West Seattle, Washington
28 Thursday
You’re going to want to avoid the northbound 1st Avenue South Bridge tomorrow morning. An alert from WSDOT:
Two lanes on the northbound 1st Avenue S. Bridge will close Saturday morning, Dec. 1, while crews repair the metal grating on the bridge deck.
Washington State Department of Transportation bridge crews will close the two right lanes from 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. The exit to S. Michigan Street will remain open. The work may also require some short-term openings of the bridge drawspan.
During the lane closures, crews will weld steel plates to the bridge deck to cover small cracks and holes that periodically occur on the bridge.
You can check the bridge cam on the WSB Traffic page if you have to head that way and wonder how traffic’s going.
FIRST REPORT, 8:24 PM: Police are investigating a shooting in the 9200 block of Delridge Way. Per the scanner, a man around 30 years old was shot in both legs. They’re looking for at least three people reported to have fled the scene.
8:55 PM UPDATE: Just back from the scene, which cleared fairly quickly once the medic unit left to take the victim to Harborview Medical Center. We talked with James from Greenlight across Delridge, who told us he heard what sounded like six gunshots and went outside and saw the victim in the small triangle mini-park across the street by the bus stop. We also talked to a sergeant who remained at the scene while other officers fanned out – no word of any arrest so far, but police are searching.
9:17 PM UPDATE: SPD Blotter says the victim is 17 years old and was shot after two “unknown male suspects” approached him at the bus stop. (No mention of a female who was reported in initial scanner traffic to have fled the scene.) Here’s their update, which also describes the victim’s wounds as non-life-threatening.
When we stopped by Jack and Linda Menashe‘s Beach Drive home last Sunday to see how the first day of decorating was going, the family was planning to ceremonially turn on their dazzling display tomorrow night. Then we spotted a post on the Menashe and Sons Jewelers (WSB sponsor) Facebook page this afternoon announcing it would happen tonight instead. The actual “lighting” is generally casual anyway – the lights were on when we pulled up around 6:45, and then there was a quick off-then-on lighting just after 7 to make it official.
If you’ve seen the lights but never met the family – here are Linda and Jack Menashe, stopping for a moment in tonight’s rain to pose under the light show that went up as usual with so many family and friends:
(added) Some new features this year – can you spot them in this closer look?
(If you’re going to see it, the house is in the 5600 block of Beach Drive – no close cross-street; it’s a little closer to the south end – Lincoln Park Way/48th SW intersection – than the other end.)
The traditional Holy Rosary School Tree Lot (WSB sponsor) “Blessing of the Trees” was scaled down a bit this year, because of the rain – those four trees were brought inside and stood in for the rest of the lot. Father John Madigan joked that they had all the holy water they needed:
It’s part of the “Festival of Trees” happening at HR (41st and Dakota) till 9 pm – you’re welcome to stop by for everything from free family photos (under cover!) to kids’ craftmaking, and “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” on the big screen. More to come.
Tomorrow night, he emcees the West Seattle Junction Hometown Holidays Tree Lighting. Tonight – radio/podcast personality Marty Riemer has just made a big announcement: 
He’s leaving 103.7 The Mountain. Again. Last time, in September 2009, he and then-co-host Jodi Brothers (also a West Seattle resident) were booted; more than a year later, in January 2011, he returned to the station. Then today, we happened to be listening to the station and heard he’d be making a big announcement at 5:05 pm – so we tuned in and heard him say he’s leaving as of December 20th, and going “on to my next adventure.” He elaborates online that he’s not sure what that is, just yet; but for starters, we (and you) will see him at Saturday night’s tree lighting (5 pm, Junction Plaza Park at 42nd and Alaska; here’s the lineup).
