West Seattle, Washington
12 Tuesday
Three ways West Seattle neighbors are helping fight hunger – including opportunities for you to join in, starting with:
SCOUTING FOR FOOD: It’s that time again, for West Seattle’s Troop 282 and other Scouts to carry out a door-to-door food drive. This Saturday, March 15th, they will leave door tags at homes in the West Seattle area between 8:30-10:30 am. They will come back the following Saturday, March 22nd, between 9 am and 10 am to collect food for the West Seattle Food Bank. If you would like to donate and need a pickup, call, 206-890-2237.” Above, Troop 282’s collection last year – they’re hoping for even more this time!
CURVES FOOD DRIVE: Both West Seattle branches of Curves are collecting food right now for the West Seattle Food Bank and White Center Food Bank – you’ll recall that donations to both, through the end of April, can go farther because of the Feinstein Challenge. Just stop by during their regular hours; addresses and hours are on their websites, here and here.
Finally, hunger-fighting kudos for Holy Rosary School:
Holy Rosary teacher Jon Barker shared the photo from last Friday, the first in a series of special giving occasions during Lent:
Parents and students at Holy Rosary School will be making Lunches of Love every Friday during Lent (March 5-April 18) for the men at St. Martin de Porres shelter. (Last Friday) there were approximately 125 lunches taken to the shelter. We also collected men’s gloves to donate.
As explained on its website, this shelter assists homeless men age 50 and over.
Michelle e-mailed to say Seal Sitters spent the day watching that little harbor seal on the Beach Drive shoreline near Harbor West Condos (about two blocks south of Alki Point), and she wanted to send out “a heads-up so folks who walk their dogs off leash on the beach don’t end up in a bad situation for both the dog and the seal.”
Michelle got her photos via a 200mm lens, so though it looks close up, she was quite some distance away. P.S. Thanks also to Carrie Ann for heads-up about a pup at Don Armeni on Monday – we didn’t get a chance to write about it, but she said Seal Sitters were on that case too.
A memorial is planned at The Kenney this Saturday (March 15th) for Clara Robinson, who lived a full century (and then some). Here’s the remembrance to be shared with the community.
Clara was born in Rollage, Minnesota on June 12, 1913, baptized Clara Sylvia Thun. She graduated from Moorhead State Teachers College and began her first teaching position in a one-room school in Pelican Rapids, Minnesota.
She was a soft spoken but an adventurous woman. With her soon-to-be sister-in-law, Mary Robinson, she left from Minnesota in 1934 for Moose Pass, Alaska, with the goal of teaching school. Providence intervened and Clara fell in love with her childhood neighbor and friend Edwin David Robinson, who was mining in the area.
They were married on October 5, 1935 in Seward, Alaska, but not without incident. October weather in Alaska can be unpredictable, and a rainstorm had flooded the road to the railroad station. Determined to make it to their wedding celebration, Eddie, Clara, and the entire wedding party walked several miles to the train. They would arrive just in time to say, “I do,” and cut the cake. Their love and commitment to one another lasted almost 50 years, until Eddie died in 1984. They first became parents in 1936, and would eventually raise four children. She lived to celebrate and witness the birth of nine grandchildren and thirteen great-grandchildren.
With membership at St. Mark’s Lutheran Church since 1961, both Clara and Ed were very involved with all aspects of the church. She sang in the Chancel Choir, taught Sunday School, was an active Koinonia member, and a Circle member. When the new floor was installed in the social hall, Clara scrubbed the entire floor on hands and knees to prepare the surface.
Clara passed on Sunday, March 9, 2014. She leaves to cherish her memories, three daughters, Verna, Edna, Julia; one son, David, 9 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren.
There will be a memorial at the Kenney Home on Saturday, March 15th, at 1:30 pm. In lieu of gifts or flowers, memorial contributions may be made to St. Mark’s Community Center, a learning center established for the purpose of teaching basic reading skills to at-risk youth. Their address is:
St. Mark’s Community Center
6020 Beacon Ave S.
Seattle, WA 98108Inquiries may be made at 206-722-5165.
