West Seattle, Washington
25 Thursday
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!
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.
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.
If you can spare a few minutes, and you haven’t already filled out the city’s survey about budget priorities – they note via Twitter that it closes at 5 pm and they would love to hear from more people before they make the final decisions in the next few weeks. You can take the survey here.
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
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.”
(Photo by Nick Adams for WSB – click image for larger view)
First, the weather: The National Weather Service has it down to one word – rain. Previously, we published the Halloween shout-out (see those activities for this afternoon/evening here) – and now, a few NON-Halloween highlights:
*Seattle Public Schools two-hour early-dismissal day
*Library events include ongoing Homework Help at Delridge & at High Point libraries at 4 pm, and Somali Story Time at HP at 5 pm
*Treehouse Lounge grand opening in The Admiral District
The full list for today and beyond is on our calendar (but if you’re looking for Halloween, THAT full list is on this special page).
(Photo by Christopher Boffoli)
The six days of Halloween – stretching back to last Friday – have finally reached the big day/night itself. For the list of what’s happening this afternoon/evening, we point you one more time to the WSB West Seattle (and vicinity) Halloween page – with events including Westwood Village trick-or-treating (5-7 pm), the White Center Pumpkin-Carving Contest (bring your jack-o-lantern), Skeleton Theatre (which is all-new this year, as previewed here Tuesday), “Nightmare on 44th,” bar parties, and more. (We added two more events overnight; if you notice something still missing, we have time to make additions – please e-mail the info to editor@westseattleblog.com ASAP. Thanks!)
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.
(Live view from the only WS Bridge camera currently in operation; see other cameras on the WSB Traffic page)
6:58 AM: Again today, the rain is the main challenge, with “periods of significant rain” expected, per the National Weather Service‘s flood advisory. No specific obstacles on the main routes from/to/through West Seattle, so far. Note that Seattle Public Schools are out two hours early today.
7:26 AM: Just reported, for those headed this way from points north of downtown on Highway 99, a crash in/near the SOUTHBOUND Battery Street Tunnel.
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.
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