The 37-year-old woman accused of driving her car deliberately into two Chief Sealth International High School students on Wednesday, sending the 17- and 18-year-old girls to the hospital, has just appeared in court for a bail hearing. The King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office says bail was set at $250,000, and their deadline for filing charges is Tuesday. Probable cause was found for two potential counts of second-degree assault. While the 17-year-old was released from the hospital Wednesday night, the documents say the 18-year-old is in critical condition. Ahead, the police narrative from the court documents:
3:45 PM: As mentioned in the WSB morning roundup and on the WSB Facebook page, it’s opening day for Charell Estby and her team at Firefly Café and Creperie (California and Genesee; here’s our sneak-peek report from 2 weeks ago). We finally got a chance to duck in for a photo, and they were very busy – so it’s an action shot. Firefly opened today after a family/friends shakedown cruise night before last. Their hours and menu are online.
6:35 PM UPDATE: Charell posted on the Firefly FB page that for the first week, their “soft open” will be 8 am-6:30 pm, or so.
The City Council Parks and Neighborhoods Committee will be asked next Thursday to approve the proposed purchase of a quarter-acre vacant lot at 4731 40th SW, as a future park site. According to documents made public today, they would be authorizing a purchase price of up to $1,440,000. We first reported four weeks ago on the city’s plan to buy the property with money from the Parks and Green Spaces Levy, approved by voters in 2008, including a $24 million acquisition fund to buy potential parkland in areas that don’t have enough – including The Junction. The price tag does not include money to actually turn it into a park; that would have to come from some other source at a later date. If the committee gives its approval on Thursday (December 6th), the full City Council would then be asked for final approval.
2:07 PM: We’re in The Junction, where we happened onto a crash scene at California and Alaska, tying up the outside lane on northbound California at Alaska. The police response is more sizable than you might expect from a not-major rear-ender, because there’s a possibility, police tell us, that one of the cars was involved in an earlier crash. One man was hurt and was put into a private ambulance, but didn’t appear to have major injuries.
2:21 PM: The scene is mostly clear now, except for police and one of the vehicles.
(The triplex and houses at the future project site – 4441, 4437, and 4433 42nd SW)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
Another Junction apartment project has emerged.
This one, called Junction Flats, has a few differences from others in the works.
One, the project proposed to replace a triplex and two houses in the 4400 block of 42nd SW (photo above) – across from Hope Lutheran – will be four stories high.
That’s the maximum allowed for that block, explains Brandon Nicholson, the West Seattle architect/developer who is part of the ownership group. And that itself is another difference, Nicholson told WSB when we contacted him to ask about the project – it’s West Seattle-owned, unlike most of the other projects now in the pipeline. “We’re not builders or flippers – we’re a group of local West Seattle people (developing a building) that we all intend to keep for a long time” – even the financing (40 years) underscores that, he says.
We found out about Junction Flats when its tentatively scheduled Early Design Guidance meeting turned up on the city website.
This morning, the City Council Transportation Committee gave its approval to something that’s been catching West Seattleites’ attention for a while now (though our part of the city apparently isn’t part of the initial plan). WSB Forums members have been talking about a lot near the east end of the West Seattle Bridge that is a holding zone for hundreds of Smart Cars awaiting the green light Car2Go, a car-sharing service that enables members to drive borrowed cars 1-way instead of roundtrip like Zipcar (the difference is explained in this city memo). The holding-lot video above was shot and published to YouTube a month ago by West Seattleite Jerry Whiting of JetCityOrange.com.
Today’s meeting was previewed in this story by reporter Lynn Thompson on SeattleTimes.com (WSB partner). It points out that West Seattle is one of the areas NOT in the initial service plan for Car2Go’s Seattle launch. Before the Transportation Committee’s 4-0 vote this morning, the fact some areas will be left out got “a lot of good discussion,” says Brian Hawksford, legislative assistant to West Seattle-residing Councilmember Tom Rasmussen, the committee’s chair. Hawksford says Car2Go expects to “be responsive to market demands from areas not in their initial boundaries.” Next step for the proposal: A vote by the full City Council on Monday afternoon.
Thanks to “GBaldwin” for sharing the photo taken a short time ago as cleanup and towing crews showed up to take away the trashed trailer that’s been alongside Riverview Playfield at 12th and Myrtle for more than a week and a half – tagged with a 3-day warning notice on November 21st. We’ve been covering it all week long since hearing about it from Monica on Monday; last night, our friends at KING 5 News picked up the story too. And as both we and they were told last night would happen – it’s out of here. After GB shared the photo, we sent a WSB crew over and found there’s nothing left but trash on the curb, which will be Seattle Public Utilities‘ responsibility to come get.