(WSB publishes obituaries by request, free of charge. Please e-mail the text, and a photo if available, to editor@westseattleblog.com)
If you are a West Seattle employer with one or more job openings – or a West Seattle jobseeker – the WSB West Seattle Jobs page is the place to go. Unlike many other job pages/boards (even CL!), it’s free for local businesses (West Seattle/White Center/South Park) to have a listing on our page (which lives in the WSB Forums). And today, the new listings include four jobs that just might cut down on bridge traffic if they go to West Seattleites – three tech jobs and one sales job at Tango Card (all linked from the page’s index).
We told you about Tango Card last August, when they had to find new offices because their previous HQ on 40th SW in The Junction is making way for the 4745 40th SW development. They have since found new digs not far away, at Jefferson Square. TC’s David Leeds tells WSB, “The space is awesome. Think Silicon Valley and South Lake Union hip/cool/open/colorful but right here in West Seattle. We are hiring developers and salespeople. And growing like crazy!!”
Check out their openings; or if you’re hiring, post your own.
Friday is Pi Day – 3.14 – and one of the celebrations you’ll find in West Seattle is being hosted by librarian Nathalie Gelms at the Seattle Public Library branch in Admiral:
I will be hosting a program in celebration of National Pi Day this Friday March 14th at 3:14 pm at the West Seattle Branch of the Seattle Public Library. The program is meant for school-age kids, tweens, teens and even adults who are interested in math! Families are especially welcome as there will be stations that lend themselves to group effort. We will have these stations:
· Pretty as Pi: creating Pi designed key chains
· The Hunt for Pi: discovering what Pi is through measurement and calculation
· Cracking the Fibonacci code
AND…AND…WE WILL BE SERVING PIE FROM SHOOFLY PIE HERE IN WEST SEATTLE!!!!! *squee!*
The West Seattle Branch (informally known as Admiral) is at 2306 42nd SW. Any other Pi Day parties? Let us know – editor@westseattleblog.com – thank you!
Today, we welcome a new WSB sponsor – Stella Ruffington’s Doggy Daycare, serving your canine needs right here in West Seattle! Here’s what they’d like you to know about their business:
Located on California Avenue Southwest, just four blocks south of Morgan Junction, Stella Ruffington’s provides kennel-free dog boarding and day care, full-service grooming, and dog training. Unlike many dog day care and dog-boarding facilities in Seattle, Stella Ruffington’s does not occupy a large warehouse-type space. We are a cozy, indoor/outdoor facility where our canine guests get to mingle and enjoy the kind of freedom that they experience at home. At Stella’s, the environment is entirely kennel-free, not only for day-care guests, but for our overnight boarding guests as well.
While many facilities in Seattle or elsewhere are kennel-free during the day and then routinely confine their guests at night, Stella’s is kennel-free 24/7, and staff always is at hand for your dog’s safety and security. Your dog can curl up on a cozy bed and enjoy the peace of mind of knowing it is not confined even at bed time, but has free run of the room that it shares with its doggie friends and with staff.
Stella Ruffington’s also is excited to provide full grooming services for your canine family member. Michelle Seifert, our new full-time groomer, has trained under two master groomers and possesses more than 10 years of experience as a professional groomer in the Puget Sound area. She provides full cut, comb, and style grooming for every breed and breed type. Additionally, we also provide doggy baths, brush and blow-outs, ear cleaning, nail trimming and many other grooming services.
Find Stella Ruffington’s at 7003 California SW, online at stellaruffington.com; call 206.932.RUFF. And don’t miss the WSB coupon!
We thank Stella Ruffington’s Doggy Daycare 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.
The West Seattle Chamber of Commerce is seeking nominees for its annual Westside Awards, to be presented next month, and the deadline’s almost here. These are the categories:
Westside Business of the Year – This nominee has been in business at least 3 years and demonstrated business excellence and success.
Westside Emerging Business – This nominee business has been in operations for less than 3 years but is meeting the challenges of a growing business through leadership.
Westside Not-For-Profit of the Year – This nominee non-profit is making our community a better place to live while contributing to community benefit through their mission.
Westsider of the Year – This nominee is making a lasting impact on our community and the lives of others or is an up-coming community role model.
West Seattle Chamber membership is NOT required to be part of this, as a nominator or nominee. Just go here to nominate a business or person; the Chamber is asking for nominations to be in by Friday.
(Disclosure – WSB belongs to the Chamber, as a local business, and was honored to be recipient of the Business of the Year award in 2010. The past four years’ winner lists are on the Chamber website; go here to see our coverage of last year’s Westside Awards.)
