day : 15/10/2012 12 results

ORIGINAL REPORT, 11:46 PM MONDAY: While we upload video and put together the full story, we did want to share a few toplines from tonight’s well-attended Sustainable West Seattle Community Forum, focused on transportation.

We estimate around 60 people filled the upstairs hall at the Senior Center of West Seattle, surprising one panelist, City Councilmember Tom Rasmussen, who had brought only 20 copies of a handout he wanted to circulate. Though the panel was prepared to discuss a wide range of transportation topics, the Metro changes/RapidRide C Line debut dominated, and when one attendee asked everyone from Arbor Heights to stand up, that covered about half the room. Metro planner Victor Obeso acknowledged the transition had been rocky and when asked by one attendee to apologize, did so. Later he also confirmed they expect to make some changes to address problems like Arbor Heights’ dramatic reduction in service, and that they are trying to get the RapidRide service to the promised 10-minute spacing, rather than multiple buses in a row after longer gaps. The forum ran the full two hours, and we have it all on video:

ADDED 6:57 AM TUESDAY: Video added. Text to come later ~~this morning~~ today.

ADDED 6:40 PM: Our full story, after the jump:

Share This

Followup: Subject of last week’s Highland Park search now in custody

October 15, 2012 7:31 pm

| 8 COMMENTS

| Crime | Highland Park | West Seattle news | White Center

(October 10th photo by WSB co-publisher Patrick Sand)
Just in from King County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Cindi West:

30-year-old Emanuel Kozma was arrested tonight around 6:30 pm in the Denny’s parking lot at S170sth and Pacific Hwy in SeaTac. He was the subject that King County Sheriff detectives chased on the 10th in the White Center area.

Detectives said he will be booked for investigation of Eluding, Assault 1, and Unlawful Possession of Firearm. The case will be forwarded to the prosecutor’s office for review. He was caught due to persistent work from detectives!

Here’s our coverage from last Wednesday. Kozma had just gotten out of jail three hours before the chase/search, after a White Center drug arrest. Deputies started pursuing him in WC, and then he ran after the car he was driving flipped at 17th and Trenton.

Share This

Update: Search called off for person missing off lower West Seattle Bridge

October 15, 2012 5:33 pm

| 71 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | WS breaking news

(Photos by Christopher Boffoli for WSB)
5:33 PM: Now there’s a new incident – someone reported to have fallen or jumped off the south side of the lower West Seattle Bridge. Needless to say, the entire area below the bridges is a mess, with emergency equipment everywhere.

5:35 PM UPDATE: The person is reported to be in the water, hanging onto a piling. They’re sending divers into the water to help.

5:57 PM: Fire/rescue crews are on both sides of the surface beneath the bridge, but they aren’t seeing the person right now, and are still saying he (that’s the pronoun they are using) is believed to have jumped off the lower bridge’s south side.

6:11 PM: Per the scanner, a bicycle helmet and vest were found, not in the water, possibly linked to the person they’re looking for.

The low bridge is still closed both ways because of this.

6:33 PM UPDATE: From the scanner, police and fire have agreed the low bridge can be reopened. But the search continues.

A Coast Guard vessel is reported to be joining the search.

7:18 PM UPDATE: As pointed out in comments and by SFD via Twitter, this is now considered to be a “recovery” effort, with Seattle Police taking the lead (its divers have been searching along with SFD divers).

That means they don’t have much hope they’ll find the person alive.

7:24 PM UPDATE: WSB’s Christopher Boffoli at the search scene says the effort is winding up – nothing’s been found in the water.

MONDAY MORNING, 9 AM: We checked with Seattle Police spokesperson Det. Mark Jamieson this morning. He says that police found a wallet and cell phone at the spot on the bridge where the person was reported to have gone into the river, but he doesn’t know yet what followup has been done to see if the person to whom they belong is missing.

Share This

West Seattle traffic alert: Rollover crash on north end of Delridge

October 15, 2012 5:05 pm

| 24 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | WS breaking news

(Photo shared by John Douglas via Facebook)
5:05 PM: Fire and police crews have rushed to a rollover crash that’s on the north end of Delridge near Fire Station 36. At least one person is reported to be trapped in the wreckage. More as we get it.

5:13 PM: Traffic trouble if you’re getting off bridge at Delridge, per a bus rider in comments. Also, per the scanner, the person has just been rescued from the wreckage.

