West Seattle, Washington
28 Sunday
Continuing our previews of ways you can celebrate New Year’s Eve without leaving West Seattle:
(December 31, 2012, WSB photo by Nick Adams)
Highland Park Improvement Club has finalized the schedule for its New Year’s Eve extravaganza. Once again this year, the Not-So-Silent-Night parade through the nearby neighborhood will kick it off – all ages welcome. Gather with noisemakers, flashlights, etc., in the HPIC parking lot at 12th and Holden starting at 6 pm. The parade – fifth annual, by our count – heads out at 6:30 or “when everyone’s ready.” After half an hour or so, it’s back to the HPIC parking lot for the don’t-miss Sage Comet fire performance around 7; then inside for the special New Year’s Eve edition of HPIC’s popular pop-up Corner Bar, otherwise a “first Friday” fixture. 8-10 pm, Choroloco plays Brazilian jazz; DJs Rich and Evan take over from 10 pm “until 2014.” You don’t have to be a Highland Park’er to join the party – they welcome one and all.
Four cars were involved in a crash on SW Thistle at 35th SW earlier this evening, but you would have only counted three at the scene; police say they found a fourth driver a few blocks away at 37th and Cloverdale. We’re told one person was taken to the hospital “for observation.” Officers were still sorting out what happened; the scene is now cleared.
(WSB photo from June 23rd)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
Six months after drunkenly running a stop sign and T-boning a car at 17th/Cambridge, seriously injuring two people, and running away, 26-year-old Kalameu (aka Kalameli) Paulo is awaiting sentencing after a plea bargain. One of the two people she hit, 29-year-old Logan Wicker, on his way home from work at Skylark when Paulo hit his car, spent weeks in the hospital before moving to a rehabilitation facility.
According to King County Superior Court documents, Paulo pleaded guilty last week to the two vehicular-assault charges (incorporating DUI) against her, while the third charge, felony hit-and-run, was dropped. She was in jail for less than three weeks after her arrest; her request for lower bail was granted on condition she participate in the “day reporting” program CCAP (explained here), and documents indicate that will continue until her sentencing in five weeks. Her blood-alcohol level is reported to have been .16 when measured after the crash, twice the legal-drunkenness threshold level. Her criminal record is described as consisting of a theft case in Renton and two cases six years ago in Las Vegas, theft and prostitution. Police said she had only lived in Western Washington (she lists a Seatac address) for five months at the time of the crash.
The recommended sentence detailed in the plea-agreement documents is 14 months (for each count, but served concurrently), followed by 18 months of probation (technically “community custody”) with stipulations including staying out of bars and liquor stores, and only driving with an interlock device that won’t work if her blood-alcohol level is above .02. Superior Court Judge Julie Spector is scheduled to preside at Paulo’s sentencing at the downtown courthouse January 31st.
There’s been no public update on Logan Wicker since August, and we have never had a public update on his passenger, reported to have suffered a serious head injury. But we’re trying to find out, and will add anything we get.
It’s usually the U.S. Postal Service workers who do the delivering – but today, the tables were turned as Liz Latham delivered pizza and a musical mini-flash mob singing words of gratitude to workers at the West Seattle Junction Post Office:
She shared word of her plan this morning; at noontime, we went to the Post Office to see what happened. And there was Liz – pizzas, singers, and all!
She wanted to credit fellow West Seattleite and former Mayor Greg Nickels for inspiration, after he posted a public “thank you” to postal workers via Facebook, for their work “delivering those last, last-minute gifts right through Christmas Eve.” (He told Liz he’d pitch in to help cover the pizza cost, too.) And there’s no question they’ve been busy; USPS spokesperson is quoted in this national story as saying that volume was up 19 percent this holiday season over last year.
(Photo by Greg Slader)
Just sent to us to share with you – another big honor for a local sports standout, whose proud relative writes:
Earlier this month, Sam Hellinger of West Seattle became the first player from West Seattle High School to ever be awarded the Washington State Baseball Coaches Association’s State Player of the Year.
Hellinger, who helped West Seattle get to the 3A State championship game for the first time in its history and who was drafted in the 39th round by the Seattle Mariners in the 2013 June Amateur Draft, was earlier named 3A Player of the Year, Metro League MVP, and was the first West Seattle player ever named to the Seattle Times All-Area Team.
Sam currently attends and plays for the College of San Mateo in the Bay Area (California).
Congratulations to Sam!
