West Seattle, Washington
02 Wednesday
(UPDATED 11:56 PM with more reaction)
King County Elections has just released its first, and only, round of results for the night (we’ll add reaction/analysis notes and links later tonight):
Seattle Referendum 1 (tunnel-related): 60% yes, 40% no
REACTION: Mayor McGinn just broke his silence via Twitter: “I worked to give the public a direct vote on the tunnel. The public said move ahead with the tunnel, and that’s what we’re going to do.” Also-anti-tunnel Councilmember Mike O’Brien told our partners at the Seattle Times, “…I will accept the tunnel.” But the Times quotes tunnel opponent Elizabeth Campbell as calling the vote “far from a decisive victory.”
Seattle City Council Position 1: Jean Godden* 45%, Bobby Forch 24%, Maurice Classen 16%, Michael Taylor-Judd 13%
City Council Position 9: Sally Clark* 71%, Dian Ferguson 22%, Fathi Karshie 5%
REACTION: Via Facebook, Clark said, “71% is a great vote of confidence.”
King County Council District 8: Joe McDermott* 67%, Diana Toledo 27%, Goodspaceguy 5%
REACTION: Via Facebook – McDermott: “I am gratified by our strong showing in the Primary and look forward to a vigorous campaign through the General Election.” Toledo: “Now the hard work begins; on to the General Election!!!”
Seattle School Board District 6 (West Seattle area): Steve Sundquist* 43%, Marty McLaren 30%, Joy Anderson 21%, Nick Esparza 5%
King County Veterans/Human Services Levy: 66% yes, 34% no
REACTION: In an e-mailed statement, King County Executive Dow Constantine said, “”The citizens of King County have demonstrated their respect for our veterans and compassion for our neighbors most in need by voting to renew the Veterans and Human Services Levy.”
Full King County results here; next count, tomorrow afternoon.
(EDITOR’S NOTE: After several WSB’ers e-mailed – thank you! – to point out the daily lines outside West Seattle Coins in The Junction, we asked Keri to check out the story.)
Story and photo by Keri DeTore
Reporting for West Seattle Blog
There’s gold in them thar garages! And in drawers and old boxes, and … With gold prices at their highest point in years, people are cashing in at West Seattle Coins, leading to frequent lines outside their California/Oregon storefront.
The shop doesn’t open until 10 am, but the first customer in line was there at 8:30 this morning, and had brought a book to read while he waited. As of 9:30, four more people were in line and explained they came early in order to avoid the wait once inside the shop.
After voting this afternoon to put a $60/year car-tab fee on the November ballot, Seattle city councilmembers – as the Transportation Benefit District (STBD) board – came to West Seattle to explain it. They had originally scheduled the Delridge/Holden news conference for 12:30 pm – but the discussion back at City Hall wasn’t even over by then, so it was well past 1 when they were finally able to cross the bridge and meet the media. (Accompanying them were some community advocates, including Gatewood resident Chas Redmond, second from right in our photo, representing Feet First.)
Here’s what it’s all about: The vote in November will be the next step in a process that began months ago. Remember back in April, when we shared a question for you from the West Seattle Chamber of Commerce – about our area’s top transportation priorities? The results of that informal survey went to the Citizens Transportation Advisory Committee, which later had a series of meetings around the city, including this one we covered in May at the Southwest Library. (They also had an online survey.)
Then CTAC brought recommendations to the council/STBD, which in turn is now going out to voters with a request for money, and an outline of what would be done with it. The district could have asked voters to approve up to $80, as authorized by the State Legislature for a total fee of up to $100 ($20 already has been put into place). (Keep in mind – and we know this is confusing – this is a CITY-charged $20, and the ballot measure would be a CITY-charged $60, separate from the unrelated new COUNTY-charged $20 that was making news yesterday.)
So in November, it’s up to you to decide whether to approve the $60 added tab fee for transportation projects; it would raise about $20 million a year, and here’s how it would be spent, with the largest single category of spending, $4 million, going to fix roads. Here’s complete video of the City Council’s news conference on Delridge, led by West Seattle-residing Councilmember Tom Rasmussen, who chairs the council’s Transportation Committee:
(We recorded video too and will check to see if the sound quality is any better.)
(Photo by WSB/White Center Now contributor Deanie Schwarz)
Another update on this morning’s deadly shooting at 15th/Roxbury in White Center: The 23-year-old victim is from High Point, according to a woman who told WSB/WCN contributor Deanie Schwarz that she’s her cousin. She says the victim’s name is “Sweetheart“; no formal identification is expected any sooner than mid-afternoon. More details on White Center Now. Still no word of arrests; the latest on the investigation is in our morning report.
