day : 19/12/2013 13 results

8:17 AM UPDATE: Patricia just sent word that Bob G. has been found safe in Des Moines, and thanks everyone for being on the lookout. Original report from last night, below:

West Seattle holidays: Movies, lights, two-wheelin’ Santa

| Holidays | West Seattle news

Instead of eight tiny reindeer, it’s two wheels for Santa Claus! Thanks to the person who texted that Admiral Way sighting late this afternoon. Gave us an excuse to leap into holiday notes:

HIGHLAND PARK CHRISTMAS MOVIE: Don’t worry about being snowed in – every weather expert we can find insists any snow will be gone by nightfall. So you can pencil in seeing “Home Alone” at the Highland Park Improvement Club (12th/Holden) on Friday night, free (bring $ for concessions), doors at 6:30 pm, movie at 7 – more info on the HPIC website.

ADMIRAL CHRISTMAS MOVIE: Then on Sunday at 4 pm, it’s the annual free Christmas movie at the historic Admiral Theater (2343 California SW) – “Arthur Christmas” this year:

As always, donations will be collected for the Humane Society, including $1 for every large popcorn sold, and you’re asked to bring pet toys, beds, food, collars, leashes, etc. Get there early to ensure your seat!

CHRISTMAS LIGHTS MAP REMINDER: Another highlight from our mapped list of lights:

That’s the always-amazing home at 4043 Fauntleroy – and if you forget how much time is left until Christmas, there’s a countdown clock:

We photographed it LAST night, so take a day off that. The whole block there along the east end of the bridge is bold and bright. The map has new locations too, including a few we haven’t photographed yet (but will!), like the decades-famous “Charlie Brown” house, at 2128 47th SW, and 5106 SW Stevens.

The holiday happenings that remain between now and New Year’s Day – including solstice events this weekend – are in the WSB West Seattle Holiday Events/Info Guide.

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Metro money crisis: No transportation package, so ‘we must pursue a local option,’ Constantine says

December 19, 2013 8:31 pm

| 10 COMMENTS

| Transportation | West Seattle news

The Legislature has given up on reaching a transportation deal in time for a possible special session before its next regular session (here are details from our partners at The Seattle Times). So, King County Executive Dow Constantine says in a statement out late today, it looks like the county is going to have to start traveling down its own road for transportation funding:

A statewide transportation package that is fair and balanced is still our first choice, so of course I’m disappointed at the continued inability of state legislators to reach agreement on a solution. I urge lawmakers to take action on a balanced package as soon as possible in the next legislative session.

“But the consequences of continued delay are unacceptable. We need the tools to address our urgent transportation needs, and we need them now. In the absence of action by the state, we must pursue a local option that uses the tools currently available to us.

“I look forward to working with the County Council to determine the timing for a measure to put before voters, and the proper mix of revenues, so that King County voters can have the chance to save bus service and maintain local roads.”

This would seem to suggest so-called “Plan B” – explained here one month ago as “existing state law (allowing) the Metropolitan King County Council to enact an ordinance creating a transportation benefit district with specific revenue authorities, including sales taxes and a flat annual vehicle fee” – is more likely than ever.

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West Seattle Crime Watch: Armed robbery at Westwood Rite-Aid; 30th SW search

December 19, 2013 5:25 pm

| 43 COMMENTS

| Crime | West Seattle news | Westwood

5:25 PM: Police are converging on Westwood Village after a report that the Rite-Aid store was held up by a robber who said he had a gun. The only description mentioned in radio communications so far – “Asian male.” While he gave a worker a note that said he had a gun, no gun was seen.

5:40 PM: No updates on that case yet – our crew at Westwood says officers are searching the area as well as talking to workers in the store. **Meantime** – If you are seeing/hearing the Guardian One helicopter in the area – they also are helping with the investigation of another incident not far away, a break-in reported in the 8800 block of 30th SW (map), reported within this past hour, with the resident coming home to discover a break-in and suspecting the burglar(s) might still have been in the house.

5:56 PM: Back to the Rite-Aid robbery – our crew has just talked to police on scene. They will say only that “merchandise” was taken; they do have a more detailed description of the robber – Asian, male, 20s, 5’4″ to 5’6″, wearing a black jacket. Police are continuing to search neighborhoods in the area. To be clear, we have not heard ANY suggestion that these two cases are related – just happened that they were in the same area, and with the helicopter over here, albeit briefly, we needed to mention the burglary too.

9:23 PM: The SPD Blotter post about the holdup contains one new bit of information – confirming the “merchandise” was drugs, stolen from the pharmacy.

