Late-night photo break: Owl; Stennis; Lafayette science fair
Photos to share before the night’s out: The owl in a Lincoln Park tree is courtesy of Patrick McCaffrey – thanks! Patrick says he’s been “getting to know a growing group of photographers, young and old, at Lincoln Park who greatly enjoy (the park’s) birds.”
Next, thanks to Bob A, who captured the USS John C. Stennis this morning from his Admiral backyard, as the carrier passed West Point, headed northward, out of Puget Sound:
That’s NOT the same carrier that came home to Everett this morning; that was the USS Abraham Lincoln. The Stennis left Bremerton for pilot-qualifying; here’s a story from the Kitsap Sun.
And Luckie shared photos from tonight’s Lafayette Elementary Science Fair – here we have a “pneumatic kid elevator”:
“Brought to you by the folks behind Skeleton Theatre,” she adds. Click ahead for three more!Read More
Update: No one hurt in Harbor Ave condo-unit fire
7:10 PM: We’re on our way to a Harbor SW condo building in the 1200 block (map), where first, according to the scanner, a fireplace fire was reported – then “some extension” was discovered, so the fire response was upgraded. More to come.
7:15 PM UPDATE: WSB contributor Katie Meyer says scanner traffic indicates the fire is “tapped”; we’re just arriving at the scene and the response is still a big one, with a ladder to the roof.
7:25 PM UPDATE: Traffic in the area is one lane, alternating directions, according to our crew at the scene.
7:57 PM UPDATE: Now traffic is open both ways. The fire is definitely out, not huge, no injuries (just confirmed this with SFD on scene); we’re still there in hopes of finding out what exactly happened.
8:35 PM UPDATE: SFD says this unit had the last wood-burning fireplace in the building, and something in the chimney, maybe buildup, caught fire. The unit had to be ventilated through a hole in the roof, so until that’s fixed, the unit residents won’t be able to go back inside.
U.S. Army captain visits The Mount for a special flag salute
The Pledge of Allegiance had a special meaning at Providence Mount St. Vincent this afternoon. U.S. Army Captain Mike Farrell brought that flag to The Mount, before returning to Afghanistan, where that flag flew during his last mission, on his helicopter. His fiancee (holding the flag, at right) Colleen Cremin is a Mount staffer (as is Jessie Fletcher, holding the flag’s left side), but that’s not why he brought the flag there – Capt. Farrell has been corresponding with The Mount resident Gwen Schwenzer:
Gwen and other residents had sent Christmas cards and letters to designated military pen pals, and she wound up corresponding with Capt. Farrell, who’s with the Army’s 10th Mountain Division, and is scheduled to return to Bagram, Afghanistan, in two weeks.
West Seattle Crime Watch: Truck stolen; car found
Again today, we have a new auto-theft report, and a followup from a stolen car’s owner:
First: That’s Josh‘s pickup, and he is hoping you have seen it:
It was stolen from my house in Highland Park Monday night (3-21). Sometime between 7 pm and 8:30 pm someone stole the truck from in front of my house and I am hoping they drove a short distance and possibly ditched the truck in West Seattle. The canopy and lumber rack are custom made and very easy to spot, I am hoping someone in West Seattle might recognize the truck. … 1988 Toyota 2WD extended cab truck – black. The canopy and lumber rack are custom built of bright silver aluminum. The front driver side fender has a little body damage and back window of the canopy has a NPR sticker. The plate number is B08669S.
And one day after we published a stolen-car report from James, he says his Honda was found near 28th and Roxbury – a couple miles from 35th/Holly, where it was stolen – the roof rack and stereo are gone, he says, but “they left all the audio books, and the hats and the tire chains. They left the pound of organic apples and the 10 Clif bars i had. Which goes to show, these criminals left the nutritious food, and the educational books behind, just to sell a few items that may make them money. Which I can only speculate will not feed them, nor will it help them in their future.”
Update: West Seattle Montessori ‘flash mobs’ for Japan relief
1:20 PM: We’re in The Junction, one of two locations where West Seattle Montessori/West Seattle Academy (WSB sponsor) students are collecting donations (and some are playing music too!) for Red Cross relief to Japan, till 2 pm. You’ll find them on all four corners of “Walk All Ways” at California/Alaska – also at Alki.
ADDED 1:46 PM: At Alki, they’re right at 61st/Alki, at the staircase by Statue of Liberty Plaza:
5:16 PM NOTE: We checked with teacher Matt Evans, who organized this, to ask about the end result. He says, “We’ll be counting the donations in the morning and I’ll let you know what we collected at each location as soon as it’s all totaled up early tomorrow. Thanks again, it was a great experience for our students and a huge success for our community and Japan.”