Tomorrow night, the city’s exploration of “Preschool for All” is the subject of a West Seattle meeting (as previewed here last week). As part of his research, City Councilmember Tim Burgess was part of a field trip back east last week – and today, he visited local preschoolers much closer to home, at the Community School of West Seattle. He also talked with CSWS’s Sarah Airhart:
CSWS focuses exclusively on preschool for 3- and 4-year-olds, and that’s who the Preschool for All initiative is centered on, too. Tomorrow night’s meeting is from 6-8 pm at Neighborhood House’s High Point Center (6400 Sylvan Way SW). Dinner and child care will be provided, free; you’re asked to RSVP to 206-233-5118 or upk@seattle.gov.
In case you missed the “sun pillar” at sunset last night – that photo is courtesy of JayDee, from Upper Alki. Along with a sunset walk, here are five options you might consider for tonight, via the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:
ALMA Y AZUCAR: Performing live at Salty’s on Alki (WSB sponsor), 6:30-8:30 pm. (1936 Harbor SW)
34TH DISTRICT DEMOCRATS: They’re talking minimum wage (and other things) with City Councilmember Sally Clark, who chairs a new committee focused on that topic, and they’ll look at officially endorsing the transit/roads-money measure. 7 pm, The Hall at Fauntleroy. (9131 California SW)
BACKYARD COTTAGE CLASS/STAY-HOME STRATEGIES FOR SENIORS: Not in West Seattle, but WS-based Ncompass Cottage Company (WSB sponsor) is presenting this class tonight at the Phinney Ridge Neighborhood Center ($25 general public). 7 pm. (6532 Phinney Ave. N.)
TRIVIA: Might be West Seattle’s longest-running trivia night, 8:30 pm at Talarico’s in The Junction; details in our calendar listing. (4718 California SW)
OPEN MIKE: Skylark Café and Club, open microphone for performers 21+, details in the calendar listing. 9 pm. (3803 Delridge Way SW)
Two reports in West Seattle Crime Watch this morning. Brad from West Seattle Cyclery (WSB sponsor) is hoping someone in the area has video showing the burglar(s) who broke into his shop early Tuesday:
we had a burglary early Tuesday morning. Approx 2:50am.
Mostly we had damage to the window, shattered but still intact, and the door glass broken out. We have had two attempts prior. The police were notified of both attempts and reports were filed.
After the two previous attempts we changed our security procedures at night. The changes helped reduce the inventory loss to just two 24″ kids bikes with a value of around $700. Glass replacement will be significantly higher.
There are a few more things we will be doing at night to continue reducing our potential exposure but the reality is we will never be able to reduce it to zero.
If any of our Junction neighbors had outside video from the time of the break-in, 2:40-3:20 am, please let me know (brad@westseattlecyclery.com). One of the bikes stolen was bright orange (SCOTT 24″ Voltage with disc brakes) so it should be pretty visible with color video.
Speaking of video, Heather shares this clip showing a package thief in action:
Just wanted to report the theft of a package from our porch on 37th Ave SW between Henderson and Trenton. It happened on the 15th of February in the wee hours of the morning. … The thief looks like a white female between 15 and 25 years of age, brunette hair. We’ve reported it to SPD and I’m happy to report everyone I spoke with was professional and courteous. They said absolutely share the info with WSB and said for crimes like these the community is often in a better position than police to locate suspects.
We didn’t lose anything of value and the merchant replaced it with no hassle. It’s more the idea of it. SPD confirmed that it’s important to report these types of things, even when the value is small.
Any idea who the thief is? Let police know.
(Latest bridge and Viaduct views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
Happy Wednesday morning! Reminder if you’ll be out late tonight/early tomorrow, 9 pm-5 am brings the third of four scheduled overnight Highway 99 closures to finish the Spokane St. Overcrossing, both ways between East Marginal Way and S. Atlantic – specifics here.
8:06 AM: Texter says there is a stall on the eastbound bridge right after the Delridge onramp.
8:21 AM: Update from commenters – the stall is just before the Delridge onramp.
8:59 AM: Stall was still there when we passed 10 minutes ago. Bridge slow past there, too.
By Tracy Record and Katie Meyer
Reporting for West Seattle Blog
The jury in the Morgan Junction murder trial has seen the most graphic evidence presented yet – autopsy photos shown by the prosecution as a doctor from the King County Medical Examiner’s Office testified Tuesday afternoon.
