day : 16/11/2011 12 results

Remember “Viadoom” week, when Seattle Police cited a couple dozen drivers for bus-lane violations on the West Seattle Bridge? According to the latest roundup on SPD Blotter, they were out looking again today, and cited 8 more. Speeders too – including 76 mph in the bridge’s 45 mph zone – and some school-zone citations elsewhere in West Seattle. Details here.

Delridge DESC project: County meeting tomorrow; council discussion

November 16, 2011 9:10 pm

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| Delridge | DESC Delridge project | West Seattle news

Two updates related to the “Delridge Supportive Housing” 75-apartment project that Downtown Emergency Service Center (DESC) is seeking to build in the 5400 block of Delridge Way SW:

COUNTY FUNDING MEETING TOMORROW: While the city and state have committed funding to the project, the county’s final decision isn’t in yet. Tomorrow, the advisory group that makes recommendations to King County Executive Dow Constantine, the Regional Joint Recommendations Committee, will meet on Mercer Island. They were scheduled to decide last month, but deferred the decision after hearing from Delridge residents who came to their meeting to voice concerns. Tomorrow’s meeting is at 9;30 am at the Mercer Island Community Center, 8236 SE 24th Street. 10 people will be allowed to speak, according to North Delridge Neighborhood Council‘s Kirsten Smith.

NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL DISCUSSION: The project was a major topic of discussion at NDNC’s meeting on Monday night. Patrick Baer recapped the first Delridge Community Forum, last month’s big gathering about the project, saying it had “successes and failures,” amid “logistical issues we never expected,” but overall met the goal of providing information to the community.

As he noted, he and other DCF volunteers have continued in that role, posting copious quantities of material online at delridgeforum.blogspot.com – and if you’ve been looking into the issue and have come across information to share with the community, e-mail him at delridgeforum@gmail.com.

Meantime, NDNC’s Smith says they’re trying to set up a meeting shortly before the project’s first Design Review Board meeting (6:30 pm December 8th at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center), to provide community members with information on how the process works. Since there’s “limited public comment” at those meetings, Vonetta Mangaoang suggested a “letter-writing campaign.”

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West Seattle schools: A gift, and gratitude

November 16, 2011 7:40 pm

| 7 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

A gift from one school community to another is something that might not have become common knowledge – but in this case, the recipients let the Seattle Council PTSA and the district know about it, and that’s how we heard about it – we are publishing it with permission:

Last Thursday, November 10th, Roxhill fourth graders were treated to a Living Voices performance of Native Vision. Lisa Gladstone, a Blackfoot Indian from Browning, Montana did a remarkable job of engaging our students in the story of Alice, a Navajo girl sent to a government run boarding school in the 30’s and 40’s. Alice became a nurse in the Pacific during World War ll, struggling to keep true to her native culture in a changing world. Before the performance, Roxhill students had read about and discussed how native children fared in the boarding schools and had also learned about the contributions of the Navajo Code Talkers. Their rapt attention during the performance and perceptive questions afterward spoke to how valuable this performance was in enhancing their knowledge of a very complex subject.

I am writing to you because this performance was a gift to Roxhill, a gift from the PTSA of a neighboring West Seattle school, Schmitz Park. With more than 80% of our students on free and reduced lunch, Roxhill does not have the resources to pay for performances of this type. The Schmitz Park PTSA paid for the Living Voices performance at their school and gifted us with an additional performance. We at Roxhill would like to acknowledge this generous gift and applaud the Schmitz Park PTSA members for their dedication to the educational welfare of Seattle children who live beyond the boundaries of their own school.

We are deeply appreciative,

Pat Bliquez
Roxhill Teacher/Librarian

Carmela Dellino
Roxhill Principal

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West Seattle treats: Menchie’s reveals its Admiral opening date

November 16, 2011 4:24 pm

| 13 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | West Seattle restaurants

Thanks to Melissa for the tip: Via Facebook, Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt has just announced that its Admiral store will open next Monday, November 21st. We first reported in July that Menchie’s was planning to take one of the new retail spaces on the northwest side of the new Admiral Safeway site.

