West Seattle Halloween 2012: It was a dark and not-so-stormy night
The rain stopped just in time for the heart of Halloween around West Seattle – and by mid-evening, a spooky moonrise lit up the eastern sky (thanks to Lise for sending the photo from High Point). Speaking of space …
We stopped by the space-themed Skeleton Theatre (which repeats tomorrow night, 6-9 pm!) – was that old-school phone for E.T.? Big crowd at 36th and Hanford. More on that later, including a bit of video. But we started the evening with trick-or-treaters at Westwood Village:
Wyatt’s Jewelers (WSB sponsor) was one of the stores participating in the shopping center’s annual trick-or-treating this evening. They had a “guess how much candy in the jar” contest going, too. At nearby Barnes & Noble, it was book-or-treat:
Of course the staff chose literary themes – that’s “Sherlock Holmes” at left. Now, on to the neighborhoods … From Sunrise Heights – Paul got this trick-or-treat team to sit still for a snapshot:
Cloudia sent photos, including the next two:
Her greeting for you: “Happy Halloween from the Organic Sprouts Daycare and the Haynes household”:
Next, from Natonia – Dom, in the “old-school rapper” outfit:
At the Starbucks drive-through just west of the bridge, Tiea found this character:
Shared with us via Facebook – this photo from Sarah:
And jack-o-lanterns share the spotlight in this photo of Daniel’s son masquerading as an Ewok:
Thanks to everybody who shared photos!
Followup: Ryan Cox charged with hate crime, assault in bus attack
Following up on our Monday report about the latest arrest of 34-year-old Ryan Cox, who first made news for a wave of homophobic graffiti vandalism three years ago: 
The King County Prosecuting Attorney has filed two felony charges against Cox in connection with the baseball-bat attack on a man last Friday, saying the man was attacked because of Cox’s perception of the victim’s sexual orientation. That allegation led to the first charge, malicious harassment – the formal term for “hate crime” – and the second charge is third-degree assault.
The attack happened as Cox and the 31-year-old victim – a stranger to him – were leaving a Metro Route 21 bus in the Luna Park area around 2 pm Friday; police say the man reported being hit about four times, leaving him with fist-sized welts on his back, though he declined medical attention. Cox was arrested the next day after police were called about him screaming homophobic slurs at people in the Solstice Park tennis-courts vicinity, and he is reported to have then confessed to the Friday attack. The prosecution asked today that Cox’s bail remain set at $75,000, and cited a criminal record dating back to 1995, when he was still a juvenile, as well as the “dozens of additional recent property destruction and weapon charges that were dismissed for reasons related to the defendant’s mental health.” (Those are explained in our Monday story, which also noted, as did today’s charging papers, that Cox got out of jail less than two months ago after serving almost three months for violating probation related to a stalking case from last year.) He remains in King County Jail tonight and is scheduled to answer the new charges at arraignment in King County Superior Court on November 14th.
From the WSB Lost/Found Pets page: Jessie’s been found!
ORIGINAL REPORT, 4:44 PM: If you only check the main page here at WSB, you might not be aware that one of our “inside pages” has over the past few years become an online bulletin board for lost/found West Seattle pets (so if you find or lose one, please e-mail us!). There are many reunions – but the latest one is home-page news too.
While most lost/found dog reports are resolved relatively quickly, every so often it takes a while. Take the case of Jessie – who after 11 days has just been found and reunited with her person. You might have seen the flyers with Jessie’s photo all over West Seattle (we noticed one in The Junction just a few hours ago); numerous people have helped search for her – the comment thread on the original “lost” posting tells part of the story.
