West Seattle, Washington
15 Sunday
(First photo added 9:44 am)
9:22 AM: Fire and police are responding to a “heavy rescue” call at 42nd and Morgan. More as we get it.
9:38 AM: The crash is on Morgan east of 42nd – so the Fauntleroy/California intersection area is not affected, but Morgan is blocked off at 42nd (which is just east of West Seattle Thriftway, whose entrances/exits are NOT affected).
(Photo by Christopher Boffoli for WSB)
9:44 AM: Crews on scene tell us the woman driving the car has gone to Harborview; she was alone in the car. As you can see from photos, it hit poles and has taken down wires – the 41st/42nd/Morgan area is likely to be blocked off for hours to come – City Light is en route to evaluate. We are told the driver’s injuries are NOT life-threatening.
11:13 AM: Tow truck and City Light were on scene when we stopped by a short time ago, so cleanup is under way, but it’s still blocked and the 128 bus is being rerouted – check with Metro for the latest. (Video added above.)
Your ballot for the August 16th election could arrive as early as today, since King County Elections had planned to mail ballots yesterday. That makes the timing perfect for tonight’s West Seattle Candidates’ Forum, one of several big events from the WSB Events calendar:
SEATTLE PUBLIC SCHOOLS SIGNUPS: Community Resources on Wheels comes to West Seattle again today to help parents register their children for school and get information on a variety of Seattle-area resources for families. The bus will visit from 11 am – 2 pm at High Point Neighborhood House, 6400 Sylvan Way. Parents and caregivers who plan to enroll their student in school should bring the following: Birth Certificate (K-1st grade only); immunization information; current proof of Seattle residence (utility bills, lease, DSHS; shelter/transitional housing letter); admission form (parents can fill out in advance at seattleschools.org or it will be available on the bus) and photo ID of parent/guardian. For more information, visit the website or call the SPS Service Center at 206-252-0760.
WS DEMOCRATIC WOMEN: Warm up for tonight’s forum with the West Seattle Democratic Women’s lunch meeting at the West Seattle Golf Course (4470 35th SW). The Pre-Meeting Discussion Group meets from 10:30-11:15 am; subject is “How to have good quality of life in this time of economic stress and deficits?”. Registration is from 11:15-11:30 am with the Meeting/Program from 11:30 am – 1 pm. County Councilmember Joe McDermott and Port of Seattle Commissioner Gael Tarleton, along with representatives from both sides of Seattle Referendum #1. Endorsements will then be considered by the membership for all remaining un-endorsed applicable candidate positions and issues. Members $12; non-members $15 or a minimum fee of $5 which includes coffee/tea & dessert. If you have a question or wish to make a reservation, please contact WSDW (206.935.3216 or wsdwomen@yahoo.com) ASAP. For more specific and up-to-date information, see WSDW’s website.
VOICE YOUR VIEWS! West Seattle Candidates’ Forum at South Seattle Community College’s Brockey Center. Starts with ice cream social (donations to West Seattle Food Bank) at 6:30 pm; forum at 7:30 pm. Full details here.
SUMMER CONCERTS AT HIAWATHA: First concert tonight! 6:30 pm on Hiawatha’s east lawn (photo above from a past-season concert), featuring the Gothard Sisters. Free; bring your own blankets/chairs. More details on the Admiral Neighborhood Association website.
DESIGN REVIEW TIMES TWO: Southwest Design Review Board meeting for two projects, Nova and an Avalon Way proposal, 6:30 pm – 8 pm at Senior Center of West Seattle, details here
ZERO TO 13.1: West Seattle Runner (WSB sponsor) hosts an Information Night for its next Couch-to-Half-Marathon training session, getting ready for the Amica Seattle half-marathon in November. 7 pm (3727 California SW).
BRITISH LEGENDS AT KENYON HALL: At Kenyon Hall(7904 35th Ave SW): The legendary British political songwriter Leon Rosselson, with Robb Johnson. They appear together one night only, in a jaunt through the decades from That Was The Week That Was and the satire boom of the sparky sixties to the curdled present, evoking the spirit of the times through song and story. Reserved table seats are $14. Row seating is $12 general and $10 seniors. With a reservation, row seating is only $10 general and $8 seniors. Elementary, middle, & high school students are $5. Pre-school children are free, and Root Beer Floats are still only a buck. To make a reservation, please e-mail kenyonhall@earthlink.net with your request; you’ll receive an e-mail confirming your reservation.