(Photo by WSB’s Patrick Sand, added 11:05 am)
As noted in our story last night, anybody with information on the trailer’s owner should contact Community Police Team Officer Jonathan Kiehn via e-mail at jonathan.kiehn@seattle.gov. If you have an abandoned vehicle (trailer or not) in your neighborhood, you can report them online by going here.
Thanks to Lise Thivierge for the photo from Seacrest showing this morning’s high tide at the West Seattle Water Taxi dock. You could say the holiday tide is rising – with lots happening this weekend, starting tonight! From the WSB West Seattle Holiday Guide (which we’re continuing to update daily!) and WSB West Seattle Event Calendar (updated daily year-round):
SANTA PHOTOS: Today “Santa Al” will be available for photos – free with your camera, or have a photo taken for $5 – at Small Clothes today (and tomorrow), 10:30 am-1:30 pm, first of several appearances in West Seattle. Westwood Village’s Santa photos continue daily too. And check the Holiday Guide for lots MORE Santa this weekend – “Ex-Westwood Santa” starts his rounds tomorrow, and the Junction Santa will be at City Mouse on Sunday – this first time is BRING YOUR OWN CAMERA, though. All the details here (scroll to the Santa Photos section).
FIREFLY CAFE AND CREPERIE’S OPENING DAY: The new eatery at California and Genesee has a sign on its door saying it’s opening no later than 11 am.
SAMPLER TOUR OF ARTISTS’ GALLERIES “Sampler” tour of local artists’ galleries, 4-9 pm tonight (and continuing this weekend) – full details here.
HOLY ROSARY LOT ‘FESTIVAL OF TREES’: As previewed here yesterday, the Holy Rosary School Tree Lot (WSB sponsor) will celebrate the first big weekend of the season with the first “Festival of Trees” 6-9 pm tonight at the lot, north of the school at 41st and Dakota. You don’t have to wait till then to get your tree, though – it’s open 3-9 pm on Fridays (and 9 am-9 pm Saturdays/Sundays, 4-8 pm Mondays-Thursdays).
HUSKY DELI OPEN HOUSE: The famous, tasty holiday open house at Husky Deli in The Junction is scheduled for 6-9 pm tonight.
LIVE MUSIC: Tonight’s venues featured in the regular calendar – follow that link to see the individual listings – include Sid Law @ C & P, Barbie Anaka @ Salty’s (those first two venues are WSB sponsors), BOWI @ A Terrible Beauty, three acts at Skylark, The Slags and more @ Benbow Room.
‘THE WINTER WONDERETTES’: At ArtsWest, it’s the “new ’60s Christmas musical,” continuing at 7:30 tonight. Details and ticket sales are on the ArtsWest website.
Preview this weekend’s HUGE holiday happenings (including the West Seattle Junction Christmas Tree Lighting Saturday night at 5) by going here!
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
Dozens of vigilant neighbors comprised a standing-room-only crowd in the Senior Center of West Seattle‘s upstairs meeting room as another 7-story Avalon Way apartment-building proposal debuted before the Southwest Design Review Board last night, second one in two months.
The residents of 32nd SW, north of the proposed development’s vicinity, again wore “Love The ‘Hood” stickers, as they had at the September meeting for 3078 Avalon Way, a similar building proposed next to the site of this one. In this rendering, 3078 is at the left, 3062 (with some coloring) is at right:
At the meeting’s start, people were still streaming in, then waiting in line to get their names on the city’s sign-up sheets for e-mail notification about actions related to the project.
They were a little feistier at this meeting, with two 7-story buildings now proposed to rise south of their neighborhood, a more acute reminder that there is no transition zone between the dense Avalon Way apartment/condo strip and their neighborhood of single-family homes.