She ran off after a firecracker spooked her on October 20th; it was warned that she is very skittish, so don’t go after her, just call with the sighting. The sightings were reported from Admiral to Delridge and beyond … then she was finally found this afternoon in Gatewood/Upper Fauntleroy by Brooke, who hadn’t seen the listing but did see a dog on the run and spent an hour trying to get her! Once she did, she called us and asked how to report a found pet; we asked her to send in the info and a photo – and then realized the dog looked like Jessie, so we made sure Brooke saw Jessie’s photo, and that Jessie’s person knew about Brooke’s discovery. Turns out it IS Jessie, and she’s now back home. Thanks to everyone who takes the time out to watch for and/or take care of lost pets.
10:10 PM UPDATE: Here’s a photo of Jessie with her owner Ann at left, finder Brooke at right:
The photo is courtesy of Brooke’s mom Gwen. She explains that Brooke works at Giannoni’s Pizza in Westwood Village, and had to go to work before Ann arrived to pick up Jessie – so they went over to Westwood to meet Brooke.
West Seattle Crime Watch: Car prowlers undeterred by rain
Think it’s less likely that you’ll be targeted by a car prowler if the weather is miserable? Think again. Three of the four most-recent West Seattle Crime Watch reader reports we’ve received are about car prowls on the first day of this rainy week. First, from Admiral:
My car was broken into (Monday morning) between midnight and 8am at 42nd Ave SW and Spokane. They took the entire center column that included an old Alpine stereo and the heating controls. They also took 2 iPods. According to the SPD it was a clean, professional job. They didn’t break any windows or damage the doors to get into the vehicle. Just want to left my neighbors in this area to be aware and avoid leaving valuables in their cars.
Next, two more car break-ins, both in Seaview, plus another case of mailbox tampering:Read More
West Seattle author Mike Hickey marketing novel ‘flash mob’ style
Want to be part of a “flash mob” without leaving your own home/office? Local writer Mike Hickey‘s first novel is going on sale online, and therein lies the opportunity.
Hickey is also a South Seattle Community College (WSB sponsor) faculty member, and he says “some former students have organized a ‘flash mob’ purchase” of his novel, “Counterclockwise,” at exactly 11 am tomorrow (Thursday, November 1st). He says it’s an attempt to at least briefly “break onto the Amazon.com bestseller list, albeit for a brief duration.”
What’s the book about? “It’s 1980, Tucson, Arizona, and a grocery store clerk becomes friends with a world-famous rock singer. Their friendship inspires each to face their respective pasts and the demons that seem to be sabotaging their respective futures.” He adds, “This book started as a series of related short stories in 1978. It is a thirty-four-year-old dream come true!”
Even if it sounds interesting now, Hickey says, consider waiting till 11 am tomorrow (Pacific time) – he’s asking friends and relatives (and you if you’d like to help!) to spread the word everywhere they can. (You can share this on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, multiple other places by using the “Share This” link below the story, same as ANY story on WSB.) Just to see what happens. The link for buying it from Amazon is here.
You can also meet Mike (who you may also know as Seattle’s Poet Populist) at his book-launch party, 7 pm November 14 at Feedback Lounge (WSB sponsor) – “free appetizers and lots of fun.”
Another West Seattle walk: Take an ‘urban field tour’ Saturday
The Feet First series of three West Seattle neighborhood walks was such a hit, they added a fourth – and there’s still room to join it at 1 pm this Saturday:
Join Feet First Watershed Walks Ambassador Timothy Lowry, PE, LEED AP, transportation and watershed planner on an urban field tour of the High Point neighborhood. High Point is ten percent of the Longfellow Creek watershed; this tour follows up on Feet First Neighborhood Walking Ambassador Bryan Fiedorczyk’s Watershed Walk of Longfellow Creek. Experience High Point’s innovative community planning and sustainable design. We will walk the venerable and diverse Smart Growth neighborhood and see examples of green buildings, mobility connections to transit, parks, and Longfellow Creek. We will also see Low Impact Development/natural Green Stormwater Infrastructure installations. Approaching a decade in the ground, the Natural Drainage Systems, tree retention, landscape amenities and permeable pavements have matured into a very pleasing, walkable and desirable urban neighborhood.