The photos focused on the bullet wounds that killed 35-year-old Travis Hood, and while, as it was reiterated, there is no dispute that the shots were fired by 69-year-old defendant Lovett “Cid” Chambers, the question at issue in the trial remains why he fired them, and the granular details of the wounds are incremental evidence for jurors to consider.
Tuesday, however, began with an ending – the conclusion of testimony from the Seattle Police detective who led questioning of Chambers hours after the January 21, 2012, shooting. He was followed on the stand by his partner, who was also part of the questioning, video from which has been shown the past few days.
About 20 West Seattle Elementary students will have a lot to talk about on their way to school today – one day after a high-profile visitor accompanied their Walking School Bus. Governor Jay Inslee is trying to encourage the “Healthiest Next Generation,” and walking is of course part of it. WSE’s principal Vicki Sacco accompanied him:
One of the walkers had a bit of a shoe problem – and the governor stepped in to help:
Back on the move, Inslee greeted a crossing guard:
And there was time for autographs:
Parting words from the governor:
Also part of the event, Feet First, which advocates walking and biking to school safely – read about its initiatives here.
(City photo of Fauntleroy ex-substation site)
Another City Council committee has a West Seattle issue on its agenda tomorrow: As first mentioned here last week, the council’s Energy Committee meets at 9:30 am tomorrow at City Hall with an agenda including a briefing on City Light‘s surplus West Seattle (and vicinity) substations. Mary Fleck from the West Seattle Green Spaces Coalition will be part of the briefing; she tells WSB it’s one of two presentations downtown tomorrow, and they’re inviting West Seattleites to come to either or both, to support the goal of “slowing down the ‘disposition’ process because the best future solution may be to ‘re-purpose’ the land for public use rather than to sell it to the highest bidder for development.” The second presentation is at 3 pm tomorrow before the Urban Forestry Commission in Seattle Municipal Tower room 2750 (700 Fifth Avenue). Meantime, at two of the sites, City Light has crews working this week on what it says is necessary cleanup work because of soil contaminants – the Andover site on Pigeon Point and the Fauntleroy site in Endolyne. Fleck says that while WSGSC is disappointed that SCL removed trees at two sites including Andover, they’re encouraged to hear that the cleanup work at Fauntleroy will use “vactoring” to try to save trees while removing other vegetation.
Since Mayor Ed Murray took office two months ago, he hasn’t made an official West Seattle appearance that we’ve heard of, but that’s changing later this week. His office has announced that the mayor will come to Hiawatha Community Center on Thursday afternoon for “a press conference to discuss his recommendations for a park-funding ballot measure.” As noted here February 28th, the advisory committee working on that issue is recommending creation of a special district to raise extra park money, instead of a fixed-term levy, as has been used in the past. The mayor’s Thursday appearance is not a public event so far as we know, but we’ll be doublechecking on that and will update if that changes.
At left, that’s Michael Hoffman, proprietor of Liberty Bell Print and Design and founder of the West Seattle Car Show. We’ve just learned that Mr. Hoffman died of a sudden illness last night at his Arbor Heights home; he was 47 years old. For 13 years, Mr. Hoffman owned what was founded in 1973 as Liberty Bell Printing, located in The Junction until moving it out of a storefront three years ago. Susan Melrose, director of the West Seattle Junction Association, shares this tribute:
The news of losing our friend and colleague Michael Hoffman will be received as a tragic loss for our community. Michael’s spirit of kindness, consideration, humor, and charity has touched so many people in so many ways. He has left a positive imprint on West Seattle that will be remembered. Here in The Junction, we will remember and honor Michael with the deep appreciation that he so genuinely deserves.
Mr. Hoffman founded the street-closing Junction Car Show in 2008 and continued to organize it annually; last year’s edition was the sixth annual show. No word yet on a memorial service; we’ll update with whatever we find out.
Another sign of impending spring – Tony’s Market is open under the red/green/white tent at 35th/Barton. We’d been checking in every so often, but WSB tipster KB caught the start of business today before we did, and shared the photo. It’s the fourth year that Joey Genzale has reopened the produce market his fondly remembered dad Tony Genzale ran for so many years. We’re checking on hours/days and will add those details a bit later.