IN THE JUNCTION TONIGHT: Shop Late Thursdays in The Junction, till 9 pm; participants’ list here … Gin Creek plays blues, rock, and Americana at The Poggie Tavern (4717 California Ave. SW), 9:30 – 11:30 pm.
It’s a first for the Rotary Club of West Seattle – a fun-draiser bringing together premium wine and chocolate – and with one week to go until the August 4th event at Salty’s on Alki, the lineup is set: ‘O’ Wines, DeLille Cellars, Hedges Family Estates, Goedhart Family Estates, La Coye, Two Brothers, Baron’s V, Hestia Cellars, Fat Cork, JM Cellars, Rasa, Theo Chocolates. Plus live jazz/blues music, hors d’oeuvres, and a live/silent auction, all supporting scholarships for local youth, the 38th annual Children’s Holiday Shopping Spree, and other humanitarian work. Major discount for signing up before next Thursday’s 5:30 pm event – you can register online right now. (The official poster/flyer can be seen here.)
If you missed it “live” Wednesday morning, either at City Hall or via Seattle Channel, this video of the City Council Committee on the Built Environment meeting includes a 19-minute discussion that was the first step in what will be a months-long march toward a council vote on proposals to shape the West Seattle Triangle‘s future, including extensive rezoning. The discussion was last on the agenda for the meeting chaired by Councilmember Sally Clark; it starts 102 minutes in (as with most online video players, you can grab and drag the lower slider to fast-forward). The Department of Planning and Development senior planner who’s led much of the process so far, Susan McLain, gave the councilmembers an “initial overview” briefing on The Triangle itself (presentations are linked in the agenda), on the fact the planning involves an area to the west as well, and on key intents/concerns. It was repeatedly reiterated that the intention is not to chase away longtime businesses in what McLain called “a surprisingly diverse little area”; that was also brought up by the lone member of the public there to voice a comment, Karl de Jong from Admiral, who expressed concern about future building height resulting in “canyonization” and concern about existing businesses with “family-wage jobs” being pushed out.
No action was taken; next steps include a more extensive briefing on the proposed rezoning when the committee meets again on August 10th and, according to both McLain and Councilmember Clark, a public hearing in West Seattle sometime in September. Meanwhile, the public-comment period on the environmental Determination of Non-Significance regarding the proposals continues until August 4th – go here to find out how to have a say.
Tonight while checking out the truck-crash scene near South Park, we also took this photo of a nearby project that we’re often asked about: It’s Seattle Public Utilities‘ new South Transfer Station for trash and recycling. Ground was broken on a frosty day last fall; the facility is expected to open in about a year. The city’s official info page for the project is here; we found additional details and renderings on the architects’ website, including the big stats: Nine acres, 141,000 square feet of structures.
8:58 PM: Another citation roundup on SPD Blotter tonight; at first glance, we thought, nah, we’ll skip this one, nothing particularly major. Then we took a second look, and noticed this SW Admiral Way stop:
1 bicycle at 42 mph
First time we’ve seen them mention a bicyclist.
ADDED 11:02 AM THURSDAY: Just talked to Sgt. Sean Whitcomb of the SPD media-response unit, to follow up on this. One point of clarification: The bicyclist received a “warning” ticket, not one with a price tag – as an opportunity for awareness-raising, according to Sgt. Whitcomb, who adds that the rider, an “adult male,” was “very surprised” – both at being stopped, and once he heard how fast he was going (indeed, detected by LIDAR). This isn’t the first time ADRT has stopped a bicyclist, notes the sergeant, but more commonly, it’s for “rules of the road” type violations.
3:07 PM THURSDAY: A comment just in from Kevin, who says he’s the cyclist that was “pulled over”:
As the cyclist involved… I figure I should give my 2 cents.
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I was fine with being pulled over. I could have gotten a ticket and would have been OK with it; however, the SUV gaining on me from behind should have also been given a ticket. Going 42 (and by the way… why does everyone assume I was going downhill) on Admiral just keeps you with the flow of traffic. This morning, I was going about 30 mph and had a car zoom past on the right hand side and cut over right in front of me just before the merge to Spokane. Like it or not, it’s safer for a bike to break the speed limit and keep up with traffic (if possible) than to try to obey the law.
