West Seattle, Washington
14 Thursday
SEATTLE PUBLIC SCHOOLS QUESTION/ISSUE? Take it to School Board rep Steve Sundquist during his next community-conversation meeting, High Point Library at 11 am.
MEET YOUR CANDIDATES: So far, five people are in the running for the 34th District State House Position 2 seat that’ll be on the ballot this August/November. They’ve all been invited to a candidates’ forum that is part of the agenda for tonight’s Highland Park Action Committee meeting at Highland Park Improvement Club, 7 pm.
POEMS AND STORIES: Tonight’s the next Set Apart poetry & storytelling event at C & P Coffee, 7-9 pm. It’s free, all ages, with an open mike in addition to a featured reader. At another coffeehouse tonight:
FINE FILMS AT FRESHY’S: The movie series continues tonight with the film whose trailer you see above – Alfred Hitchcock’s “Rope,” screening at Freshy’s Coffee, 7 pm (see the Facebook event page here)
More! on the WSB Events calendar.
Story and photos by Christopher Boffoli
Reporting for West Seattle Blog
A small but passionate group of West Seattle citizens met at the High Point Library Tuesday night to discuss ongoing issues with the maintenance and upkeep of what has become an icon at the gateway of West Seattle, the Walking on Logs sculptures.
The meeting was organized by Nancy Driver (2nd from right), who helped to orchestrate a community cleanup at (and beyond) the sculptures’ site two years ago. Driver is seeking to establish a plan for ongoing maintenance and upkeep of the site and to relieve the burden on 89-year-old Earl Cruzen (2nd from left), who has been a steward of the site and its sculptures since before their creation.
As of this fall, Madison Middle School no longer will be the only Seattle Public Schools middle school without the Spectrum program for academically gifted students. That’s of great interest to Spectrum-qualified West Seattle students, many of which attend nearby Lafayette Elementary, where a meeting was held Tuesday night to try to answer families’ questions. Photojournalist Matt Durham was there and says about 100 parents heard from West Seattle’s school board rep Steve Sundquist (above) as well as Madison principal Henterson Carlisle (below).
Also at the meeting, the man who runs the district’s Advanced Learning programs, Dr. Robert Vaughan (seated in the background). Matt reports that parents were reminded that if they are interested in having their children attend Madison’s Spectrum program this fall, they must file enrollment paperwork making that choice, even if the students are currently in Spectrum at Lafayette or elsewhere. (That’s explained at the bottom of this page.) P.S. If you have an education topic to take up with Steve Sundquist, his next community-chat gathering is this morning (Wednesday), 11 am, at High Point Library.
Two door-to-door alerts tonight – again, soliciting is not against the law and those who are reported may be perfectly legit, but those reporting the sightings wanted to be on the safe side and share the info – read on:Read More
Noontime tomorrow at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center, West Seattle-residing philosophy professor Dr. Richard Curtis meets the media to launch his run for U.S. Senate – the latest local resident jumping into a political bid this year. But he says it’s not politics as usual – he’s running against incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Patty Murray as an independent, and since it’s our state’s first U.S. Senate race under the “Top Two” primary system, his news release notes, “Everything about elections has changed. There is no ‘spoiler’ issue as this will be a head-to-head race about ideas. The two major parties will not be able to drag out their tired, old ‘lesser evil’ arguments. The people can freely vote their values knowing that the top two vote-getters will go on to the general election.” More on Dr. Curtis’s campaign after his news conference tomorrow. (Thanks to Michael for the tip.) ADDED EARLY THURSDAY: At Youngstown, we asked the candidate about the major difference(s) between him and incumbent Sen. Murray:
More than 100 people ate, drank, talked and celebrated their neighborhood tonight at the Fauntleroy Community Association‘s annual meeting, aka Food Fest. There was a bit of business:
That’s Bruce Butterfield, who in addition to announcing raffle prizes, was re-elected as FCA president; other FCA officers were re-elected too. And he gave a quick shoutout to some of the neighborhood successes – leading a cheer for the recent completion of the purchase deal for Fauntleroy Community Services Association to own and operate the building that’s home to The Hall, the Fauntleroy Schoolhouse (WSB coverage here). That’s good news for many, including Tuxedoes and Tennis Shoes Catering, which runs The Hall:
Tuxedoes and Tennis Shoes was one of the food providers tonight – others included The Original Bakery, The Kenney, Endolyne Joe’s, Bird on a Wire Espresso, and Giannoni’s Pizza. And inbetween bites, attendees got a chance to get informed, too,
Judy Pickens, whose volunteer work includes a lot of love and care for Fauntleroy Creek and its watershed, was offering information to help keep local water clean – simple action you can take like stenciling drains to raise awareness of their connection to open waters. And other local organizations were on hand, like the Morgan Community Association, whose past president Steve Sindiong is behind Judy in the photo above, and all the way from The Junction, ArtsWest (WSB sponsor):
Alan Harrison, who presided over a gala night last week unveiling next season’s lineup (WSB coverage here), says season-ticket sales are going well – you can get yours here. But the main point of the Fauntleroy event was to renew memberships and add new ones; if you live in the Fauntleroy area but couldn’t be there to sign up or renew, there’s info online. And as Butterfield reminded the crowd, everyone’s welcome to FCA board meetings, second Tuesday of the month at 7 pm, at The Hall.