The neighbors’ pre-meeting research turned up a planning document from years earlier that exhorted “protecting” the character of their neighborhood and two other pockets of single-family residences in the greater “West Seattle Junction urban village” area, but that, they were told, did not mean the Avalon properties couldn’t be developed to the full size their zoning allowed.
Nonetheless, this meeting brought a reminder that strong public presence and comment can inspire even-more intense scrutiny by the board, which discussed details and ideas at length – more length than often seen/heard – before arriving at the decision: Allow the project to pass Early Design Guidance and move to the second phase of Design Review, but with a two-and-a-half-hour meeting worth of input to guide revisions.
Here’s how it unfolded:
(Live view from the only WS Bridge camera currently in operation; see other cameras on the WSB Traffic page)
No road woes as the commute ramps up, but rain’s returning.
LOOKING AHEAD: If you use the Fauntleroy ferry dock, or travel the stretch of Fauntleroy Way north of it, note that it’ll be down to one tollbooth starting Monday, for about two weeks, because of the pump-station project north of the dock – as reported here. Here’s a recent aerial view of the project and dock, from West Seattle photographer/pilot Long Bach Nguyen:
The north tollbooth/lane is what’s closing, closest to the pump-station work. Washington State Ferries says the project will be discussed during a public meeting for the Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth route Monday night in Port Orchard, along with “proposed service reductions on some routes, new ferry construction, liquefied natural gas as a potential fuel for the fleet, and route-specific issues.” Meeting details and documents are here.
10:28 AM UPDATE: Crash on the eastbound Spokane Street Viaduct has led to the backup you’re seeing on the bridge cam right now.
‘Tis the season of the upside-down tree at Wyatt’s Jewelers (WSB sponsor) in Westwood Village … which got a special visit Thursday night from Santa Claus, among others:
The occasion – the November edition of the West Seattle Chamber of Commerce After-Hours get-together, which not only was a meet-up with Santa, but also a tour of Westwood Village businesses, including Giannoni’s Pizzeria:
At center is Giannoni’s proprietor Donna Burns, with daughter Georgia and friend Hanna. Back over at Santa’s Village (in the former Dress Barn space this year, as noted here), Rick Jump from the White Center Food Bank had a moment with Mr. Claus:
Next up for the Chamber: Mix, Mingle and Jingle, December 13th at Feedback Lounge (WSB sponsor). Adding that one now to our list of all things West Seattle Holiday-ish – see it here.
It wasn’t just a celebration of reading – but a celebration of books – for West Seattle Elementary School principal Vikki Sacco and students, including (clockwise from left) Cynia, Alejandra, Keyradin, and Layla on Tuesday morning. They welcomed visitors from Book Trust, a nonprofit that WSES has been working with since 2007. Book Trust espouses book ownership, and has helped WSES students choose and own thousands of books in the five years of their partnership. Owning books – having them at home – makes a big difference, Book Trust says, and it’s reaching out in the early years, noting that a child who isn’t reading proficiently by the end of third grade is four times more likely to become a high-school dropout. And not only do they seek to help kids own books, but also to give them a choice of books – as explained here. (Book Trust also accepts donations and volunteer help.)
At Highland Park Improvement Club last night, two meetings in one – the Delridge Neighborhoods District Council and Highland Park Action Committee together.
DNDC chair Mat McBride led the meeting. He pronounced it “very exciting” since, as he said, there’s been talk of “cross-pollinating” neighborhood councils. Among the topics:
HIGHLAND PARK SPRAYPARK, AND ART NEARBY: In about two weeks, Burien-based TF Sahli Construction will start construction of the long-awaited Highland Park Spraypark. We confirmed that today with Seattle Parks project manager Kelly Goold, who couldn’t be at last night’s meeting but sent the info with the team that came to talk about a proposed art project next to the spraypark.
Three thefts in West Seattle Crime Watch reader reports tonight – one car, two bicycles. First, from Sally:
I’m sad to say our car was stolen on Thanksgiving night or early the next morning from approximately 34TH & Trenton. It is a black 1997 Subaru Legacy Outback with dark tinted windows, license# AAE6984. It’s listed on the SPD GetYourCarBack page. If anyone sees it, please call 911 to report it.
