenry. We’d like to know why this person chose the Seattle Police Department as the target of his grievance.

While it may appear we are focusing on a sole male offender, we have not ruled out the possibility of this crime being committed by a small group. What I have been describing is the likely personality and behavior of the dominant individual behind this plan that has turned into a serious crime. In fact, there may be others involved in the planning or actual attack who may not have expected this incident to have become the murder of a good and innocent police officer. If there is such an individual he or she may be in fear for their own safety. We are willing to listen and help, if such an individual wishes to contact us about the killer.

Clearly, we are also willing to listen to the offender to better understand his grievance.

We ask the public to carefully consider the information provided above and consider whether or not they may know this offender or have noted behaviors or activities suggestive of involvement in this incident. Please contact the Police Department if you feel you may have information related to this crime, no matter how insignificant it may appear to you. You may contact us by the following ways: 206-233-5000, anonymously to Crime Stoppers at 206-343-2020 or through a text message by texting TIP486 with a message, then sending that to 274637 (CRIMES).

We also remind the public of the $105,000 reward for information leading to an arrest in this investigation.

Below are images of the 1980 to 1983 Datsun 210. The color appears to be white or beige. These images were captured by Seattle Police Department in-car cameras of officers responding to Officer Sweeney’s call for help. The images were captured in the vicinity of the murder.

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Election 2009: Dow Constantine’s transition team announced

November 5, 2009 3:43 pm

| 3 COMMENTS

| General Election 2009 | West Seattle news | West Seattle politics

(Photo by Mike Siegel/THE SEATTLE TIMES [WSB partner])
West Seattle-residing King County Executive-elect Dow Constantine has just announced his transition team – including another West Seattleite, Deputy Mayor Tim Ceis. Read on for the official announcement (p.s. regarding the main not-settled-yet race, Seattle Mayor, the next vote count should be out within an hour or so):Read More

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Photo of “type of car” sought in police murder investigation

November 5, 2009 2:32 pm

| 4 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news

Just breaking this afternoon: Seattle Police are distributing this photo in connection with the shooting death of Seattle Police officer Tim Brenton. They are looking for a Datsun B210 car similar to this one shown in an online car advertisement. The vehicle may be connected with the Saturday night murder. Again, here’s how to get police information about the case (this is excerpted from SPDBlotter):

Anyone with information regarding this incident is urged to call either 911 or the Seattle Police Homicide Unit at 206 684-5550, or the tipline at (206) 233-5000. Those wishing to remain annonymous are encouraged to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or send a text to CRIMES (274637). Your text message should include “TIP486″ to ensure proper routing.

The reward fund has passed $100,000.

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In the holiday mood yet? 2 West Seattle notes

November 5, 2009 1:20 pm

| 1 COMMENT

| Holidays | West Seattle news

3 weeks till Thanksgiving and some holiday decorations are already up (passing by Morgan Junction Tully’s last night, we noticed stockings and lights) – holiday news to share too: First, Village Green Perennial Nursery is taking orders for trees – priced from $30 to $400 (11-foot Noble Fir) – with a percentage of the proceeds raising $ for Community School of West Seattle. Here’s the price list and how to order. Second, Susan Melrose from the West Seattle Junction Association talked a bit at last night’s Southwest District Council meeting (other SWDC stories here and here) about the upcoming Hometown Holidays celebration in The Junction: You can mark your calendar for the tree lighting on Dec. 5, three Hometown Holidays Sundays with carriage rides and Santa photos on Dec. 6/13/20, and a special “shop late” holiday West Seattle Art Walk night on December 10th. (Be sure to let us know about your holiday events so we can get them on the calendar – editor@westseattleblog.com or “share” them via Facebook, facebook.com/westseattleblog – thanks!)