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DEA raids: Search warrant targeted West Seattle dispensary too

November 16, 2011 4:12 pm

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| West Seattle businesses | West Seattle news

We’ve obtained a 37-page federal court document related to Tuesday’s DEA search at GAME Collective in White Center (one of a dozen-plus medical-marijuana establishments searched around Puget Sound) – and they reveal that federal authorities obtained search warrants for GAME Collective locations in West Seattle and North Seattle as well, along with the West Seattle home and car of its owner, and vehicles belonging to others associated with GAME.

The documents reiterate what statements from federal authorities said last night (as included in our Tuesday story), saying that they are not targeting “medical marijuana providers that comply with the letter and the spirit of existing state law,” though marijuana of any type is illegal under federal law. But they allege that five people associated with GAME Collective are suspected of federal crimes including conspiracy to distribute marijuana, distribution of marijuana , and unlawful possession with intent to distribute marijuana. The documents allege that constitutes a “drug-trafficking organization.”

The court documents also show a tie-in between the GAME investigation and the recent “Operation Center of Attention” raids, as well as detailing a series of undercover buys, and even mentioning a mysterious anonymous letter. The investigation of GAME Collective began in late July, at which time, an investigator writes:Read More

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West Seattle roads: Fauntleroy Expressway closures next month

November 16, 2011 2:44 pm

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| Transportation | West Seattle news

You can be forgiven for blocking out the Fauntleroy Expressway Seismic Retrofit Project updates back when Viadoom was looming/semi-happening – but now that it’s over, it’s time to refocus on the work under way on the half-mile southwest end of the West Seattle Bridge. Quick refresher: This project has been under way UNDER the west end of the high bridge, without much effect on traffic, but its next phase will involve lifting sections of the bridge deck – and the ensuing closures (promised to be only at night, and some weekends) WILL affect traffic. When consultant Josh Stepherson was making the rounds of community-group meetings to talk about this, the most recent timeframe he had for these closures to start was “mid-November.” Now that’s here, so we asked him for an update:

The contractor’s plan to lift segments of the Fauntleroy Expressway and replace the bridge bearing pads, as well as, the traffic control plan for the expressway closures has yet to be finalized. As a result, the first expressway closure will take place sometime in December and not November as discussed earlier. Though this work is beginning a bit later than we had originally expected, we do not anticipate it will affect our overall schedule. … In the meantime work continues out on the site to repair some of the expressway’s columns and footings. This is the work that can be seen now if you were to drive by the site.

The project has been in the works for more than two years (here’s what we wrote about it in 2009).

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Menashe & Sons Jewelers: Welcoming a new WSB sponsor

November 16, 2011 1:04 pm

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| West Seattle businesses | West Seattle news

They’re new to the WSB sponsor team but a longtime fixture in West Seattle: Menashe & Sons Jewelers.

Just as the holiday season gets under way, Menashe & Sons invites you to a special evening sale event at the store this Friday, 5-9 pm, with refreshments. More on that later. Here’s what they would like you to know about their business:

Menashe & Sons is the premier fine jeweler in West Seattle, specializing in custom creations and unique jewelry pieces. Since opening our doors in 1973, we have served our Seattle community with an enthusiastic commitment to selling beautiful and quality jewelry pieces. Our full-service store strives to provide all your appraisal and repair needs for jewelry, watches, and clocks. Our dedicated staff will take the time to work with you to ensure you are satisfied in every possible way. (Meet them here.) Menashe & Sons also is proud to offer you the opportunity to create your own unique custom masterpiece. We will work with you to turn your dream jewelry into reality. (Read about the custom-jewelry process, and see photos, here.) Menashe & Sons also is proud to have one of the largest estate jewelry inventories in the state of Washington (as detailed here).

You can follow Menashe & Sons Jewelers on Facebook (here) and Twitter (here). Please also feel free to browse our website and see what we can offer you.

Now, more about the Friday 5-9 pm: Along with “a little bubbly and good cheer,” they’ll be serving hors d’oeuvres and Bakery Nouveau carrot cake. You’ll find Menashe & Sons Jewelers at 4532 California SW; by phone, 206-932-4272.

We thank Menashe & Sons Jewelers for sponsoring independent, community-collaborative neighborhood news on WSB; find our current sponsor team listed in directory format here, and find info on joining the team by going here.