5:26 PM: TV helicopter over the scene. The person who was trapped in the car has been extricated. She is described as the driver, about 28 years old, going to Harborview Medical Center. A 30-year-old man got out of the car on his own and is not described as being seriously hurt but he’s going to the hospital in a private ambulance to be checked out. The TV chopper over the area is here because of the crash.

Share This

West Seattle Crime Watch: Youngstown nonprofits hit by burglars, again; other break-ins

October 15, 2012 3:25 pm

| 14 COMMENTS

| Crime | West Seattle news

3:25 PM ORIGINAL REPORT: Three break-ins to report in West Seattle Crime Watch – first, one announced in a news release just received from The Nature Consortium:

Late Thursday night, thieves broke into the boiler room at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center and attempted to steal data servers belonging to Nature Consortium and Southwest Interagency Academy. Nature Consortium employees discovered the break-in when servers were not operational on Friday morning.

This is the fifth break-in at the Youngstown building this year, and tenants have urged the need for increased security. The historic school building is owned by the Delridge Neighborhoods Development Association, which has significantly reduced staff support for the building in recent years due to budget problems.

The thieves entered the boiler room though a manhole in the sewer, removed several data servers from the room and abandoned them nearby. Two of the units were discovered the next morning in the Delridge Park across the street. Both Nature Consortium and the Interagency Academy were able to recover their servers and no data was lost.

“We’re really fortunate that we were able to recover everything,” says Development Coordinator Lindsay von Marbod, who discovered the break-in Friday morning. “We could have lost all of our files, not to mention the dollar value of those servers. We’re really lucky.”

Two other reader reports about burglaries, ahead (PLUS, ADDED 4 PM, 2 OTHER NEW CRIME WATCH REPORTS):Read More

Share This

West Seattle Weather Watch: 45 mph wind possible, per advisory

October 15, 2012 1:39 pm

| 9 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | West Seattle weather

West Seattle’s first wind advisory of fall takes effect at 5 pm tonight, according to the National Weather Service, and will remain in effect till 5 tomorrow morning. We could get gusts up to 45 mph tonight, according to the alert. Separate from the alert, the forecast says we might see thunderstorms, too.

Share This

‘Be Here, Get There’ launch to bring Mayor, Superintendent to Roxhill Elementary School tomorrow

October 15, 2012 11:58 am

| 2 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

Two more high-profile visitors will be in West Seattle tomorrow, we have just confirmed. Mayor McGinn and Superintendent José Banda will be at Roxhill Elementary tomorrow morning for the 2012-2013 launch of “Be Here, Get There,” the incentives/education campaign to boost attendance in Seattle Public Schools. When we interviewed Roxhill principal Sahnica Washington recently, she talked about attendance as a challenge, even in elementary grades. It’s a citywide priority, and it’ll be discussed at tomorrow’s event by not only McGinn and Banda but also community organizations like the YMCA (WSB sponsor).

Share This

Firefighter Story Time to bring Fire Chief Dean to High Point tomorrow

October 15, 2012 11:43 am

| Comments Off on Firefighter Story Time to bring Fire Chief Dean to High Point tomorrow

| High Point | West Seattle news

(2011 SFD photo)
We often feature the Seattle Public Library‘s story times on the WSB West Seattle Events Calendar – and once in a while, they feature special guests. Tomorrow “Firefighter Story Time” is scheduled at the High Point Library branch – and we’ve just learned that Fire Chief Gregory Dean will be the special guest, promoting fire safety and literacy. An SFD announcement says the chief “will read ‘No Dragons for Tea‘ to dozens of preschool children … Important safety messages include ‘Firefighters are your friend,’ ‘Crawl low under smoke’ and ‘Get out and stay out’.” You’re welcome to bring your preschooler – 1:30 pm tomorrow (Tuesday, October 16th). The library is at 35th/Raymond.

Share This

West Seattle Monday: Cooking Club; transportation talk; Delridge Co-op’s invitation…

October 15, 2012 9:15 am

| 3 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

Welcome to a new week! Half a dozen Monday highlights, from the WSB West Seattle Events Calendar:

WEST SEATTLE COOKING CLUB: Fennel and carrot – those are the ingredients for the WSCC’s meeting this afternoon, 3 pm, Beveridge Place Pub. Details here.

MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL: Now that the Feedback Lounge (WSB sponsor; 6451 California SW) has a big screen, they’re showing the weekly big game too. 5 pm tonight.

COPPER COIN OPENS: As reported here last week, the new restaurant in The Admiral District (2329 California SW) plans its “soft open” at 5 pm tonight. Besides food, they’ll be big on beer – here’s the West Seattle-published Washington Beer Blog preview on that. P.S. Their menu is here.