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The Little Gym of West Seattle: Welcoming a new WSB sponsor

November 5, 2009 11:53 am

| 3 COMMENTS

| Health | West Seattle businesses | West Seattle news

Today we’re welcoming a new WSB sponsor, The Little Gym of West Seattle, about to open at California/Myrtle (map). It’s WSB tradition for new sponsors to get the chance to share information about their business, so here’s what The Little Gym wants you to know: When new parents come to us and ask “why should I sign up for a class at The Little Gym?”, we ask them a very important question back- “What are you looking for in a program?” Some parents are looking for their children to learn fundamental motor and gymnastics skills, while other parents are looking for a class that emphasizes structured social interaction for their children. Others might want a place to take a class with friends in an environment that is fun and friendly, where they can connect and interact with other parents who have children of the same age. The reasons that people bring their children to The Little Gym are numerous, but the reasons that they stay with us have to do with both the dynamic teachers and the curriculum of our classes. We strive to create an environment of love, patience, respect, security and fun, while at the same time teaching real gymnastics skills from an early age that will get them started toward a healthy and active life. Our teachers are continually trained in both movement analysis and children¹s developmental milestones. Starting with babies at 4 months, and going through the age of 12 years old, The Little Gym gives children and parents a solid skill foundation that includes gross and fine motor skills, strength, coordination, balance, and a healthy dose of positive self image. We teach children to try their best, and that it is always ok to make a mistake – mistakes are how we learn and improve. We currently have 6 teachers from our other locations coming to teach at The Little Gym of West Seattle (3 are West Seattle residents!), and will continue to add more friendly faces as the program grows. Interested families are always welcome to join our program for a free introductory class, which they can either schedule over the phone at 206-937-0311 or online at www.tlgwestseattlewa.com. Our first week of classes will begin the week of November 9th, and our Open House is scheduled for Saturday, November 21st from 2-5 pm – bring a food donation for West Seattle Food Bank!

On a side note, our computer system had an email address glitch in it for a few weeks in September. We did not receive e-mail inquiries during this time, and were only able to recapture some of the lost e-mails. If you inquired and did not get a response back, we are sincerely sorry for the problem and would love to hear from you again!

We thank The Little Gym of West Seattle for sponsoring independent, community-collaborative neighborhood news on WSB; find our sponsor team, and info on joining, all here.

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Early-morning Highland Park fire ruled accidental

November 5, 2009 11:24 am

| 7 COMMENTS

| West Seattle fires | West Seattle news

While Seattle Fire investigators have their hands full with an arsonist in the North End (PhinneyWood coverage here), they have ruled NO foul play in an early-morning fire in Highland Park: The fire at a house in the 7900 block of 9th SW (map) was accidental, no injuries, damage estimated at $70,000. (Thanks to Diane for the tip.)

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West Seattle restaurant news: Angelina’s reopens tonight

November 5, 2009 10:54 am

| 38 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | West Seattle restaurants

That’s Allison Rich (thanks to Krista for the photo!), co-owner of the newly remodeled Angelina’s in Admiral (2311 California SW) – she just sent word that after several nights of “friends and family” dinner rehearsals, they’ve passed their inspections and Angelina’s will reopen to the public as of 5 pm tonight. Allison says it’ll be dinner only till Monday, when they add lunch. Allison and husband Skip Rich bought the restaurant from its longtime owners and did extensive remodeling inside, including adding a bar (here’s our story from halfway through the 2-month remodeling process). 1 PM UPDATE: Just went by for a couple photos:

(Note in the dining room photo, the chalkboard on the wall in the booth, as mentioned in our earlier story – they also have portable ones if requested for the non-booth tables.) The menu’s not online yet but we took a sneak peek at that – it does indeed include some old faves from the Trattoria days (tonight’s Fresh Sheet, for example, is topped by the chicken-and-hazelnuts fettucini, but also includes steak). Their website is just bare bones now, with more to come: angelinaswestseattle.com.

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Today/tonight: Admiral Safeway, neighborhood plans, HS sports

November 5, 2009 8:58 am

| 10 COMMENTS

| Development | Neighborhoods | West Seattle news | WS & Sports

ADMIRAL SAFEWAY ALLEY VACATION: If you’re proposing a street or alley “vacation” – in which the public right-of-way is relinquished, for development or another reason – the Seattle Design Commission has to review your plan, including the “public benefits” you’re offering to make up for it. That’s why it’ll be looking at the Admiral Safeway redevelopment plan (here’s the most recent public presentation) today, 2 pm, Boards and Commissions Room at City Hall downtown.

