West Seattle, Washington
14 Sunday
The coho spawners returning to Fauntleroy Creek might make this “the biggest year since the fish ladder opened in 1998,” creek steward Judy Pickens tells WSB – as she reports that volunteer creek watchers have “documented 98 coho spawners in the creek. 98!!!” Her exuberance is understandable, given that just last Sunday, as three dozen people gathered for the drum-to-call-the-salmon-home ceremony, the tally was 7 spawners, all intercepted by otter(s). Then came news 10 had made it. And now suddenly, 10 times that. Judy adds, “We don’t have a good fix yet on the percentage of hatchery-release fish vs. wild, but whatever the source, all have sensed good habitat in Fauntleroy Creek.” Every spring she works with local schoolchildren who raise salmon fry in their classrooms (or hallways!) and then come to the creek to release them. (Photo courtesy “Jim of Fauntleroy“)
Hours from now, the new Roxhill Castle play area starts to go up at Roxhill Park. Tonight, Amanda asked us to share this message to voluneers who have signed up – and to anyone considering joining in at the last minute:
Attention Builders of Roxhill Park!
Tomorrow, November 2, at 8:00 am is go time.
Please dress for the elements, and bring your own drill if you want! We also need extension cords as well as tape measures. Just label everything with your name on it.
Didn’t officially sign up? That’s okay! Come anyway. Build dates are November 2 – 6 from 8:00 am – 8:00 pm.
Project Website: roxhillcastle.wordpress.com
Project Email: roxhillcastle@gmail.com
Amanda adds: “We have a week-long food drive for West Seattle Food Bank and White Center Food Bank as well! We will have containers on site that people can bring nonperishable goods for donation.”
(Photo added 5:53 pm, courtesy Ted)
ORIGINAL REPORT, 4:58 PM: If you’ve seen the sizable police response near 42nd/Walker in North Admiral, here’s what’s going on, according to SPD: A man is inside his home, threatening self-harm, possibly armed with a gun, and police are trying to talk him out. Just to be on the safe side, they are trying to keep people away from the area. More as we get it.
(Photo courtesy David Perry)
7:01 PM UPDATE: We’ve been monitoring this via the scanner and on scene. It appears that the man is OK and has come out – or is coming out – of the house with police. Nearby streets are reopening.
7:30 PM NOTE: Again, this has ended with everyone OK. We need to make one more note – if you or someone you know is considering suicide, or in another life-crisis situation, call this 24-hour hotline to reach the Crisis Clinic: 206.461.3222.
(Looking toward the California/Alaska corner of Equity Residential’s project)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
More than a dozen empty storefronts have sat at the Junction’s most prominent intersection for three months now, vacating by July 31st as ordered by their final landlord, the site’s future developer.
At the time, owner/developer Equity Residential said demolition to make way for their two-building apartments-over-retail project at California/Alaska could start as soon as mid-August.
Now it’s November, and nothing’s happened yet. So what’s the holdup, you might wonder? We wondered too and had been asking for information for a while. Today, we finally obtained it, meeting for the first time with executives from the Chicago-based corporation’s Puget Sound team to get the answer – and other project updates.
First, the answer to the biggest question: They expect to start demolition at the end of December, after Christmas. The permits were granted just last week, so they could start sooner if they wanted to, but they say they don’t want to have construction starting amid holiday shopping and festivities.
(Photo by WSB’s Patrick Sand)
The husband of Governor Chris Gregoire was in West Seattle today for a literacy program at Roxhill Elementary School, reading “Duck for President“ to Roxhill scholars and donating books as part of a Reading Is Fundamental initiative involving governors’ spouses.
Mike Gregoire has always asked to be called “First Mike” instead of “First Gentleman” – and he’ll only have that title a little while longer, since his wife is not running for re-election. But “First Mike” pointed out that they have another big change ahead in their lives – their first grandchild is about to be born (as noted by our partners at The Seattle Times back in June). P.S. You’ll see in his bio that he’s the son of a public-school teacher.
Back in August, we brought you first word that Seattle Police planned to place the city’s first fixed automated speed-detection cameras in school zones including Fauntleroy Way SW by Gatewood Elementary. SPD has just announced that camera and three others around the city are officially in operation as of today – read about it on SPD Blotter. There’s been a speed-camera-equipped van in the area for the past four years – and it’s the subject of this hot topic on the WSB Forums – but no fixed cameras till now. SPD says violations caught on the new camera will be “warnings only” until November 26th, when school reopens following the Thanksgiving break. That’s when ticketing – $189 per – will kick in.