DELRIDGE PRODUCE COOPERATIVE: The announcement we received over the weekend:

Calling all West Seattleites and White Centerists! Neighborhood organizers, Chatty Cathies, pretty brochure makers, graphic designers, t-shirt printers, healthy eaters, gardeners, grocery workers, co-op believers, good people and the persnickety detail-oriented! Join us for our monthly public meeting, (tonight) at 6:30 pm at the Delridge Library. We need our community’s support to make this co-op happen!

Agenda items:
– pumpkin walk at the West Seattle Harvest Festival – Can you help?
– community representation at neighborhood meetings
– timing update – DESC site
– board development and bylaws
– market survey
– business plan
– co-op conference report-back
– next steps!

TALK TRANSIT/TRANSPORTATION @ SUSTAINABLE WEST SEATTLE COMMUNITY FORUM: We’ve been talking about it for a week and a half – and tonight’s the night. Metro, SDOT, at least one elected official, all joining SWS to talk about transportation/transit issues – not just bus changes but also what’s up with local roads/bridges. Bring your questions. 7 pm, Senior Center of West Seattle (WSB sponsor; California/Oregon, enter from the Oregon side).

FLAT EARTH SOCIETY AT WEST 5: Guest DJs on Mondays at West 5 in The Junction – tonight at 9 pm, it’s Rosemary Otero.

More highlights for tonight, and days/weeks/months ahead, on our calendar!

Share This

TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: How Monday’s going so far

October 15, 2012 6:09 am

| 28 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

(Live view from the only WS Bridge camera currently in operation; see other cameras on the WSB Traffic page)
6:09 AM OVERVIEW: We’re continuing our new series of weekday reports providing a dedicated place each day to talk about traffic and transit – from road/bridge/highway/bus/bike-path (etc.) happenings, to big-picture issues, including what you’re seeing while riding Metro in the third week of RapidRide C Line and other changes (if you’re catching up, here are our Friday reports and yours). We’ll post updates as needed throughout the day; if you have something to report, you can comment here OR contact us any way that works for you. Speaking of issues – TONIGHT’s the night for the Sustainable West Seattle forum on transportation, with Metro, SDOT, city government leaders among others – 7 pm at the Senior Center of West Seattle in The Junction.

WEATHER OUTLOOK: The rain is taking a break as the morning commute begins. Breezy and wet is the outlook for afternoon.

5:01 PM UPDATE: Crash reported, with heavy-rescue response, on the westbound West Seattle Bridge, at or near the Delridge offramp. Separate story to come.

5:07 PM UPDATE: The crash is on Delridge itself, at the north end, by Station 36, according to scanner traffic, NOT on the bridge.

Share This

Photos: Fauntleroy Fall Festival 2012 shone, in and out of the rain

October 15, 2012 5:57 am

| 5 COMMENTS

| Fauntleroy | West Seattle festivals | West Seattle news

The Fauntleroy Fall Festival is always an indoor-outdoor celebration – but the overdue arrival of fall rain put a little more emphasis on the indoor for Sunday’s 10th-anniversary edition. We reported on the festival as it began (WSB coverage here) – and then WSB contributing photojournalist Nick Adams roamed to capture more of the memory-making scenes, such as, above, Marcus Wiatr, left, setting up his umbrella on the meditation labyrinth inside The Hall at Fauntleroy – and back outside, Audrey Maffeo, 3, seeking creative inspiration before painting a pumpkin:

Back inside, the annual Cake Walk delighted participants: Carolyn Tucker drew another number for a lucky winner:

Share This

Seeking sponsors: Chief Sealth International HS’s dinner/auction

October 15, 2012 1:17 am

| 1 COMMENT

| How to help | West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

School-fundraiser dinner/auction season is beginning, and one of the first on the schedule is Chief Sealth International High School‘s “Passport to Excellence” event on November 9th at The Hall at Fauntleroy. Not only are they selling tickets and taking donations, they’re also looking for business sponsors:

Sponsorship levels start at $50; having our event expenses underwritten by sponsors helps us direct the proceeds from the auction to the many programs and activities that Chief Sealth PTSA, Chief Sealth Athletics, and Denny-Sealth Performing Arts support throughout the year. We are expecting more than 200 attendees and will provide visibility to our sponsors at the event and via our website and messages out to our 1300 families! Of course we’d love community members to come join us at the event and/or donate items and services, too. Ticket sales and item donations can be handled online as well.

Detailed information can be found at chiefsealthptsa.org/auction.html

Share This