From Jake:
My Bike was stolen off of my patio (Sunday) night – I live near the 76 gas station on the corner of Andover and California. It is a Flat Gray Giant Bowery Mashup, it has bullhorn handlebars and a beam rack with a black trunk bag. I have attached the most recent photo I have, however it looks a little different now.
If anyone has any information they can contact me at jakesilsby@gmail.com.
And from Greg:
Somebody took a mountain bike from the backyard at 52– 42nd ave SW. It had disk brakes, spare tube, and handpump. It was parked under the deck in the backyard, probably done during daylight hours within the last week.
(Wednesday photo by WSB’s Patrick Sand)
5:21 PM: Just in from Seattle Police: The 37-year-old woman they were seeking in connection with yesterday’s car attack on two Chief Sealth International High School students has turned herself in:
On November 29th at approximately 4:25 p.m. today, the female suspect, a 37-year-old woman, turned herself in to officers at the Seattle Police South Precinct. She was transported downtown to be interviewed by detectives.
That’s from SPD Blotter. As we reported earlier today, the 17-year-old girl is out of the hospital, the 18-year-old girl still in.
ADDED 6:12 PM: The suspect talked by phone with KING 5 before turning herself in; here’s their story.
ADDED 8:04 PM: SPD Blotter has updated to say, “She was transported downtown to be interviewed by detectives and subsequently booked into the King County Jail for Felony Assault.” We won’t publish her name until and unless she is charged, but public databases show her to be a Highland Park resident, and her record does not show any felony convictions.
It’s not quite a group ceremony – but December 15, six days after the first legal same-sex weddings in our state, will bring the first West Seattle multiple-wedding, marriage-equality-celebrating event in West Seattle that we’ve heard of. Just announced by the Universal Life Church:
The Universal Life Church and other sponsors will provide 20 gay and straight couples with free weddings in a historic West Seattle landmark on Dec. 15.
The Universal Life Church Monastery announces that it will host “December to Remember,” a wedding event which will celebrate the legalization of same sex marriage in Washington state, on Saturday, Dec. 15, between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m.
The December to Remember celebration will be held at The Sanctuary at Admiral, a historic landmark in West Seattle. This free event will include individual luxury wedding ceremonies for 20 gay and straight couples, as well as flowers, cake, photographers, and music – all provided for the couples at no charge. A no host bar and meal options by Foodz Catering will also be available.
Between the couples, their guests, and members of the public, over 200 people are expected to attend this event.
We asked ULC spokesperson Andy Fulton if the 20 couples already were signed up. He says, “11 couples have confirmed that they are going to attend. 10 couples are gay (mostly lesbians), one is straight. They are old, young, have been together for decades, have only been dating for a couple of years, and everything in between. At least several couples have young children. We’re still trying to find additional couples. Interested couples can e-mail us at weddings@themonastery.org or fill out the form found on this page. Couples that expressed interest in participating based on their desire to share their love and their support for marriage equality were chosen. Couples who were merely interested in getting a free wedding were not.”
Almost two and a half years ago, the West Seattle Tool Library opened its doors (WSB first-day coverage here) – and this week they’ve announced they’re on the brink of signing up their 1,000th member. They’re looking for ideas on how to mark the milestone, and also inviting you to share your Tool Library story – this update on the Sustainable West Seattle website has the details. Looking for Tool Library hours and other info? Go here.
Summer Preston Diehm, former owner of West Seattle’s Next to Nature pet store in The Junction, will be remembered in the Central Washington town of Entiat this Saturday. Former store employee Liz e-mailed to say that Ms. Diehm, 37, died in a car crash in the Wenatchee area on Monday and they wanted to get word to the people here who knew her. The memorial is planned for noon Saturday (December 1st) at the Entiat Grange, 14108 Kinzel Street (map). Her family invites anyone who can get there to come share memories and stories. She had lived in the town of Ardenvoir, according to her obituary, from The Wenatchee World; the Next to Nature website says she owned the store 1998-2001.
| Comments Off on Traffic alert: Saturday work on the 1st Avenue South Bridge