Thanks to Sarah for the tip on this – she heard that Hiawatha’s wading-pool season would be extended since our not-so-summery weather has meant so few “open” days, so we inquired with Parks, and they’ve just sent an official announcement of wading pools citywide – including THREE in West Seattle, E.C. Hughes and Delridge as well as Hiawatha – where the closing date has been pushed back – click ahead for details:Read More
Update on OutWest Bar, which opened for business at 5401 California SW, albeit in “soft open” mode, last Thursday (as reported here): WSB contributor Keri DeTore says the awning’s finally been redone with the LGBT-friendly bar’s name (we saw it being painted just yesterday) and co-owners Bob Lunke and Chad Gabelein have announced their grand opening for this weekend — Friday and Saturday nights. Their official operating hours are settled, too – Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday 4 pm to midnight, Friday and Saturday 4 pm to 2 am, Sundays 4 pm to midnight.
Two West Seattle Crime Watch updates: First, more details from police on last night’s holdup at the Admiral Baskin-Robbins; second, a theft that may have been an honest mistake, but whatever the case, the item’s owner wants it back. Read on for both:Read More
SDOT crews are working at Fauntleroy/California in Morgan Junction again today – but what they’re installing atop traffic signals is different from what they were working on in The (Alaska) Junction last week. In this case, they’re putting up cameras. We asked SDOT if these might be additions to the city’s webcam lineup, but spokesperson Marybeth Turner says no:
Video detection cameras are being installed for north and southbound traffic at California Avenue SW and Fauntleroy. The system detects motor vehicles as well as bicycles and takes the place of loop detectors imbedded in the pavement. The cameras process the image internally and pass detection information to the equipment (the signal controller) that controls the operation of the traffic signals at that intersection. No images are retained or distributed to other locations.
(Pink-salmon-fishing mania continues at Lincoln Park. Photo by Monica M. Wehri)
Just a few things to mention in this edition of the morning preview, from the WSB West Seattle Events calendar:
ELECTION DAY: Tonight is the voting deadline; dropboxes (nearest one is downtown) close at 8 pm, and you need to make sure your ballot carries TODAY’S postmark if you’re sending it out by mail. While it’s the primary election, so most of the ballot involves races where the field will be narrowed to the “top two” candidates for November, there are also two ballot measures to be decided: Seattle Referendum 1, related to the Highway 99 tunnel (still confused? here’s our video of the only West Seattle forum devoted entirely to the issue), and the King County Veterans and Human Services Levy (both require a simple majority). The county has gathered election-related information here.
TRANSPORTATION BENEFIT DISTRICT BOARD VOTE: Last night’s vote for a $20 car-tab fee to cover a Metro budget gap was a county action. Today, the City Council, sitting as the Seattle Transportation Benefit District Board, is expected to vote to send their own proposed car-tab fee to the November ballot, to cover a variety of other transportation projects. They meet at 11 am; more information here, and it’ll be live on the Seattle Channel (cable 21 or online).
TRAFFIC ALERTS FOR TONIGHT: Reminder – the Mariners and Sounders both have 7 pm home games, and the westbound Spokane Street Viaduct has an overnight closure (starting at 11:30 pm – that means the West Seattle Bridge exits on I-5 and from Beacon Hill will be closed). Details in our original preview.
STAND-UP PADDLEBOARDING RACE & MOVIE: “Explore: Catalina,” a stand-up paddleboarding “adventure film,” has its Seattle premiere tonight at Seacrest, outdoors at the Alki Crab and Fish lounge at 8 pm, after an evening starting with Alki Kayak Toursand Mountain to Sound Outfitters (WSB sponsor) presenting SUP demos at 6 pm (first 40 people free) and the weekly SUP race at 7. Here’s the official flyer with full details.
3:38 AM: A 22-year-old woman is dead and a block of 15th SW is closed off just south of Roxbury (map) after a shooting in White Center early this morning. So far, no arrests, according to the King County Sheriff’s Office, which is investigating the case. We have ongoing coverage on partner site White Center Now.
8:38 AM: Still no arrest(s) reported; we expect a more formal update from KCSO later this morning. 15th SW has reopened, though.
11:39 AM UPDATE: Official news release in from Deputy DeFries, who briefed us and TV crews at the scene early today – note that it changes the victim’s age:
A 23-year-old female is dead and detectives are working leads in a shooting incident that occurred overnight in the White Center area of King County.
This morning, at about 12:20 AM, deputies were called to the area of SW Roxbury St. and 15th Ave. SW by a passing witness for a fight disturbance. When deputies arrived they met with a small group of females, including the now-deceased victim of the shooting. Deputies were told that the disturbance was minor and that the other group, which consisted of 3 black males, had left the area. The group of women declined to speak further about the incident.
Deputies stayed in the general area and began to walk on foot to increase their visibility and to try to prevent further violence from erupting. Just before 1:00 AM these deputies heard several gun shots coming from the area of the original disturbance. When the returned they found the victim lying in the middle of 15th Ave. SW with at least one gunshot wound. Witnesses said that at least 2 of the original 3 black males had returned and one then fired on the victim. The suspects then fled the scene on foot.
At this point, no suspects are in custody and no weapon has been recovered. Detectives from the Major Crimes Unit are investigating. We have not been able to rule out if this was gang-related or not. Detectives from the Sheriff’s Office Gang Unit will be assisting, as needed.
2:08 PM: We’ve just published a new update, with what a relative has told us about the victim.
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