It’s free (leaving from the High Point Library at 35th/Raymond), but FF does ask that you RSVP – which you can do by going here.
West Seattle schools: Sealth hosts Bosnia-Herzegovina visitors & holds ‘mock’ vote
Two memorable events at Chief Sealth International High School on Tuesday – one that relates to the “international” part of its name:
(Photo courtesy Noah Zeichner; subsequent 4 are by WSB’s Patrick Sand)
Students in Noah Zeichner‘s social-studies classes got to meet 18 of their counterparts from Bosnia and Herzegovina, visiting as part of a youth-leadership program sponsored by a division of the U.S. State Department. (Interestingly, while they were at Sealth, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton was visiting Bosnia.) Along with the Seattle stop, the visitors also are going to the state Capitol in Olympia – and to the “other Washington” as well.
This is the first of their three weeks in the U.S. Teacher Zeichner, by the way, had a Sealth alum on hand to help – Kylee Schmuck had been to Bosnia, we’re told, and was able to do some interpreting:
While all that was going on, so was an event of national import, hinted at in the T-shirt Zeichner wore: Throughout the day, Sealth students spent time in the library, casting their votes by computer in a national “mock election”:
They are among about a million students nationwide voting between October 22nd and November 1st, using what’s described as “a state-of-the art online voting system” in a program sponsored by the Youth Leadership Initiative, a national civic-education program based at the University of Virginia Center for Politics.
Election results are supposed to be available next Monday – one day before the “real” U.S. election; nationwide, students voted in U.S. House and Senate and governor races as well as the presidential contest.
First Friday: West Seattle Rotarians invite you to ‘hang out,’ & help
The Rotary Club of West Seattle is reaching beyond its regular Tuesday meetings for another opportunity to meet community members and help neighbors in need:
The Rotary Club of West Seattle is known as the fun club. While we have serious meetings and have serious goals to help the community, on the First Friday we meet at a West Seattle watering hole for friendship and libations.
In October, The First Friday was a success on a couple of levels. First we had non-Rotarians join us to just hang out. We also gathered 180 pounds of food and three boxes of paper for printers. This was all donated to the West Seattle Food Bank.
This Friday (November 2nd), we will be meeting at The Cask again (located at 2350 California Ave SW from 5 PM till 7PM). And we want to try it again; this time we are looking for gently used coats, gloves, scarves. If your kids have outgrown their coat, bring it. If your coat is out of style and clogging your closet bring it. The West Seattle Helpline will be accepting the donations; given in West Seattle, used in West Seattle.
Question? Contact Rotary publicity chair Dave Nichols, dave@disasterdave.com.
West Seattle Weather Watch: 2 more inches of rain possible
While the flood watch in effect for King County is mostly because of rising rivers, there’s now also a “special weather statement” for the entirety of the county – and it says that some areas have seen an inch of rain already today, with up to two more possible before this starts easing tomorrow afternoon. We’ll be keeping watch as always – please let us know if have any storm-related (or other) news to share.
West Seattle Halloween: Sneak peek at all-new Skeleton Theatre
(Photos by Nick Adams for WSB)
For years, they’ve rocked out – and this year, they’re spaced out. With an all-new space theme, and other overhauls, the animatronic extravaganza Skeleton Theatre 2012 is almost ready to go, for performances Wednesday (Halloween) night and Thursday (November 1st) night on the lawn at the southwest corner of 36th and Hanford, rain or shine.
WSB contributing photojournalist Nick Adams visited last night as the crew got ready for the seventh year of Halloween-time shows:
(Michael Wellborn, working on audio setup)
Our behind-the-scenes preview continues, ahead:Read More
Neighborhood crimefighting: New Block Watch in the making
In the neighborhood you might call south Morgan Junction or western Gatewood, neighbors are joining forces to take the most effective action in fighting crime – watching out for each other. They’ll be going around the neighborhood with invitations, but here’s an early alert, in case you’re in that neighborhood or know someone who is:
Our townhome complex has noticed increased suspicious behavior and crime in our neighborhood, so we are coming together to start a Block Watch. Join us for a kick-off meeting, where we can all meet each other and a Seattle Police Department Crime Prevention Coordinator will help us get organized and share crime prevention tips.