We’re at the South Portal Working Group meeting looking at what’s ahead for the Alaskan Way Viaduct – an ongoing process – 
and one group member, Marty Oppenheimer from South Park, brought up the issue of the South Park Bridge‘s impending June 30th closure. For those following the issue – of interest to many in south West Seattle and White Center, too – there were a few interesting replies from various city, state and port reps who are here. Ron Paananen from WSDOT noted the situation is “starting to get the attention of people in Olympia.” Ron Judd, also from WSDOT, said Transportation Secretary Paula Hammond asked him to “sit down with various folks to see if there’s a way in which we could provide some sort of assistance or help in solving this problem” – especially regarding putting together a “competitive” package to seek money for the bridge project. He added, “Pressure solves problems – and pressure is beginning to build.” Mike Merritt from the Port said, “We’re all engaged – we need to find a path that the project hasn’t had in the past.” He noted there’s a “big meeting” regarding the South Park Bridge situation tomorrow with multiple agencies/jurisdictions involved; we’re checking to find out more about that. Meantime, we’ll have a full report later on the main subject of this working-group meeting: What it’ll be like as Viaduct/South End construction is staged over the next five years – what closes when, who detours where and when, what’s getting built when, etc. Lots and lots of changes, twists and turns – we’ll try to help you make some sense of it.
We’ve had a couple reports of vandalism in Crime Watch the past few days (see the WSCW page for links) – and another one this morning. We took the photos above after Dr. Bill Raleigh (WSB sponsor) e-mailed us to report, “We are sad to say the handcrafted sign out in front of our office was destroyed over the weekend. Being right on the corner of California and Genesee [map] and in a well-lit area didn’t help – the vandals broke the sign in half, leaving pieces strewn over our grass.”
The state Liquor Control Board just sent out a news release to announce what Westwood Village management had revealed last week – the new liquor store on the northeast side of the center opens this Friday. But there’s also some new info – its operating hours: 11 am-7 pm Mondays-Thursdays, 10 am-8 pm Fridays and Saturdays. (No Sundays, for those who asked.) This replaces the Morgan Junction liquor store that closed a year and a half ago.
Maybe you’ve noticed this while driving The Bridge back to West Seattle? Scott C tipped us to it the other day – and now, we have a photo from West Seattle Nucor plant engineer Craig Anderson, showing what he explains is “the new 10′ x 20′ American Flag we installed on the East End of our bag house that is visible from the westbound lanes of the West Seattle Bridge. The flag is one way we support our troops with American Pride. The flag was designed and fabricated out of 100% recycled steel by Nucor and is illuminated at night so it is visible for all to enjoy.”
Our partners at the Seattle Times just broke this story: Police are looking for a man who coached a West Seattle youth-soccer team until last November, now that he has been charged with child molesting and other crimes. 38-year-old Francisco “Javier” Valdivia-Enriquez, who coached Deportivio Moctezuma, is accused of molesting nine teenage boys, according to the Times. He reportedly has not been seen since late November and is believed to be out of the country. More when we get the charging documents. ADDED 12:37 PM: We have received and read the paperwork – read on for a summary:Read More
Thanks to the person who called a little while earlier to say the USS Nimitz (CVN 68) was heading back out of Puget Sound, visible from West Seattle shores. We sent quick word via Twitter and Facebook and rushed down in hopes of a photo – it was too far away when we arrived, but Kyle Braget got the image you see above. After a short visit, Nimitz is heading back south to its current homeport, San Diego (with crew members’ families on board for a “Tiger Cruise”), but will be back here for a longer stay starting in December, when the nuclear-powered carrier returns to Bremerton for maintenance. ADDED 11:16 AM: Two photos from Gary Jones – the second one, explained as being among those watching the Nimitz leave!