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The officer was nice about the whole situation (and seemed to get a kick out of pulling over a bike). He said he had been looking for a bike to pull over for a while (apparently, I was the first going fast enough). He told me he was careful to write a neat contact report so that I could frame it. If only I had known I was going to be clocked…
6:23 PM: A crash reportedly involving a semi is affecting traffic going to the northbound 1st Avenue South Bridge from the Highland Park/South Park end (map). More to come.
7:02 PM: Adding a photo WSB contributor Deanie Schwarz sent – you can see the truck was on its side right by the under-construction transfer station. Going to check on the status, since we haven’t heard anything new.
(Photo courtesy Mike)
7:23 PM: A tow truck is working right now to get the truck upright; ramp still closed.
10:15 PM: WSDOT says the ramp was re-opened by 9 pm.
ADDED THURSDAY MORNING: We checked with Seattle Fire Department spokesperson Kyle Moore to ask about injuries: Moore says, “The force of the crash knocked out the windshield to the truck cab. When our firefighters arrived, they helped the man out through the windshield area of the cab. He suffered minor injuries, just bruising and banged up a but he is okay. AMR transported him to Harborview as a precaution. The semi-truck did leak fuel. We threw down absorbent material to pick up the fuel.” (Note: AMR is the private ambulance service – when you see the white vehicles with red trim at incident scenes, that’s usually what it is, and it usually means injuries are NOT life-threatening.)
Three West Seattle Crime Watch notes this afternoon – two are followups from last night: First, we have finally tracked down what brought a large police response to North Admiral around 7 pm. Someone reported to police that a man with a gun was shooting at crows. It turned out to be a BB gun, according to SPD spokesperson Det. Mark Jamieson; the BB gun was taken into evidence, but there were no arrests. Also, we checked to see if the search in Arbor Heights, which related to a stolen car, had resulted in arrests; Det. Jamieson says no. Finally, a new report this afternoon – a car theft reported by Elizabeth:
Our Toyota Highlander was stolen out of our alley driveway last night. 38th and
Dakota. Just FYI for all our West Seattle neighbors.
P.S. For stats fans – SPD announced today that June crime stats have been added to its ongoing online tallies.
Two and a half years after 26-year-old Steve Bushaw was shot dead outside Talarico’s, jury selection has begun in the murder trial of the two defendants remaining in the case. In two sessions this morning, 120 prospective jurors were brought into King County Superior Court Judge Joan DuBuque‘s courtroom, and askedwhether serving on the jury for this trial would cause hardship. For those who were not excused in that round, questioning this afternoon (voir dire) will involve the defense and prosecution lawyers deciding who is acceptable to be seated.
Judge DuBuque has outlined a timetable for the case: Court will be in session Mondays through Thursdays, 9 am to 4 pm (except August 15-16, when it will be in recess), until the case goes to the jury, at which time they will also deliberate Fridays if necessary. It is projected to last three or four weeks before the jury gets the case. The defendants are alleged mastermind Bryce Huber and alleged getaway driver Brandon Chaney, both on trial for first-degree murder after prosecutors dropped the conspiracy charge; John Sylve and Danny O’Neal have already pleaded guilty to being the triggermen and are expected to testify. Earlier this week, it was agreed that opening statements would start next Monday, though that is of course dependent on how the rest of the jury selection process goes.
The state Liquor Control Board has announced a list of 10 farmers’ markets that have been invited to be part of a pilot wine/beer tasting program – and West Seattle Farmers’ Market is on the list. The LCB says the program will run from this September until November of next year, and the 10 invitees’ participation must still be confirmed. Full details here.
Just three days after the hugely successful 2011 edition of WestSide Baby‘s “Stuff the Bus” diaper drive this past Sunday (WSB coverage here), the double-match donation from Huggies is arriving – since WS Baby got 50,000 (and then some) diaper donations, Huggies is donating 100,000. The unloading operation is under way right now at WS Baby’s White Center donation processing/storage center; we’ll add more to this story later.