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
7:00-8:30 pm
Gatewood Elementary’s Lunchroom (4320 SW Myrtle St)
Being a part of the Block Watch will not require much work on your end – just a commitment to watching out for each other and reporting any suspicious activity. For more information, visit seattle.gov/police/blockwatch. Hope you can join us!
Your neighbors in the townhomes off California & Myrtle
c/o Kati Davich
Kati.Davich@gmail.com
Kati says the area they’re targeting is roughly “on California from Frontenac to Othello and on Myrtle from Fauntleroy,” but others in the vicinity are welcome too. (And to everyone who has or is forming a Block Watch – be sure to get involved with the West Seattle Blockwatch Captains Network, too!)
Green Seattle Day on Saturday: Where will YOU help out?
Saturday is “Green Seattle Day” – your next chance to spend a few hours taking care of our cherished greenspaces, 10 am-2 pm. Two West Seattle organizations have invitations to share, in case you haven’t already signed up yet. First – the photo above, and the first invite, is from Friends of Lincoln Park:
Join Friends of Lincoln Park for GREEN SEATTLE DAY! Hosted by Green Seattle Partnership, Green Seattle Day is our big planting day of the year. We’ve worked hard to prepare the site and we’ll have about 250 plants, trees and lots of mulch. Starbucks is providing us with coffee and rumor has it Lisa and Sharon are planning to bake, so should be a very fun time! You can register here for this event. Here are the details:
*Meet at the kiosk in the north parking lot (Fauntleroy Way SW and SW Rose St)
*Dress in NW layers with rain gear and sturdy shoes/boots
*We’ll have tools and gloves, or bring your own
*We’ll be planting on the north side of trail 9 in the middle of the park. If you’re late, check the map in the kiosk to see where we are (we’ll have it marked). Hope you can join us! Please contact us with any questions: Sharon Baker: sabaker41@gmail.com or Lisa McGinty: lmcginty206@gmail.com. Or visit our site: friendsoflincolnpark.org
And the Nature Consortium is getting the word out about its designated site in eastern West Seattle:
Help keep Seattle green! Without a coordinated effort, Seattle is at risk of losing 70% of its forests in just 20 years. The Green Seattle Partnership, along with community members and nonprofits, is rallying volunteers to help save the city’s forests by pitching in on November 3rd.
The biggest forest in the city happens to be right here in West Seattle. At more than 500 acres, the West Duwamish Greenbelt is the largest contiguous forest remaining in Seattle and faces threats from invasive plants like Himalayan blackberry and English ivy. Those wanting to pitch in on Green Seattle Day can join West Seattle nonprofit Nature Consortium in the greenbelt to remove invasive plants and install new trees and shrubs.
In keeping with their mission to connect people, arts, and nature, Nature Consortium hires local musicians to play at their volunteer events. The November 3rd event at the West Duwamish Greenbelt will feature live music by the Rabbit Stew String Band and saxophonist Brian Kent. To volunteer with Nature Consortium on Green Seattle Day, sign up at www.naturec.org/volunteer.