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Update: City Council committee takes up Triangle rezoning

November 16, 2011 10:55 am

| 26 COMMENTS

| Development | Triangle | West Seattle news

10:55 AM: Proposed rezoning for the West Seattle Triangle – and adjacent areas – is going before the City Council’s Committee on the Built Environment during the meeting that’s under way right now (the meeting started at 9, but they had a big agenda). You can watch the live video feed here – click “play”:

(meeting over so video window removed – will add archived video when it’s made available by Seattle Channel, likely later today)

Here’s the presentation they’re being shown about the proposed rezoning, which would rezone some parts of the Triangle/east Junction area to allow 85-foot-high buildings, as well as changing an even-larger area from “commercial” to “neighborhood commercial” zoning, which doesn’t change the height but does change expectations at street level, for example. The Triangle Advisory Committee did not endorse the upzoning, as council staffers are noting in the briefing, but ~~DPD~~ council staff is recommending expanding that upzoning beyond what had previously been discussed. You can read their extensive memo here. It mentions a bombshell dropped recently by the Seattle Planning Commission, which suggested that the concept of a “single iconic tower of 160 feet or more” be considered for the Fauntleroy/Alaska vicinity. That is NOT currently part of the rezoning proposal, but something to keep an eye out for. We’ll add some notes once the meeting is over.

11:51 AM: Meeting’s over. Council staff will draft a bill to be voted on by the committee on November 30th if possible (the sentiment expressed was that they would “like to get this wrapped up by the end of the year” – watch the agendas here). West Seattle-residing Councilmember Tom Rasmussen expressed concerns about zoning in the area of 40th/Oregon, where he expressed appreciation for old bungalows that have townhouses built behind them; he thought that was a more appropriate and “pleasant, unique” use of the land than changing the zoning so those bungalows are all facing demolition and replacement with what he called “schlocky townhouses.” Council President Richard Conlin said he wanted to be sure the “canyon effect” – taller buildings, both sides of the street – wasn’t going to result from changes here. Councilmember Sally Clark (the committee’s chair) said she favors DPD’s proposal and appreciated the firsthand look she got during a recent Triangle walking tour (WSB coverage here). Conlin and Councilmember O’Brien said they’ll probably come out this way for their own firsthand looks.

One other thing discussed, the issue of “hide and ride” parking – Clark said that was raised during the walking tour, and she supports the proposal to have SDOT study the area for potential parking regulation to reduce that possibility.

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West Seattle Crime Prevention Council, report #1: Latest trends

November 16, 2011 10:24 am

| 4 COMMENTS

| Crime | Southwest Precinct Crime Prevention Council | West Seattle news

First set of quick notes from last night’s West Seattle Crime Prevention Council meeting: Southwest Precinct operations Lt. Pierre Davis briefed the group, as usual, on crime-trend highlights:

*Residential burglaries, up 2 percent
*Non-residential burglaries, down 6 percent
*Auto thefts, up 10 percent
*Car prowls “way down” thanks to some recent arrests that “led to others”

Overall, Lt. Davis’s assessment: “We’re getting our bad guys, but there are still a lot more out there.” He stressed that “if you see something, say something” – call 911 if what you see is happening now; don’t worry about possibly “bothering” them with a non-emergency, as the operator’s job is to figure out the best way to route your call. Report #2, coming up – highlights from Metro Transit Police Chief Lisa Mulligan‘s presentation on what her team is all about. (Side note: WSCPC won’t meet in December, so its next meeting is January 17th.)

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Double dose of The WSBeat: What else police have been handling

November 16, 2011 9:48 am

| Comments Off on Double dose of The WSBeat: What else police have been handling

| Crime | West Seattle news | WSBeat

By Megan Sheppard
On the WSBeat, for West Seattle Blog

From reports on cases handled recently by Southwest Precinct officers – two rounds of The WSBeat, compiled over the past few weeks:

*Early Tuesday of last week, a 41-year-old man was walking on 16th SW near SW Elmgrove when he was confronted by a man being pushed in a wheelchair, who yelled out some “territorial” type of threats. Suddenly, the man in the wheelchair jumped up, punched the victim in the face and knocked him backward to the ground. The victim had to be taken to Harborview for treatment of multiple golf ball-sized contusions and lacerations to his head. The attacker — described as an Asian/Pacific Islander male, aged 22-29, with an athletic build and black hair in a ponytail — remains at large.