ADDED 12:48 PM: WestSide Baby executive director Nancy Woodland wanted to share words of thanks:
Below, Nancy’s with Amani Gomez from Kimberly-Clark (left) and WS Baby’s Jolyn Mason.
The forklift they used this morning, by the way, was provided by La Mexicana Foods next door. And as Nancy said in our video clip, they still need diaper donations to keep hundreds of local babies dry, healthy, and happy – here’s how you can help.
3:11 PM UPDATE: WS Baby has updated its final official Sunday total to 55,000 diapers.
When Chief Sealth International High School principal John Boyd announced two weeks ago that he is leaving for a new job in Highline Public Schools, management at Seattle Public Schools promised the community would get a chance to participate in the selection of his successor. The next major step has just been announced by the district:
Chief Sealth International High School staff, students, parents, alums, and community members are invited to a community meeting on Monday, August 1, from 6:00-8:00 p.m. to give input into the qualities you would like to see in the new principal of Chief Sealth International High School. The meeting will be held at the John Stanford Center for Educational Excellence (JSCEE) in room 2700. The John Stanford Center for Educational Excellence is located at 2445 3rd Avenue South.
If you are unable to attend the community meeting, you are welcome to fill out a short survey to provide input: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/WMMMT5L
You are also welcome to e-mail Aurora Lora, Executive Director for West Seattle Schools at aalora@seattleschools.org to provide additional feedback.
ADDED 2:01 PM: An addendum from Sealth athletics director/activities coordinator Sam Reed, who sent this to the Chief Sealth PTSA mailing list but gave permission for it to be republished:
Please take the opportunity, as mentioned below, to provide your input and opinions on the future leadership at Chief Sealth International High School.
The most recent information I received alludes to the fact that District leadership plans to hire an interim principal for the entire 2011-2012 school year. Aurora Lora and Superintendant Susan Enfield have put together a list of potential names and will be making an almost immediate decision based on the opinions given at the meeting, through e-mails received and through the survey linked below. They hope to have the interim principal named before Mr. Boyd’s last day (August 5).
Similar to the process undertaken at West Seattle High School last year, the interim principal will be evaluated extensively in the Spring and a decision will be made at that time whether to convert that person to a permanent position or undertake a complete interview process.
(Bird experts – what’s this? Early Monday am Seaview photo courtesy Chris Johnson)
From the WSB West Seattle Events calendar, for today/tonight:
TRIANGLE TO COUNCIL: City Council Committee on the Built Environment hears presentation on West Seattle Triangle proposals, including potential extensive rezoning, 9:30 am. Live on Seattle Channel online and cable channel 21. Agenda and presentation links are in our preview story.
MOBILE SIGNUPS FOR SEATTLE PUBLIC SCHOOLS: Community Resources on Wheels hits West Seattle streets to help parents register their children for Seattle Public Schools and get information on a variety of area resources for families. The bus will visit from 11 am – 2 pm at Westwood Village Target, 2800 SW Barton. Parents and caregivers who plan to enroll their student in school should bring the following: Birth Certificate (K-1st grade only); immunization information; current proof of Seattle residence (utility bills, lease, DSHS; shelter/transitional housing letter); admission form (parents can fill out in advance at seattleschools.org or it will be available on the bus) and photo ID of parent/guardian. For more information, visit the website or call the SPS Service Center at 206-252-0760.
INFO ON SERVICES FOR DISABLED SENIORS: “What is PACE?” at Senior Center of West Seattle (4217 SW Oregon St), 12:15 pm. If you know someone over 55 with disabilities, they may qualify for some of these services: prescription drugs, dental or vision care, long term care, home health nursing etc. Drop-ins welcome.
FRESH PRODUCE, SOLD WHERE IT’S GROWN: 3rd week of the High Point Market Garden Farm Stand, 4-7 pm, 32nd SW and SW Juneau. This is a weekly stand selling seasonal fresh organically grown produce right in the garden where the produce is grown. More details here.