Wonderful sunrise today – thanks to those who shared photos! The one above is courtesy of Don Brubeck, taken along the Alki Trail. A few notes, including highlights from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar and Holiday Guide:
‘FLASH MOB’ FOR USPS WORKERS: As announced here earlier this morning, you’re invited to show up for a show of appreciation at the Junction Post Office at noon today – old-school “flash mob” style (no, you don’t have to dance, but you can sing a few lines!). (4412 California SW)
POST-HOLIDAY ‘GARAGE SALE’: WSB sponsor Junction TrueValue continues its big post-Christmas sale, including storewide closeouts and big discounts on Christmas decorations/lights to stock up in advance of next year. Look for updates on the JTV Facebook page. (44th/Edmunds)
SCHOOL OPENING: A new preschool called Alki Beach Academy celebrates its opening at 5 pm, with Caspar Babypants on hand to perform. (2414 SW Andover)
LIVE MUSIC AT C & P COFFEE: Roy H. Kauffman performs original songs at C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor), 7-9 pm. (5612 California SW)
WSHS BASKETBALL ON THE ROAD: We’ve heard that some West Seattleites read WSB while out of town to keep up with what’s up – so we’re mentioning that if you happen to be visiting the Wenatchee area, you can root for West Seattle High School in the Wenatchee Holiday Classic, one game each today and tomorrow. Tonight: 7 pm at Wenatchee High School.
SNOW LOVERS’ HOLIDAY PARTY: 8 pm at nearby Pershing Hall, join Mountain to Sound Outfitters for a holiday party geared to everybody who loves snow and snow sports; admission by donation to benefit the Northwest Avalanche Center. Details in our calendar listing. (3618 SW Alaska)
LIVE MUSIC AT SKYLARK CAFE & CLUB: The Feelgood Band of the Year and Snaketopus, 9 pm. (3803 Delridge Way SW)
Free at noon? In West Seattle or able to get back here? Liz Latham invites you to be part of this gesture of gratitude at the Junction post office:
Attention, West Seattleites!!!!
I have just organized a flash mob and you are all invited to the West Seattle Post office where at noon today we will thank our postal workers and give them pizza for all their hard work and efforts this holiday season. We are going to sing the song FOR YOU ARE JOLLY GOOD POSTAL WORKERS to the Tune of for He’s a Jolly Good Fellow. Here’s the lyrics:
NOTE: WE ARE GOING TO SING THIS TWO TIMES IN A ROW AT LEAST…
For You are jolly good postal workers,
for you are jolly good postal workers,
for you are jolly good postal workers
we thank you for all you have done,
we thank you for all you have done,
we thank you for all you have done,
for you are jolly good postal workers,
we thank you for all you have done!Then we end it by shouting the words, “Thank you West Seattle Postal workers for all you have done!
LYRICS COURTESY OF LIZ LATHAM, SEATTLE CLEANING SERVICE and LizardProductions.com
PIZZA FROM LIZ LATHAM, FORMER SEATTLE MAYOR GREG NICKELS AND THE CITIZENS OF WEST SEATTLE
(Latest bridge and Viaduct views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
Here’s hoping for another low-key commute. A reminder again today about Metro running at a lower service level until after New Year’s Day – again today, it’s the “reduced weekday/no UW” schedule.
In West Seattle Crime Watch – a check of the crime map shows car thefts are the trend of the week, with 15 reported between December 20th and 26th (yesterday), including seven reported on just one day, December 21st (though two of those seven apparently happened some days earlier). Full list ahead, plus the numbers on burglars and car prowls, but first – two reader reports, one with a photo:
Barry explains:
Sadly, someone didn’t get the memo about the season. A nice silver mountain dwarf pine was unceremoniously yanked from our property on Christmas Eve on SW Frontenac Street. The plant was eventually to be donated to a local park, so everyone kind of lost out. We left a sign in the hole as a guilty inducement, as even the Grinch was shown to have a heart in the end. We don’t hold out much hope for these clowns, however.
Meantime, from the 5400 block of Fauntleroy Way, Kristin reports:
I got home late at night on 12/24 after being out of town for several days. I saw my mailbox was full, along with the two right next to mine that belong to my neighbors (we live in a house that is split into three different units). All three mailboxes were full at 11:45pm on 12/24. I forgot to take my mail inside that night, and when I went to get it before work on the morning of 12/25 at 6:15, all three mailboxes were empty.
When I returned home from work on 12/25 at 8:30 pm, mail was strewn about the front porch. Mine was opened, and there’s no way that four days worth of mail is what was returned. They returned the ads/coupons and personal Christmas cards. There weren’t any of the typical credit card offers or bills that usually come.
All in all, my mail was stolen and my neighbors suffered the same ordeal.
After that original note, by the way, she contacted her landlord to ask for locked mailboxes. He lives about a mile away from her – and, Kristin wrote, “said he would consider it as his mail was stolen a week ago.” If you haven’t already heard SPD’s mail-theft prevention advice, it’s included in this info published by the West Seattle Block Watch Captains’ Network.
Now – click ahead for the date/place list elaborating on the auto-theft map:
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