West Seattle, Washington
18 Thursday
Sunday is looking bigger all the time. It starts with the West Seattle 5K run-walk (Alki, 9 am; register 1-4 pm tomorrow at West Seattle High School or 8 am Sunday at the race site if you’re not signed up already) – continues with Seattle Summer Streets (aka “car-free day”) along the heart of Alki from 11 am-5 pm (growing list of activities!) – and then, how about a partial solar eclipse peaking in early evening? (The weather’s not too promising now but you know how quickly things can change.) Our partners at the Seattle Times have some NW-geared info; more details, including links to important info about safe eclipse-viewing, are on Space.com. (And of course West Seattleite-written AlicesAstroInfo.com has lots of info too.)
City crews spent much of this week repaving part of the section of Beach Drive that has had enough pits and ruts to rattle you from scalp to sole, and shake up the inner workings of your car/truck/motorcycle/bicycle, too. So we drove it this evening to show you the transformation – of the actual repaired section, anyway. Our :43 clip starts with the non-repaired section beneath the slide-plagued slope that has sparked a court fight (with mediation ahead, the city says), and then you’ll see how it transitions to the repaved section, in the 6200 block and a bit further south. Didn’t have the tripod in the car, so we dubbed the result Bumpycam, but it’s an accurate representation – try for yourself. (“Before” photo in our original May 8th report.)
For the second time this year, a worker’s been killed in a Harbor Island incident. Three months ago, a Vigor Shipyard worker died after a fall; last night, a forklift driver at Terminal 18 was killed, according to our partners at the Seattle Times. Seattle Fire crews were summoned last night, and SFD spokesperson Kyle Moore tells WSB, “We responded to Terminal 18 last night to reports of a person falling. When firefighters arrived, the workers at the dock had already freed the patient from being trapped. Apparently the mast of the forklift dropped and trapped the man between the mast and the roof of the forklift. The man was in and out of consciousness. Seattle Fire Paramedics rushed the man to Harborview Medical Center with life-threatening injuries.” He later died, and the longshore workers’ union, ILWU Local 19, called a 24-hour work stoppage at the terminal, as per custom after a fatality. The man has not yet been publicly identified.
He wasn’t originally on the program, but Seattle Police Chief John Diaz was a last-minute addition to this afternoon’s ceremony at West Seattle’s Forest Lawn Cemetery, paying tribute to the 58 members of the force who have lost their lives in the line of duty.
The SPD Honor Guard carried the flags, and the relatively new Seattle Police Pipes and Drums made their first Forest Lawn appearance. The podium stood where a permanent memorial to Seattle’s fallen officers will be built, within a year or two, as Forest Lawn’s David Salove explained. Here’s our video of the entire 48-minute event:
Keynote speaker was retired Sgt. Frank Kampsen, who founded the Washington State Law Enforcement Memorial Foundation; the state memorial was dedicated in Olympia in 2006. In our photo below, he is second from right; second from left is Deputy Chief Nick Metz, who also spoke; Chief Diaz is between them:
Sgt. Kampsen recalled how his career in both the U.S. Marine Corps and SPD led him down a path of ensuring proper tributes for those who made the ultimate sacrifice. “Never forget these heroes – never,” he said, concluding with, for those who serve now, advice to remember: “Your profession is law enforcement. Your job is to come home at the end of your shift.”
Members of two slain officers’ families were also among the more than 60 people there: Officers Joselito Barber, killed by a speeding driver in 2006, and Timothy Brenton, the West Seattle High School graduate killed in 2009. Coincidentally, Officer Brenton’s accused killer was in court today; the judge set his trial for this September.
Today’s ceremony was followed by a lunch hosted by Forest Lawn:
To get involved with the planning and construction of the Seattle Police Memorial there, call 206-932-0050.
Two West Seattle Crime Watch reader reports this afternoon – a burglary attempt and car vandalism – read on for both:Read More
Animal advocates are trying to find out who’s responsible for abusing a starved dog that did not survive. The Seattle Animal Shelter sent this release:
The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) is offering a reward of up to $2,500 for information leading to the identification, arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for this atrocious act of negligence.
On Saturday, May 12, an emaciated dog was found in the 9400 block of 26th Avenue Southwest. The badly emaciated dog was immediately rushed to a veterinary clinic but did not survive.
Details of where the dog had been for the last 30 days are unknown. If you recognize the dog and have seen him or know where he has been over the past several weeks please call Seattle Animal Shelter Enforcement Supervisor Ann Graves at (206)386-4288. The case number is 5319. Any information about the dog’s whereabouts is vital to helping determine the circumstances around the dog’s condition.
“To intentionally starve an animal that relies solely on you for its care is a truly heinous act,” said Dan Paul, Washington state director for The Humane Society of the United States. “Americans have no tolerance for this type of abuse against the creatures who share our world.”
Animal cruelty is a Class C felony punishable by 5 years in prison, a $10,000 fine or both.
The Seattle Animal Shelter is available for field operations seven days per week, 9:15 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. The phone number is (206) 386-PETS (7387).
A photo of the dog, while it was receiving veterinary care, can be seen here.