(Photo courtesy Sustainable Seattle)
Back in February, the Delridge Neighborhoods District Council got first word (WSB coverage here) of the then-forthcoming “Sustainable Rain” project, which a Sustainable Seattle rep told council members would include rain-garden work in West Seattle. They didn’t have details then – but they do now, and a rain garden like the one pictured above (which is in Puyallup) is in the works for a spot along California SW, north of Morgan Junction. You’re invited to help:
*COME DIG A RAIN GARDEN IN WEST SEATTLE!*
*Saturday, July 30 *10 am – 2 pm*
*5902 SW California Avenue*
Join Sustainable Seattle and Alleycat Acres in digging the first rain garden in the Russell Foundation-funded Sustainable Rain project! Come help create this garden at a business/residence, protect Puget Sound, and support sustainable businesses. Come for as long as you can, meet great folks, and learn about rain gardens. Bring shovel (if you have), gloves, and water to drink. Bring kids if you can supervise them.
Not familiar with rain gardens? They’re explained here. This is the first of several sites around the region that are slated to be part of the Sustainable Rain project.
It’s the fitness equivalent of zero-to-sixty – a “couch-to-half-marathon” training plan. West Seattle Runner (WSB sponsor) has led a successful group through it before and is getting ready to do it again – so if you’re interested in running/walking a half marathon (13.1 miles) but stymied about where to start, you’re invited to the info night for the next group, this Thursday (July 28). If you’re interested in the (free!) training, the 17-week plan starts Sunday, culminating in walking/running the Amica Seattle half-marathon on November 27th. The shop’s at 3727 California SW, northwest corner of Calif/Charlestown, upstairs; Thursday night’s info session begins at 7 pm.
P.S. WS Runner’s Tim McConnell also has a shoutout for Team WSR’s finish in the recent Ragnar Relay – 190 miles in 23 hours and 48 minutes: 15th overall, 5th in mixed-gender, 1st in mixed-gender running stores, all accomplished in WSR’s first-ever entry in the relay.
Another local school has a visiting teacher in need of a host family – even for just part of the year. This time, the request comes from Pathfinder K-8. Can you help?
Last year Pathfinder K-8 School was able to provide Mandarin instruction for our students. This was done through an exchange proram with the College Board. It has been a great experience for our students and our families. Students have been able to have Mandarin instruction during the school day and an optional afterschool program has also been available. Pathfinder would like to continue this program for the upcoming school year. In order to do this we must find a host family or host families for our teacher.
We are in need of a host family for our teacher, Mingqui Zhang, to stay with starting on August 22nd. Ms. Zhang would stay with the host family for all or part of the 2011-2012 school year. Families could host on a trimester basis. This is a great opportunity to learn about Chinese culture and pick up some Mandarin Chinese, while doing a great service for our schools. Hosting the Guest Teacher is much like hosting an exchange student, families are responsible for providing the teachers with a room of their own, including the teachers in family meals, and providing them access to things like a washer and dryer. The teacher will receive a modest salary through the Chinese Ministry of Education and the Confucius Institute, and will be provided a bus card for transportation.
If you are interested in serving as a host family, or know of someone in West Seattle who would be interested, please have them contact Pathfinder’s Assistant Principal Lisa Clayton at lclayton@seattleschools.org
Three notes in West Seattle Crime Watch tonight. First, if you’re seeing police activity in Arbor Heights around 32nd and 106th, officers are searching right now for suspects who apparently fled a car that turned out to be stolen. Second, we’re still trying to track down information on an incident earlier tonight in the Admiral District that led to a brief, albeit reportedly sizable, response (will add whatever we find out). Third – two people e-mailed on behalf of neighbors who sadly can’t do it themselves because burglars stole their computer equipment. The break-in happened today near 44th/Cambridge, and one of the neighbors reports:
Burglars hit during the day, broke down the front door, stole computers, including a brand new Apple desktop computer just out of the box, and a Rolex. Left everything else. A burgundy car was seen yesterday, parked just down the hill, with a man inside it watching the neighborhood for quite awhile.
From waving to candy-throwing to pet-sign-wearing, there was plenty of campaigning in last Saturday’s West Seattle Grand Parade (here’s our video of the entire parade, real time, from the honor guard forward) … those are some of the scenes, above. Most of the candidates/advocates you saw in the parade – and others – will be in West Seattle again this Thursday night for the West Seattle Candidates’ Forum – that’s the same day ballots, to be mailed tomorrow, should start arriving.