14 more summaries ahead:Read More

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West Seattle Wednesday: Triangle to Delridge, and beyond!

November 16, 2011 8:44 am

| 2 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

Thanks to Machel Spence for the image of blooming moss in the Lincoln Park frost. A “special weather statement” warns that we might see a rain/snow mix in showers later this week. On to what’s up today/tonight – from the WSB West Seattle Events calendar:

TRIANGLE REZONING: The City Council’s Committee on the Built Environment takes up the West Seattle Triangle rezoning proposal, 9 am, City Hall. They’re not expected to vote today but may do so later this month. We’ll have a separate story up when the meeting gets under way, with Seattle Channel‘s video feed if you’d like to watch the meeting – it’s the last item on the agenda and we won’t put the feed up till it’s getting close, but you can check in on the feed sooner if you want; just go here.

WHITE CENTER DEVELOPMENT’S GRAND OPENING: At 3 pm today, tours and speeches will celebrate the grand opening of Unity Village (formerly Strength of Place Village, co-developed by West Seattle-based Delridge Neighborhoods Development Association).

YARROW SPA GRAND OPENING: 5962 Fauntleroy Way SW is the new home of Yarrow Spa, and they’re inviting you to come celebrate tonight, 4:30-7:30 pm. The opening will feature bites by chef Robin Leventhal, Babycakes by Cupcake Royale, plus specials and giveaways. From the announcement: “Yarrow Spa features 100% organic edible ingredients in all treatments and services.”

SAVVY SEATTLE WOMEN: They’re hosting the free workshop “Short Sales, Foreclosures and You,” with West Seattle real- estate lawyer Sharon E. Best presenting information and answering questions about how short sales and foreclosures can affect you, your credit, and your ability to buy or sell a home. 6-7:30 pm at the Prudential NW Realty office in Jefferson Square, 4700 42nd SW. No registration required; just show up. Info at Facebook.com/SavvySeattleWomen or call 206-708-9800.

DELRIDGE NEIGHBORHOODS DISTRICT COUNCIL: Tonight’s monthly meeting will be highlighted by a discussion of the Delridge Way SW “boulevard” concept, with City Councilmembers Tom Rasmussen and Sally Bagshaw. 7 pm at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center.

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Midway through Movember, West Seattle team is … growing

November 16, 2011 7:38 am

| 12 COMMENTS

| Health | West Seattle news

We’re now halfway through the month that for some men in West Seattle and the rest of the world is better known as “Movember” (combining “moustache” and “November”), as they grow mustaches to raise money and awareness for the Prostate Cancer Foundation and the Livestrong Foundation. Derek Wilson shares news about the local team:

West Seattle has a Movember team, called the West Seattle Mo’s. They are Tony Meats (captain; photo, above left), Ted LeRoy, Erik Walum [photo, above center], Tony Tolmich, Will Reagan, Adam Niles, Colby Perry, Marco Deppe, Benny Luna, Bobby Bowling, Brian Jensen, Jacob Anthis, Jason Bowling, Trevor MacLachlan, Brandon Godfrey, Chase Fitzpatrick, Derek Wilson [photo, above right], Eric Cozens, Jay Ameln, Terry Pilant, Thomas Eckar, and Timothy Pierson.

Founded in Melbourne, Australia in 2004, as a fun and attention getting way to raise money, Movember now has formal campaigns in Australia, New Zealand, the US, Canada, the UK, Finland, the Netherlands, Spain, South Africa and Ireland. Informal campaigns occur in other countries.

Men who join the campaign are Mo Bros. Women can join too as Mo Sistas. Team members have their own Mo Space page on the Movember website with their picture, their motivation for joining the event, their funds raised totals, and a running commentary about their progress through the month.

There are rules. November 1, you start clean-shaven. No jumping the gun. And you are supposed to grow a moustache, not a beard or a goatee. This is moustache-growing as a sporting competition.

To learn more about Movember, go to us.movember.com. Movember is on Facebook and on Twitter, and Movember has a mobile app for iPhone and Android.

Click on the Movember Community button on the Movember website and check out “The Lodge” for some Movember entertainment.

If you would care to donate to the West Seattle team, or any other Movember team, go to the Movember home page, click on the Donate button and use the tools there to find a team. If you donate to the West Seattle Mo’s, they thank you sincerely.