(WSB photo from 2011 West Seattle Lights)
We know, we know, the jack-o-lantern is still on the stoop and the Halloween candy isn’t gone yet. But November means time to think holidays – and here’s something you’ll want to plan ahead for: A free concert featuring a Grammy-nominated musician will highlight the lighting ceremony for the set-to-music West Seattle Lights display this year! Here’s the announcement from the lightmaster himself, Jim Winder:
On Saturday, November 24th, Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Judy Pancoast will be presenting an outdoor Christmas concert at the home of Corey and Taylor Helmstetler at 3908 SW Charlestown. The public is invited free of charge, but attendees are asked to bring a donation for either West Seattle Food Bank or NW Parkinson’s Foundation.
Pancoast is visiting West Seattle as part of her third annual “The House on Christmas Street International Tour” in support of her new CD, “Christmas with Mrs. Claus.” Concerts on the tour are performed on the lawns and in the driveways of the decorating enthusiasts who have become her biggest fans and use her music in their animated lighting displays. The Helmstetler home is well known in the area for its magnificent annual display. This is the first year that they have hosted Pancoast’s tour.
Last year West Seattle Lights collected nearly 1,500 pounds of food for the West Seattle Food Bank and nearly $3000 for both the Food Bank and NW Parkinson’s Foundation.
Separate from the statewide initiative before voters in Tuesday’s election regarding marijuana regulation, the City of Seattle is pursuing a zoning measure that would give the city more regulatory tools regarding medical-marijuana businesses. If you want to hear more about it and/or have questions – be at next Wednesday’s Southwest District Council meeting (7 pm November 7th at the South Seattle Community College [WSB sponsor] board room) – City Council President Sally Clark and Councilmember Nick Licata are scheduled to be there for Q/A on the proposal – detailed on this city webpage.
(Photos by Nick Adams for WSB)
This morning, we have details on a tense situation handled by police north of Lincoln Park early this morning. WSB contributing photojournalist Nick Adams photographed them investigating what was first reported as a case of a vehicle ramming a house – and then turned into a brief standoff.
It happened around 3 am in the 7000 block of 47th SW, and, Nick reports, could be heard from blocks away. Seattle Police Media Relations Det. Mark Jamieson says it is related to a “long-running neighbor dispute.” A 53-year-old man “drove his fullsize pickup truck through the neighbor’s garage door and repeatedly rammed the vehicles inside,” according to the police report. After that, according to Det. Jamieson, the man then rammed another pickup truck.
In all, four vehicles were damaged, and the garage door was destroyed. Then, police say, the suspect went back to his home and called a relative to say he was suicidal. By that time, officers had arrived, and one managed to get the man on the phone and “establish a dialogue” – they convinced him to come out of the house “without incident.” Fire/medic crews were called to check him out, and found he had indeed ingested pills, so he was taken to Harborview Medical Center on an involuntary-commitment recommendation as well as treatment; the report has been sent to detectives for further investigation.
(Photo from Anchor (Luna) Park by Nakean Photography, shared via the WSB Flickr group)
Welcome to November! LOTS of highlights for today/tonight from the WSB West Seattle Events Calendar:
HELP MAKE WEST SEATTLE AUTHOR A BESTSELLER, EVEN IF BRIEFLY: On Wednesday we wrote about writer Mike Hickey’s book “Counterclockwise” and the bid to get it purchased en masse, simultaneously, at exactly 11 am today. Details in yesterday’s WSB story.
HOLIDAY TASTING AT THRIFTWAY: Big event this afternoon/evening at West Seattle Thriftway (WSB sponsor; California/Fauntleroy) – lots of food/beverage demos for you to try as the holiday party season approaches. (Among them – Full Tilt Ice Cream!) 4-7 pm.
SLIME AND SCIENCE: At the West Seattle Library – event for kids, 4 pm today. Must preregister – details on that, and more on the event, can be found here.
HIGH-SCHOOL PLAYOFFS: Both West Seattle High School and Chief Sealth International High School have postseason volleyball matches at 5:30 tonight at Sammamish High School – here’s the schedule, from our partners at The Seattle Times.
WINE TASTING #1: November Collector’s Club wines are the subject of tonight’s free tasting at West Seattle Cellars (WSB sponsor; 6026 California SW).
SKELETON THEATRE: Missed it last night? Another chance tonight! 6-9 pm at 36th and Hanford. We’ll add a video clip from last night, in a bit (update – here it is):
NETWORKING EVENT: For local business owners – as explained here:
I Take The Lead is a professional networking organization that builds referral groups to exchange qualified leads and build business alliances. Two guest speakers at tonight’s event, Kris Prochaska, author of “Life Well Spoken: Free Your Inner Voice and Prosper,” and Elizabeth Lee of Seattle Organizing Works. They start at 6:30; prize raffle at 7:30.