ADDED 1:11 PM: Christopher Boffoli shot a bit of video – with a beautiful cloud formation in the frame toward the end:
(Fauntleroy ferry dock, photographed last week)
Two notes in an announcement from Washington State Ferries – first, this Sunday marks the start of the spring schedule, which means Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth is back to three boats; second, on that same day, WSF joins the State Patrol’s tipline service, so you can report line-cutters by calling a special hotline. Read on for the official news release with details of both:Read More
(1st of 2 photos from David Hutchinson – know what this is? See photo #2 at the end of this preview)
REMEMBERING MARK HEGGE: Services are at 11 am Our Lady of Guadalupe for well-known service-station owner Mark Hegge, who died last Thursday.
WEST SEATTLE ROTARY BRIEFED ON HAITI: At noon today at Salty’s on Alki, the Rotary Club of West Seattle‘s luncheon program is about “Establishing Sustainable Prosthetic Services for Amputees in Haiti.” Winfried Danke, executive director of the Prosthetics Outreach Foundation, discusses the current situation in Haiti and plans for long-term solutions. The public is welcome; buffet lunch is $20 per person.
WALKING ON LOGS: 5:30 tonight at High Point Library is the meeting you’re asked to attend, to help figure out how the community can pitch in to help maintain the area around Walking on Logs on the southwest fork of The Bridge. More details in our original announcement.
FAUNTLEROY COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION MEMBERSHIP MEETING/FOOD FEST: If you live in Fauntleroy, come be part of your community association – renew your membership, or join now. The Fauntleroy Food Fest and FCA Annual Meeting starts at 6 PM at The Hall at Fauntleroy.
“CLIMB FOR A CURE” FUNDRAISER: 6-9 pm at Talarico’s , David Town‘s fundraiser for a Mount Rainier climb to fight breast cancer. Tons of auction items donated locally – details in this WSB Forums post
TEEN TRIP: Tonight at 7 at the West Seattle High School library, an informational meeting for this summer’s trip to Japan through the YMCA Teen Leadership Institute. Local teens in grades 8-12 can apply; full details in the WSB Events calendar.
LATEST ON THE VIADUCT (AND RELATED PROJECTS): The next meeting of the Alaskan Way Viaduct South Portal Working Group is 4-5:30 pm today at the Puget Sound Regional Council Board Room in Pioneer Square, 1011 Western.
NEED CENSUS FORM HELP? Special Census 2010 information sessions, open to the community, continue today at South Seattle Community College (WSB sponsor) – full details here.
(Photo #2 from David Hutchinson – starfish near Alki Point during Monday low tide)
2 short Crime Watch reports to share tonight – one just in from Anne-Marie, reporting car vandalism not far from the car-egging report published here earlier:
We had vandalism done to our car tonight. 39th and Thistle [map]. I saw two young teens in baseball caps run after kicking the side mirror off the car. Police have been called.
And from Joseph:
My son’s Huffy Mongoose kid’s bike (orange/gold) and silver Razor scooter with red handlebars/trim was stolen today from our carport that faces the alley behind the West Seattle Baptist church, right off California and Genesee [map]. It happened between 8:30 am and 4:00 pm. Wanted folks to know.
ADDED 1:21 AM: One more Crime Watch report – a phone grab at a West Seattle bus stop – read on:Read More
Two weeks ago, the Burien City Council started the process of considering a resolution to officially indicate interest in moving ahead with annexing northern North Highline – including White Center – once it had 
“successfully incorporated” southern North Highline (which becomes part of Burien next week). At the time, Seattle was looking at a vote in White Center (etc.) this November. Then suddenly last Friday, it was announced that Mayor McGinn no longer wanted to move that fast, since the budget picture wasn’t looking too good – maybe a November 2011 vote. And so tonight, Burien councilmembers decided to cancel their resolution, during a meeting that at one point was standing- and window-sill-sitting (photo right) room only. Here’s our first report on partner site White Center Now. What now? Depends on who decides to make the next move first.
(Photo by Christopher Boffoli)
9:21 PM: Thanks to those who’ve called/texted about this: The “medic response” on the 911 log for the westbound West Seattle Bridge, at the highrise, is reported to be a multiple-vehicle crash. No other details so far. 9:28 PM: Via Twitter, one person stuck in the backup, @bppalmer, says two westbound lanes are blocked. Also, WSB’er JoB relayed via JanS that it’s on the right side “just past the top before the Delridge exit” – at least one car appeared to have serious damage. 10:04 PM: Added photo; things should be clearing up – the fire presence at the scene has ended, according to the 911 log. No info at this point regarding injuries or cause. P.S. Here’s Christopher’s short video view – in the absence of working city traffic cameras – from the same vantage point as the photo above:
(June 2008 Riverview-area photo by Christine – click to see larger version)
We’ve had a few reports in recent years of bee swarms (particularly the summer of 2008), followed by frantic searches for information on who, if anyone, to notify. This year, the experts have reached out first – with this note in the WSB Forums today. Beekeeper Brad Jones writes that if you find a honeybee swarm – he and other local beekeepers (including Sustainable West Seattle president Brian Allen) will help find it a home. Their contact info is in the Forums post – worth bookmarking!