NEIGHBORHOOD PLANNING – BE THERE! West Seattle’s 5 areas with official plans – Admiral, Delridge, Morgan Junction, The Junction, Westwood/Highland Park – did a stellar job of representing at the neighborhood plan status/update meeting on that sizzling July day at Youngstown. Tonight’s the next step – a meeting to review how that information was processed, whether you agree the “status check” represents where things stand in your neighborhood, and what happens next. The WS neighborhoods are sharing a meeting place with a few others, so this meeting is on Beacon Hill, 6 pm, Mercer Middle School (directions). You’re also invited to participate in this online questionnaire.

HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS TONIGHT: In girls’ soccer, West Seattle High School is in the Metro third-place game vs. Lakeside, 5 pm at Memorial Stadium downtown; in varsity football, *Seattle Lutheran High School plays Evergreen Lutheran, 7 pm at West Seattle Stadium.

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North Delridge Neighborhood Council: Traffic projects & produce

November 5, 2009 2:34 am

| 16 COMMENTS

| Delridge | Health | Transportation | West Seattle news

From Wednesday night’s North Delridge Neighborhood Council meeting: NDNC has prioritized the traffic projects it hopes the city will fund, and settled on a list to send to the Delridge Neighborhoods District Council for review – here are the top three:

View Larger Map

1. Delridge Way SW between Andover and Myrtle: Traffic calming by adding a median with trees and plants – cost between $6.8 and $8.3 million

View Larger Map

2. Brandon between 23rd & 30th: Sidewalk to continue across creek and up the hill – cost between $2 and $2.5 million

View Larger Map

3. Hudson between 26th and Puget Blvd: Add a sidewalk, as there is a school bus stop that serves 2 school buses — cost between $1.3 & $1.6 million

Before the group voted, discussion centered on a need for sidewalks, especially near bus stops – Metro as well as school buses – and in the areas where new townhouses have brought new density, and more people on foot. Also last night: Though the Delridge Produce Cooperative‘s “mobile market” experiment is over, the group is alive, well and looking for help in drawing up a business plan to create a storefront. DPC chief Galena White talked about the 525 surveys filled out during their four-week experiment, indicating high interest in locally grown organic produce being regularly available. The group meets 6 pm every Tuesday at Pearls on Delridge; online, you can find them here. And there was another reminder about Saturday’s Adopt-A-Street cleanup – show up outside Delridge Community Center (map) at 9:45 to get tools, supplies (and coffee!) – Nancy Folsom told the group they’ll have a drawing for a (Heart) Delridge T-shirt (as seen at right) from among those who show up.

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Friday night at the movies! Invitation for your family

November 5, 2009 12:53 am

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| Announcements

From Laura at CoolMom, word that they’ve got room left for you and your family to join them in getting into the holiday mood this Friday:

RESERVE YOUR FAMILY’S SPOT @ Family Movie Night Hosted by West Seattle CoolMom – Nov 6, 6:30-8:30pm, Camp Long. It’s FREE and appropriate for ALL AGES! But you have to call ahead and reserve space for your family (206.684.7434).

Magic School Bus Holiday edition – This movie is based on the books by Joanna Cole with illustrations by Bruce Degen. The animated holiday film features voice talent by Lily Tomlin and Dolly Parton. Basic plot: During a class trip to Murph’s recycling plant, Wanda’s toy soldier is accidentally turned into plastic pellets. Unable to get into the production of the Nutcracker ballet without her toy soldier, Wnda wishes for a world without recycling. Ms. Fizzle decides to show Wanda and the other children the importance of recycling by un-recycling everything in Walkerville. Plus other features.

Bring your blankets/pillows and dinner if you choose. Donations to help cover the cost of the space appreciated. Questions? Contact Laura Elfline, West Seattle CoolMom Coordinator, 206.715.0893.

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