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West Seattle businesses: Lafarge, Ash Grove food-drive faceoff

December 19, 2013 5:18 pm

| 2 COMMENTS

| West Seattle businesses | West Seattle news

Thanks to Lashanna Williams (second from right, above) at Lafarge Seattle for sharing that photo and the following report on the friendly competition between workers at the two cement companies (and other community giveback):

This week has been busy for the Lafarge Seattle Crew. Wednesday, we were all along West Marginal Way doing some deep cleanup on the pedestrian and bike path.

It’s also the time of year for the annual Lafarge vs Ash Grove Food Drive Competition for Northwest Harvest. Lafarge Cement has retained the title and trophy for yet another year! The Ashgrove team will be visiting the Seattle plant tomorrow morning to present the trophy for a 2013 victory!

Great job Lafarge and Ashgrove!

Lafarge donated 560 pounds of food, $146 cash/checks, and $600 in grocery-store gift cards, Lashanna reports; Ash Grove donated 348 pounds of food and $150 in cash/checks.

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West Seattle holidays: Southwest Precinct’s top two take a Junction turn

December 19, 2013 2:53 pm

| 15 COMMENTS

| Holidays | West Seattle news | West Seattle police

(WSB photo by Patrick Sand)
The Southwest Precinct promised more foot patrols during the holiday season, as reiterated when we published this year’s round of safety advice. This afternoon, the precinct’s top two were on foot in The Junction – Operations Lt. Pierre Davis and precinct commander Capt. Joe Kessler. They stopped in businesses, greeted passersby, and talked with us for a few minutes too. We asked about the recent major investigations – no new information in either the High Point murder or Roxhill Park rape; Capt. Kessler mentioned that Seattle Parks had been out in the park clearing some overgrowth to improve visibility. Asked if today had been as relatively quiet as it has sounded to us so far, they did mention that if you saw a major response in Arbor Heights earlier, that was a search warrant being served. (No other details yet.)

P.S. Before we caught up with Lt. Davis and Capt. Kessler in The Junction, the precinct asked us to share this holiday message:

Southwest Precinct's Holiday Message

If you can’t see the message in the frame above – click here for a PDF version.

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Bicycle counter planned for North Delridge’s 26th SW greenway

December 19, 2013 2:05 pm

| 7 COMMENTS

| Delridge | Transportation | West Seattle news

A sign like the one you see on the right will soon mark a new bicycle counter to be installed along the 26th SW neighborhood greenway in North Delridge. SDOT‘s Dawn Schellenberg says it’s one of three going in around the city “to help measure how well neighborhood greenways are performing.” It’s not a big counter with display like the one on the West Seattle “low bridge”; Schellenberg says it’s just a small metal controller box with “two small tube sensors (that) will stretch from the box across the street” on 26th between Oregon and Alaska. Though it won’t have a display, she says, “We will put the data online and update it once a month, probably starting in February.” People who live in the area will get postcards soon with information about the installation.

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West Seattle snow? Alert level changes to Winter Weather Advisory

December 19, 2013 1:08 pm

| 9 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | West Seattle weather

The National Weather Service has changed the alert for possible Friday morning snow to a Winter Weather Advisory, in effect 1 am to 1 pm – read the alert here. One to three inches of snow is possible before it changes to rain in the afternoon. The alert changed after the Weather Service’s midday “forecast discussion” noted that while precipitation is undeniably on the way, “everything else related to snow vs. rain, snow accumulations, and start and end times remains in the Holy Moly zone of uncertainty.” Updates as we get them …

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Proletariat Pizza, now open for lunch! Welcome, new WSB sponsor

December 19, 2013 12:02 pm

| 15 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | West Seattle restaurants

Today we’re welcoming Proletariat Pizza as a new WSB sponsor – as they invite you to join them for lunch!

Proletariat Pizza is serving not only pizza (slices as well as whole pies) but also sandwiches, salads, and other specials for lunch, starting at 11 am weekdays. Proprietors Mike and Stefanie Albaeck (Highland Park residents, shown above with Hollis) say it’s an idea they’ve been working toward or a long time; originally, they were thinking about opening a sandwich shop, but decided instead on pizza. And now that Caffé Delia is renovating its own space next door, after starting off in the Proletariat space during mornings/early afternoons, it’s lunch time for Proletariat!

Proletariat Pizza‘s daily lunch menu rotates – regularly featuring a cured-meat sandwich as well as a quinoa salad – in addition to the full Proletariat dinner menu (see it here). Slices are also available, and lunchtime continues until 3 pm, when dinner begins. Daily lunch specials are often featured on the Proletariat Facebook page. Stefanie and Mike also want you to know that the daily lunch specials always include a gluten-free option, as does the dinner menu.