ADMIRAL CRASH VICTIM OFFICIALLY IDENTIFIED: The man killed early Sunday in the 2-car Admiral/37th crash was identified by the King County Medical Examiner’s Office this afternoon as 29-year-old Daniel G. Ramirez. Commenters who identified themselves as relatives posted in the thread following Sunday morning’s coverage, saying he was a father of two and had just bought the silver SUV that day. No final announcement of the crash’s cause is likely for weeks, if not months; the short summary from police on Sunday said only that “speed and alcohol may have been” factors.
FEEDBACK LOUNGE LOSES A FAMILY MEMBER: Around 7 last night, Feedback Lounge (WSB sponsor) announced via Twitter that they were closing for the rest of the night because of a death in the family. They are back open today, explaining on the FL website, “We are sad to announce that we lost a member of our staff. MIKE BLAKEMORE was only 27 and a new employee, but he was an instant and welcome addition to our Feedback family. We will post details for a memorial service shortly. Thank all of your for your calls, e-mails and support.”
This afternoon we welcome one of our newest sponsors, 3 Elements Property Management, and as with all new sponsors, this is their chance to tell you about their business: 3 Elements Property Management is a local company 
with an intimate knowledge of West Seattle. Since half of the office staff (photo, from left, Patricia Shiras, Lisa Merz, Pamela Dundas, Tom O’Boyle) lives in West Seattle , we have a vast network of resources to pull from. With more than 80 years of combined property-management/real estate experience, we can provide accurate and detailed information regarding the area. Our customer service and commitment to serving our clients are our #1 priorities. We go above and beyond to reach our clients’ goals. They seek us out because we rent quality units and are great property managers. Once we have moved a tenant in, we ensure the smooth transition, and we are very timely regarding service requests or needed items. We strive to maintain excellent relations for our tenants and owners. This is a key to successful property management. This is why we have repeat clients. We try to make things move smoothly for tenants and meet business goals of property owners. One client said, “As a landlord, I found 3 Elements to be professional, detail-oriented and able to meet my criteria and goals. I appreciated the time they took to obtain quality tenants and keep me informed of market conditions. My units have remained full and rents are never late because of their thorough screening. My bottom line is strong. Thanks, 3 Elements.” You’ll find 3 Elements Property Management online at 3eam.com, or call 206-619-6630.
We thank 3 Elements Property Management for sponsoring independent, community-collaborative neighborhood news on WSB; find our sponsor team, and info on joining, all here.
The fabulous folks at Orca Network had passed along news of a few orcas spotted off Carkeek Park in North Seattle earlier today – and now we’ve just heard from Vanessa at Alki that it looks like they’re off Alki Point/Lighthouse as of a few minutes ago, “heading toward the islands.” Let us know if you see them!
One week after our last report, here’s another one – Kate got hit:
Just wanted to let you know my car was hit with eggs last night – near the corner of 35th and Elmgrove [map]. Looks like I was the only one, but not sure if anyone else was targeted. It made a huge mess and after washing it all off, you can see where the egg shells exploded and scratched the paint. Fun!
This falls squarely in the corner of the type of incident police want to make sure you report, even if you think it’s “minor” … as “KBear” wrote in the 20-comment discussion that followed last Monday’s report, “Just because petty crime may be commonplace doesn’t mean we should put up with it in our community.” There’ve been some reports of items thrown at moving vehicles, for example, which can startle a driver and cause a crash. The non-emergency number (which would be appropriate unless you come across someone in the act of throwing something) is 206-625-5011.
Exactly three months from today, June 22 will be the last day of school for Chief Sealth High School in its temporary quarters at the former Boren Junior High on Delridge. In September, after two years away, Sealth moves back into its permanent location – while the new adjacent Denny International Middle School is built. The project team has just provided the latest site aerial:
Compare that shot (taken last week) to a similar view seven months earlier:
Denny isn’t scheduled to move to its new site (the lower left of those photos) till 2011, so Sealth students will still have the campus to themselves when school starts this fall. The project’s official website is here; it includes a webcam, looking currently at the Galleria that both schools will share – see that here.
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