4755 Fauntleroy Way mega-project: 1st look at 2nd Design Review ‘packet’
With nine days to go till the second Early Design Guidance review of the biggest project on the boards for West Seattle right now, 4755 Fauntleroy Way SW, the information/graphics “packet” for the meeting is already available online – see it here (but be forewarned, it’s a 33-MB PDF). This means those who are interested have plenty of time for homework before it comes back to the Southwest Design Review Board on November 8th. Above, the concept for the two-building site, as if you were looking toward the Fauntleroy/Alaska corner (keep in mind, this is still the “early” phase, which means this is for size and shape, aka “massing,” not for any sort of final appearance). Next, the frontage along Fauntleroy (drugstore to the left, grocery to the right and wrapping around Alaska – also note the “mid-block connector” which goes through to 40th SW on the other side):
The proposal includes 43,000 square feet for a grocery store, 14,000 square feet for a drugstore, about 8,000 square feet for other retailers (no the tenants have been announced yet), more than 350 apartments, and an underground parking garage. The revised documents also includes sketches of loading-ramp options, a big topic of discussion at the first meeting last month (WSB coverage here), along with alleys. Here’s the overhead view (40th at top, Fauntleroy at bottom, the Masonic Hall property – which is NOT part of the project – at top left) including the landscape plan:
Next week’s review is part of a Design Review Board doubleheader, with 4724 California‘s second review (no “design packet” from them yet) at 6:30 pm and this one at 8 pm, both at the Senior Center of West Seattle (California/Oregon). There is a public-comment period in which you will have the opportunity to get up and speak about your observations – providing they relate to the design; other comments can be sent to the project’s assigned city planner, Bruce Rips, at bruce.rips@seattle.gov.
About Arbor Heights: Route 22 tweak, and Metro’s next steps
Thanks to a tip and photo from Vic, we reported Sunday night that Metro has made a change to Route 22 service through Arbor Heights. The question remained – what else is Metro doing about adjusting Arbor Heights service? Here’s an update from county spokesperson Jeff Switzer, starting with the formal announcement of last weekend’s change:
King County Metro Transit has revised the last evening trip for Route 22 in West Seattle to make the service more consistent.
The last evening trip from Alaska Junction now continues beyond 26th Avenue Southwest and Roxbury Street, turns west on Southwest 106th Street, turns north on 35th Avenue Southwest and right on Roxbury Street. The bus then goes out of service.
The change went into effect last week, and was added to the Metro online trip planner Oct. 27. The information will be updated in the February 2013 printed timetable.
Metro staff also are reviewing other options for Route 22 that would provide service through Arbor Heights. This will require additional operating funds, which must come from Metro’s limited service contingency. Any change to the routing would most likely take place in conjunction with an upcoming Metro service and schedule change. These changes occur three times per year: February, June, and September.
The Arbor Heights cuts were a big topic two weeks ago at Sustainable West Seattle‘s Transportation Forum, and a Metro rep said there that they expected to make changes.
West Seattle Tuesday: Halloween eve, including 2 spooky screenings
(Monday rainbow, by Don Brubeck from West Seattle Bicycle Connections)
Not likely we’ll see rainbows today – the rain may be even heavier in the afternoon, according to the National Weather Service.
TALK TO YOUR SCHOOL-BOARD MEMBER: West Seattle board rep Marty McLaren‘s next community-conversation meeting is 9:45 am today at Concord International Elementary School in South Park.
BREAST-CANCER-FIGHTING FUNDRAISER: Shop today at West Seattle Runner (California/Charlestown; WSB sponsor) and part of your purchase goes to fight breast cancer, via West Seattle’s own Team Tracy. The shop opens at 10 am. More info on this Facebook event page.
TODDLER PUMPKIN-PALOOZA: It’s a Halloween-time tradition at High Point Community Center – 10 am-noon. Pumpkin painting, carnival games, more ($5 admission).
TAKE A HIKE: Tot Trek – Happy Halloween Hike at Camp Long, 10:30 am – 11:45 am. Adults, explore the wonders of nature with your toddler. Join a Seattle volunteer naturalist for an exploration of some of the animals associated with Halloween. Be sure to wear your Halloween costume. No strollers, please. All children must be accompanied by an adult. One adult may accompany up to two children. $8 adult/child pair. $4 each additional person. Call 206-684-7435 ASAP to see if there’s still room!
OPEN HOUSE: Hope Lutheran School‘s middle-school open house is tonight – 42nd and Oregon, 6:30 pm.