The forum’s organizers have two things they want you to know tonight: First, they’ve locked in the lineups (see the PDF here, or in text after the jump) … including entertainment, as well as debate/discussion! Second, they WANT ***YOUR*** QUESTIONS – most of the event will consist of questions gathered in advance. There’s an open thread for questions in the WSB Forums (go here) – or, post yours as a comment on this story – or, use this form to send it to organizers. Reps from community groups and hot issues will be there to take your questions starting at 6:30 pm – along with candidates serving free Husky Deli ice cream! – including: WSDOT (on the tunnel), SDOT (on the SW Alaska rechannelization), Seattle Referendum 1 (tunnel), County Veterans’ Levy, Kiwanis Club of West Seattle, Neighborhood House, Sustainable West Seattle, WS In Motion, Seattle Police and Fire Departments, West Seattle Blockwatch Captains’ Network, West Seattle Be Prepared Emergency Communication Hubs. Free child care, too. Now – click ahead for the text of the news release: Read More
While also planning to report this to police, PJ wanted to share the word of a suspicious incident involving someone knocking at the door around mid-afternoon today, just north of The Junction:Read More
Once again, SDOT has called off the plan to close the westbound Spokane Street Viaduct for a few nights for the ongoing widening work. So it’ll be fully OPEN tonight through Friday night, after all. No new date yet.
The newest forecast suggests clear skies Thursday night through Saturday night (and maybe beyond) – good news for two major (and free!) outdoor entertainment events coming up: Thursday night, the 6-week Summer Concerts at Hiawatha series, presented by the Admiral Neighborhood Association, starts its third season. Above, the Gothard Sisters are the kickoff act. 6:30 pm Thursday, east lawn at Hiawatha Community Center, BYO blankets/chairs (and some $ for concessions if you want – we’re doublechecking on the final lineup for that), family-friendly. (Full season lineup here.)
Then Saturday night – a comedy classic is the second West Seattle Outdoor Movies event of the summer:
On the big screen in the courtyard by Hotwire Online Coffeehouse (WSB sponsor), it’s “Airplane!” – with magician Louie Foxx as preshow entertainment. Gates open 6:30 pm Saturday, movie starts around 9 (it was 9:15 pm last Sat.), free but concessions and raffle tickets benefit local nonprofits, so bring a few bucks if you can. (Full season lineup here – and add August 27th, the rescheduled night for rained-out “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.) P.S. Both the movies and concerts are free thanks to community sponsors (including WSB).
One week from tonight – on Tuesday, August 2nd – it’s Night Out, the annual nationwide celebration of neighbors banding together to fight crime. If you want to close your (non-arterial) street for a block party, hurry! Other neighborhoods have already done it – like the lively people of Pigeon Point, whose official signpost invitation to neighbors is up (artwork by Jim Sander, photo courtesy Pete Spalding). The registration link is on this Seattle Police Department infopage. And if you wouldn’t mind us stopping by your party for a pic, please e-mail us the location and who to ask for!
Meantime, if you use Twitter, and follow the feed for Seattle Police, you were probably startled this morning (we were!) to suddenly see their feed changed into an information stream with single-line messages about calls officers were handling around the city. (Usually, the SPD Twitter feed only has a few messages a day, mostly links to updates on their SPD Blotter site of selected incident summaries.) At a mid-morning briefing about Night Out, they explained they’re doing a “tweet-a-thon” today, 6 am to 6 pm, highlighting incidents that the public tipped them about. Media Response Unit leader Sgt. Sean Whitcomb explains it here.
P.S. Before Night Out gets here – make sure your Block Watch is linked up with the West Seattle Blockwatch Captains Network! You can find them on the Web, on Facebook, and this Thursday night, info-tabling at the West Seattle Candidates’ Forum (6:30-9 pm at South Seattle Community College‘s Brockey Center – updated details coming up later this afternoon).
Thanks to Dwight for e-mailing about a power outage affecting some stores at Westwood Village. It is NOT on the Seattle City Light map; we just went over to check and found that several businesses in the center of the mall – including Pier 1 Imports and Eats Market Café – have signs up saying they’re closed for the day because SCL is doing transformer work. Some stores on the east side of the mall that were reportedly out earlier have power now (including QFC), so bottom line, if you’re going to Westwood Village, you might want to check directly with the store first to see if it’s affected.
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