West Seattle Junction announces ‘Tax-Free Day for All’ April 16th
(WSB photo from 4/17/2010 – Brunette Mix [WSB sponsor] is participating again this year)
Yes, it’s not technically a tax-free day – but it’s definitely a DISCOUNT day. On this special date in The Junction, participating merchants pay your sales tax, so you get a discount of at least 9.5 percent. The West Seattle Junction Association has just announced this year’s version of what is becoming an annual tradition – on Saturday, April 16th, 10 am-6 pm, 37 merchants are signed up (see the list here). When you go to The Junction that day, look for the red balloons, which mean you’ll find “all-day tax-free shopping,” as the official announcement puts it, “as well as deep discounts on a wide range of goods and services.” Follow the list link to see some of those discounts!
Robbery, burglary, gun charges in West Seattle dispensary stickup
(11:32 AM UPDATE: We have added the KCPAO’s news release, including information on charges against the youngest suspect, to the end of this story. In it, Prosecuting Attorney Dan Satterberg makes the same points that Seattle City Attorney Pete Holmes made in a story published on WSB yesterday – he says regulation is vital, and without it, the current unregulated proliferation “invites violence”)
ORIGINAL 10:01 AM STORY: The King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office has filed charges in the Saturday night armed robbery at West Seattle medical-marijuana dispensary G.A.M.E. Collective. 
We are expecting additional information from KCPAO this morning but so far, court documents obtained online indicate the adult suspect, 24-year-old Donshae Dwayne Sims of Northgate (state Department of Corrections photo at right), is charged with first-degree robbery, first-degree burglary, and first-degree unlawful firearm possession (he’s a convicted felon, from an earlier assault case). The older juvenile suspect, 16-year-old Malik Heckard of Des Moines, is charged as an adult – which is why we are publishing his name, though otherwise we generally will not use juvenile suspects’ names – with first-degree robbery, first-degree burglary, and second-degree unlawful firearm possession. Information on the other juvenile suspect’s status is not available through the online court-records system, so we are waiting to hear from prosecutors.
Accompanying the charging documents is more information on how investigators say the heist unfolded (beyond what was contained in probable-cause documents made public on Monday and transcribed in our followup):
Read More
West Seattle Thursday: Design Review, benefit ‘flash mob’…
(Top photo by JayDee; below right photo by Lisa Stencel)
From the WSB West Seattle Events calendar:
FLASH MOB TO HELP JAPAN: West Seattle Academy (WSB sponsor) students plan “flash mob” activities in The Junction and on Alki this afternoon, starting around 1 pm, to raise money for Japan, early word here.
1ST DESIGN REVIEW MEETING FOR NEW DEVELOPMENT: The Southwest Design Review Board meets for new Harbor Properties proposal in The Triangle north of the motel (here’s our latest story with the info-packet link), 6:30 pm, Senior Center of West Seattle (California/Oregon).
WEST SEATTLE DEMOCRATIC WOMEN: Their speaker for the lunch meeting at West Seattle Golf Course today is Seattle School Board president Steve Sundquist; registration at 11:15, meeting at 11:30, call (206) 935-3216 to see if reservations for lunch are still available.
PETITION DRIVE: Marijuana-legalization I-1149 supporters are offering petitions to anyone in West Seattle who wants to circulate them, available at West Seattle Library starting at 10 am.
COOKING CLASS: “Jewish Family Favorites” class with Becky Selengut at PCC West Seattle (WSB sponsor), 6:30 pm, class info here; check with the store to see if there’s still room.
‘DISTRACTED’: Performances continue with tonight’s 7:30 pm show at ArtsWest in The Junction – full details and ticket-buying link here.
Also from Highland Park Action Committee: No name change
The debate/discussion continued across three monthly meetings, and last night Highland Park Action Committee made its decision: They’re not changing the name. It had been suggested that the name wasn’t welcoming enough, and didn’t reflect the fact HPAC is a community council with many functions and interests. An online survey yielded 100 responses, and 79 of them, it was announced last night, were in favor of change. But of the 25-plus people who showed up for the final deciding vote at the meeting, a majority wanted to keep HPAC – so it stays – with pro-name arguments including its history and the regional fame the group attained for its successful fight against a potential new jail. At left is HPAC co-chair Billy Stauffer with a list of names that were voted on as possible alternatives: HP Community Group, HP Alliance of Communities, HP Neighborhood Association, HP Community Association, HP Alliance of Neighbors, HP Area Connection. Shortly after the vote, HPAC also decided to keep its pre-meeting potluck. So you’re welcome to come, and bring something, at 6:30 on the next fourth Wednesday – April 27 – before the 7 pm business meeting (always held at Highland Park Improvement Club – which is both the name of the historic 90-year-old building and a separate community organization whose membership somewhat overlaps HPAC, as noted in the name discussion too).
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