‘SCARE NIGHT’ AT ADMIRAL THEATER: Two spooky (and then some) Halloween movies are being screened at the historic Admiral Theater tonight – “Night of the Living Dead” and John Carpenter’s “Halloween.” 6:45 pm and 8:50 pm – see the calendar page for listings on both.
More on the calendar – and, through tomorrow night, the WSB Halloween page!
Poker, prizes, and dinner! Join West Seattle basketball boosters
You’re invited to play poker, enjoy dinner, and vie for prizes this Saturday night, at a fun(draiser) presented by the West Seattle Basketball Boosters. Just announced:
Come join the West Seattle basketball community and friends for a “Texas Hold ’em Poker” fundraiser to sponsor our players and their efforts to travel to a 2012 holiday basketball tournament in Las Vegas in December. All proceeds go to travel costs. Dinner is at 4 pm, and the poker tourney starts at 5 pm. Ticket includes dinner, poker chips, and a chance to win prizes, such as Husky football tickets, Safeway and Starbucks gift cards, and more!
November 3rd (this Saturday) 4 pm-10 pm at St. John the Baptist Episcopal Church, 3050 California Ave SW (map)
For more details, visit our website at wsbasketballboosters.com – buy tickets online there, or at the door for $50
Questions? Please contact our West Seattle Basketball Booster President Pierre Newsome at (206) 227-5386 or e-mail jpnewsome@comcast.net. West Seattle Basketball Booster Club is a Non-Profit 501-c(3)
TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: Reports from a rainy Tuesday
(Live view from the only WS Bridge camera currently in operation; see other cameras on the WSB Traffic page)
6:54 AM: Once again this morning, the rain is the main challenge as drivers/riders head out – and this may be the rainiest day of the week.
7:24 AM: One report from the bridge, via Twitter – slower going than usual. No incidents reported, so perhaps just the rain.
9:06 AM: Crash just reported southbound 99 at the Battery Street Tunnel. Don’t know yet how many lanes are affected.
9:46 AM UPDATE: Per the scanner, the tunnel is reopening.
11:29 AM UPDATE: Battery St. Tunnel is a hot spot today. Now there’s a crash just south of it, in the NORTHBOUND 99 lanes.
1:10 PM: That’s clear now, by the way. But WSDOT has sent an overall alert for the rest of today and for tomorrow:
Commuters should buckle up and prepare for a long, soggy ride home this afternoon and another wet drive Wednesday morning.
Heavy rain is forecasted in the Puget Sound area and is expected to last through the peak commute times. Drivers should increase their following distance and leave plenty of room to stop on wet roads. With the mix of weather and traffic, some may want to consider adjusting their schedule to leave early or wait to head out until later in the commute.
Washington State Department of Transportation maintenance crews are working ahead of the weather to keep roadside drains clear of debris, so water doesn’t pool onto the roadway. However, fall leaves are still blowing and drains can clog quickly. Crews will service drains as soon as possible, but drivers should try to avoid standing water on the roadway.
2:02 PM: Battery St. Tunnel yet again – northbound, this time. Also trouble on NB 5 by the Convention Center.
West Seattle schools: ‘Creepy Crawly’ celebration at Lafayette
Today, Lafayette Elementary second-grade teacher Dano Beal takes his Room 26 second-graders to Camp Long for their annual “Spider Safari and Feast,” a tradition for almost 20 years. On Monday, he was already in the spirit, dressed as a spider (above), while the entirety of Lafayette’s second grade – four classrooms – enjoyed their 15th annual “Spider and Creepy Crawly Tea.” In teacher Kayleen Diaz‘s class, we found students masquerading as amphibians:
And there was even amphibian – OK, frog, to be precise – bread:
Teachers Michael Fletcher and Sheila McBeth presided over a fun day too. This wasn’t just a one-day event, but rather a culmination of work that involved, according to Mr. Beal, “researching all sorts of creepy critters” as well as reports and more than 60 displays – all of the latter made of fruits and vegetables!
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