(Photos courtesy Puget Soundkeeper Alliance)
Thanks to work this week by Puget Soundkeeper Alliance, in cooperation with the state Natural Resources department and Seattle Parks, there’s less toxic creosote on Lincoln Park’s beach right now – and that means less in the marine ecosystem. Earlier this week, crews were out at Lincoln Park with an excavator and chainsaws – operated by the state Ecology Department’s Washington Conservation Corps – to remove what was estimated to total about eight tons of washed-up logs contaminated with creosote, long used as a preservative.
Thanks to Puget Soundkeeper’s pollution-prevention coordinator Barbara Owens for the photos; she says the downtown waterfront saw a similar project two years ago, in the Myrtle Edwards/Olympic Sculpture Parks‘ vicinity.
Tomorrow you have at least three chances to get out and help clean up local neighborhoods! Spring Clean events are planned in Puget Ridge, Highland Park, and White Center. And we’ve just received a request to put out the call for volunteers on behalf of Puget Ridge – from Tasha Mosher:
Residents of Puget Ridge will be cleaning up the neighborhood as part of the City’s annual Spring Clean campaign tomorrow from 10 am to noon. Neighbors will meet at 5644 17th Ave SW to pick up supplies and form work teams at 9:30 am.
Other neighbors will be meeting at 10 am at Sanislo Elementary, including the team that will be cleaning and restoring the natural area at the school. There will also be a team cleaning the Myrtle steps as a combined effort with volunteers from the North Delridge Neighborhood Council.
If you can help tomorrow, just show up in one of those spots! As for the other two = White Center Spring Clean has ended registration for participants, but Highland Park is welcoming help, and you can get details here. Anybody else spring cleaning tomorrow?
So far, we’ve reported on Bike to Work Day and the St. John’s rummage sale, but for more of today/tonight’s highlights – including the WestSide Baby fun(draiser) “Shake, Rattle & Roll” tonight, and the Seattle Police Memorial ceremony this afternoon – we’ll have to point you to the WSB Events Calendar (where you can preview some of this weekend’s events too).
P.S. If you missed this last night – here’s our roundup of major traffic alerts ahead, including this weekend’s Alaskan Way Viaduct/99 closure and the Sunday advisories on Alki.
Six days after the 8th annual West Seattle Community Garage Sale Day, garage/yard/rummage sale season rolls on – and there’s a biggie these next two days, at St. John the Baptist Episcopal Church. We stopped by during prep work on Thursday and found, among other things, what you see above – a Wild West outfit made from duct tape. Many more-conventional items too, of course:
St. John’s is just south of West Seattle High School, at California/Hanford. The sale runs 9 am-3 pm today and tomorrow.
7:22 AM: Till 9 am, there’s a “commute station” on the west end of the low bridge, with Alki Bike and Board on hand (among others). Thanks to Shannon for the top photo; we’re on our way to check it out, along with new White Center B2W Day participants Caffé Delia and Dubsea Coffee, all with treats and more till 9.
(WSB photo by Patrick Sand, added 8:44 am)
ADDED 7:28 AM: Don Brubeck, a WS bicycle commuter whose photos have often appeared here, just called in from the station by the bridge. He told us, “Lots of bikers are going by; people are stopping at the Alki Bike and Board stop and getting their tires pumped up” – about 11 riders are there right now, and about half a dozen staffing the station. It’s cloudy, but no drizzle. We also talked for a moment to ABB’s Stu Hennessey, who says it’s been busy!
ADDED 9:04 AM: After finishing his bike commute, Don shared that shot from the road – actually, the bike/pedestrian path on the low bridge. His report (with a promise of a few more pix later):
Stu and Louie from Alki Bike and Board were helping people with air in tires, lube on chains, free tubes, and in one attached picture [below], Stu and Monica from SDOT’s bike program group were giving route advice to someone who wanted to know the best route to ride to Burien for her ride this morning.
Matt Johnson and Long Vo from BECU were there with schwag for riders and snagging potential customers. Matt is a West Seattleite.
Rob and Ray, who work at Nuun electrolyte drink company in the I.D., were giving out samples. They ride from West Seattle at least some of the time.
Car traffic was lighter than usual on the low level bridge. Could it be due to more people on bikes instead? Or, just Friday?
Our crew stopped at Caffé Delia in downtown WC – photos are on our partner site White Center Now.
The family of Mimi Feisst says her memorial service is planned for 1:30 pm this Sunday (May 20th) at The Sanctuary at Admiral (2656 42nd SW). Here’s their remembrance of her:
Mimi (Marilyn Jean) Summersby Feisst passed away peacefully, surrounded by her family, at Good Samaritan Hospital in Puyallup, Washington, on the 29th of April after battling cancer for several months. She was preceded in death by her mother and father, Annette and H. Samuel (Sam) Bartel, and husband Allan Feisst. Mimi is survived by son Scott Summersby and granddaughter Taylor of Florida, daughter Kristen Summersby, daughter Dana Brooks, son-in-law Jim Brooks, grandchildren Zachary, Zahn and Allyson, foster daughter Susan Tekola, son-in-law Fasil Tekola, grandchildren Tanesha, Sarra, Sophie and Nataly, sister Janet Deardorff and husband Jerry Deardorff, niece Molly, nephew Christopher, all of Washington, sister Susan Bartel and partner Lorraine Tarrant (of New Zealand), nephew Ian MacDonald (of Washington), and niece Sarah Bartel (of New Zealand).
Mimi’s first love was her family.
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