Proletariat Pizza also recently expanded its space, as noted here, and they want you to know that space is bookable for parties – just contact them, 206-432-9765, or e-mail proletariatpizza (at) gmail (dot) com. They’re at 9622-A 16th SW in downtown White Center; online at ProletariatPizza.com.

We thank Proletariat Pizza for sponsoring independent, community-collaborative neighborhood news via WSB; find our current sponsor team listed in directory format here, and find info on joining the team by going here.

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West Seattle Thursday: Season’s final ‘Shop Late’; third of three 6917 California development meetings; school concerts

December 19, 2013 10:57 am

| 7 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

(Mt. Rainier and the Duwamish River at sunrise today; photo by Chi Duong, via the WSB Flickr group)
From the WSB West Seattle Holiday Events/Info Guide and our year-round calendar:

‘SHOP LATE THURSDAY’: The Junction invites you to shop until 9 pm at many stores, one more time before Christmas. That includes WSB sponsor West Seattle Cyclery at 4508 California SW, which just shared the news of a 20 percent off sale, not just this evening, but all day long, plus an extra 10 percent off clearance items. Other participating stores are listed here. And we have word of one artist studio participating – Linda Thorson‘s open-studio sale hours at 4407 SW Dawson, with cast stone garden sculpture/architectural detailing, 5-7:30 pm, with part of the proceeds going to the Mary’s Place shelter for homeless women and children.

‘WRAP IT UP’: Want somebody else to do the wrapping? Furry Faces Foundation and Animal Aid and Rescue Foundation are wrapping, by donation, again tonight. This time it’s at The Beer Junction, 6-9 pm. (4511 California SW)

DEVELOPMENT MEETING: For the third consecutive Thursday night, there’s a community meeting sparked by the 6917 California SW “30 apartments/no offstreet parking” development. First, community groups presented a development-rules-as-they-are-now primer of sorts on December 5th (WSB coverage here); next, the project’s developer met with the community on December 12th (WSB coverage here); tonight, it’s an official city meeting requested by community petition, to take comments on the project’s potential environmental effects (traffic, noise, and more) – see the official notice here. 6:30 pm, Senior Center of West Seattle. (California/Oregon)

SCHOOL CONCERT #1: It’s the winter concert for Denny International Middle School and Chief Sealth International High School at 6:30 pm in the Sealth auditorium. (2600 SW Thistle)

(added) SCHOOL CONCERT #2: Just in – “Tonight at 7 pm in the West Seattle High School Theater will be the Music Program’s Winter Concert. It will feature the Orchestra, Jazz and Concert Bands.” (3000 California SW)

NIGHTLIFE: Multiple venues, multiple performers – see the listings on the calendar (click any line to find out more).

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West Seattle holiday scene: Carolers at Westwood

December 19, 2013 9:45 am

| 4 COMMENTS

| Holidays | West Seattle news

Thanks to the WSB’er who didn’t want credit but did want to share this photo of Shorewood Christian School‘s Ignition Youth Group out caroling at Westwood Village last night. If we had known in advance, we’d have added it to the WSB Holiday Guide – not too late to add anything your school, organization, or business has coming up for Christmas, New Year’s, etc. – editor@westseattleblog.com. (Tonight’s holiday-and-otherwise highlight list is coming up shortly.)

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TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: Thursday on the move

December 19, 2013 6:12 am

| 1 COMMENT

| West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

(More area traffic cams on the WSB Traffic page)
Will it snow tomorrow morning or not? Mixed opinions out there, and even the National Weather Service is hedging its bets. But that’s TOMORROW – first, time to get started keeping watch on today.

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Video: See how West Seattle bus riders stopped an armed robber

December 19, 2013 3:13 am

| 47 COMMENTS

| Crime | West Seattle news | West Seattle video

You’ve heard how passengers stopped an armed robber on board a Metro Rapid Ride bus in Morgan Junction on November 25th. Now, surveillance video from the bus shows exactly how it happened. Our friends at KING 5 showed the video last night – play the story above to see and hear what happened, including the moment one passenger, facing the robber and his gun, grabs him and pushes him away, seemingly without even stopping to think about it. We first reported it that night as a big police response drew attention and as the story started to emerge – the video matches what we were told by people who were on the bus; 19-year-old Trevonnte Brown of Beacon Hill was arrested immediately, charged days later, and was back in court earlier this week, where he pleaded not guilty to charges including a new one related to another bus holdup last month. He remains in jail, with bail set at $350,000 and his next hearing set for December 30th.

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