Location: Windermere Real Estate Office, 4526 California Ave SW., Seattle, WA
Thursday, November 1, 2012: 6:00 to 8:30 pm
WINE TASTING #2: West Seattleite-founded Northwest Hope and Healing, which helps breast-cancer patients, is collaborating tonight with West Seattle wine shop Bin 41 on a wine-tasting event: Women Winemakers of the Pacific Northwest, 6-8 pm at Columbia City Gallery. Says NWHH’s Shari Sewell, “We are featuring 5 women who are taking the WA and OR wine industry by storm and creating award-winning wines. Tickets are $40 which includes wine tasting, appetizers and some great conversation! All the funds raised Thursday night will go into the NW Hope & Healing Patient Assistance Fund to help women get through cancer by helping provide financial grants for every day basics.” Full details on the NWHH website.
‘LEND ME A TENOR’ OPENING NIGHT! 7:30 pm at the West Seattle High School Theater (3000 California SW) – it’s the WSHS Drama fall production. Full details in our calendar listing.
MURRAY AID: Benefit tonight at Feedback Lounge (WSB sponsor; 6451 California SW), 7 pm, to help Seattle beverage industry legend Murray Stenson with finances related to health issues. Details here.
FOOD DRIVE ‘COMPETITION’: LaFarge and Ash Grove have a friendly competition going for the next 20 days, according to Lashanna at LaFarge – a food drive, to see who can collect the most before Thanksgiving, to help neighbors in need. If you work at, or plan to visit, either plant, now’s the time to donate! They’re collecting nonperishable food, diapers, gift cards, and cash to donate to Northwest Harvest.
Also find nightlife listings and more, for tonight and beyond, on our calendar!
(Live view from the only WS Bridge camera currently in operation; see other cameras on the WSB Traffic page)
6:58 AM: Nothing major so far. Thanks in advance again for your reports throughout the day.
7:25 AM: From Jana via Twitter: Stalled vehicle on the bridge, and an ambulance. (Update – apparently the ambulance was headed elsewhere, which explains why there’s nothing on the 911 log; the car, however, was stuck at the high-rise, “right at the merge point.”)
8:55 AM: Scanner has word of a possible spinout on southbound 99 near the West Seattle Bridge.
Now that it’s November – it’s time for Denny International Middle School‘s biggest fundraiser of the year – Read-A-Thon Month. According to an announcement from the Denny PTSA, “Students will be setting individualized goals with their literacy teachers and then asking for pledges of money for accomplishing those goals. The PTSA’s goal this year is $9,000 and to have 450 students participate. There are prizes for students who accomplish their reading goals and for those who receive a minimum donation of $10. If the community would like to donate to this great cause but doesn’t have a student at Denny please feel free to contact one of the co-chairs and we’ll get you connected to a student who might need a sponsor.” Co-chairs are Nicole Sipila and Karen Vegors; contact info is on the Read-A-Thon page of the Denny website. Looking ahead to holiday shopping, Barnes & Noble will have a Denny book fair week in December – kickoff event on December 14th, part of the proceeds from 12/14-12/21 will benefit Denny.
1:04 AM: Thanks for the texts and other messages – there’s an air/ground search in the Highland Park area. We’re checking on it.
1:20 AM: No info available from an official source at this point but we did hear a snippet of scanner traffic mentioning a burglary, and SPD’s Tweets by Beat – automated bits of information about police calls, delayed about an hour, sent out via Twitter – mentions a 12th/Holden burglary before midnight. (The full list of the latest “Tweets by Beat” for the West Seattle patrol sectors is available at all times, continuously updated, on our Crime Watch page.)
8:40 AM UPDATE: We now know what this was all about – talked with Det. Mark Jamieson in SPD Media Relations. He says a burglary was reported just before midnight in the 7000 block of 12th SW; while that was being investigated, another officer spotted three suspects “pushing a shopping cart full of apparently stolen property” in the 1200 block of SW Holden. When they saw police, they ran off in different directions. A K-9 team and additional officers came in to help search; the K-9 found one of them hiding under a bush at 13th and Webster. That suspect, 16 years old, was arrested and booked into the Youth Services Center. The Guardian One law-enforcement helicopter (which belongs to the King County Sheriff’s Office but is called in by other agencies as needed – SPD does NOT have its own helicopter) came in to help with the search for a while, but the other two suspects weren’t found. What officers DID find: Some stolen property, near where the arrest was made – including three large flatscreen TVs.
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