(Photo by Long B. Nguyen, taken around 1:30 pm Monday)
Big night for community meetings – and you are always welcome. From the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar, since we didn’t get the usual daily preview published before today’s council meeting:
HIGH POINT NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION: 6 pm, trustee meeting at Neighborhood House’s High Point Center. Agenda:
Call to order & introductions
Cultural Competency Training: China
Approval of February Minutes (Penny)
Treasurer’s report (Pam)
Review of new procedures, new forms for funding requests
Insurance payment progress from HOA/SHA
Tax time
Committee Reports
Bee Enclosure grant report
Bee Festival
Keep High Point Green
Women in Action update
Seattle Neighborhood Greenways
David Johnson, Child Development Manager, Neighborhood House, speaking on Gracious Space and Peace Making Circle
Report on SDOT “walk around”
(6400 Sylvan Way SW)
WEST SEATTLE TRANSPORTATION COALITION: Want to run for a spot on the board? Be at tonight’s meeting. 6:30 pm, Neighborhood House’s High Point Center. (6400 Sylvan Way SW)
BLOCK WATCH MEETING AT THE STAIRS: As previewed here, neighbors want to make a set of stairs and the surrounding area safer, and are meeting at 7 pm. (4516 SW Hanford)
ADMIRAL NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION, NEW LOCATION: Tonight’s Admiral Neighborhood Association meeting at 7 pm – previewed here – is at a new location, The Sanctuary at Admiral. (42nd/Lander)
FAUNTLEROY COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION: All welcome at the monthly board meeting, 7 pm in the board room at historic Fauntleroy Schoolhouse. (9131 California SW)
DENNY INTERNATIONAL MIDDLE SCHOOL PTSA: 7 pm at the school, including principal Jeff Clark‘s “state of the school” update. (2601 SW Kenyon)
CHIEF SEALTH INTERNATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL PTSA: 7 pm in the Confucius Room on campus, including an update from principal Aida Fraser-Hammer on the rest of the school year. (2600 SW Thistle)
(UPDATED 2:58 PM with archived meeting video; POST-HEARING TOPLINE: No committee vote until April 8th)
9:34 AM: We’re at City Hall for the alley-vacation hearing (process explained here, same as ‘street’ vacation) for 4755 Fauntleroy before the City Council’s Transportation Committee. Standing room only. Supporters are wearing purple stickers with slogans; opponents are wearing yellow stickers with slogans (photos added):
Live coverage ahead – you also can watch the stream via Seattle Channel (click “play”) in the window below (UPDATED 2:59 PM – THIS IS NOW THE ARCHIVED VIDEO OF THE MEETING):
Councilmember Tom Rasmussen has opened the discussion by playing a message on his voice mail – he got the robocall that project opponents sent around West Seattle last night. “It told me to call Tom,” he said, drawing laughter.
9:39 AM: First to speak, project opponent Deb Barker, who was the voice of the aforementioned robocall.
She is a community organization leader and former Design Review Board member. She says the public benefits in the project package are not enough. She talks about the setbacks and says the alley vacation overall will “waste public land for profit.”
Next, project supporter Sharonn Meeks, also a community-organization leader. She notes she was “involved in this project way before it began” – that included being on the Triangle Planning Group. She calls the site “a blighted grayfield.” She says scrapping these proposal would cost time and “an excellent developer.”
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(Latest bridge and Viaduct views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
There are your cameras for Tuesday morning. Biggest advance alert is the second of this week’s four scheduled overnight Highway 99 closures to finish the Spokane St. Overcrossing, 9 pm-5 am again tonight, both ways between East Marginal Way and S. Atlantic – details here.
8:43 AM: Governor Inslee‘s been walking to West Seattle Elementary School this morning, as previewed here Monday:
Full report on WSB later!
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
What Monday’s only witness at the Morgan Junction murder trial explained as a police interrogation tactic was on display, raw, in video shown to jurors.
It was a continuation of the video playback begun on Thursday afternoon, from defendant Lovett “Cid” Chambers‘s 
session with police in a downtown interview room in the early morning of January 22, 2012, hours after he fired the shots that killed Travis Hood (photo at right).
A shouting crescendo eventually was reached through both Chambers’ professed inability to remember exactly why he fired those shots and detectives’ insistence that his memory lapse was manufactured.
That dominated the day, which began with one juror leaving the trial.
3:41 AM: If you’ve been awakened by a big fire response in North Delridge – it was a dispatch for a possible house fire in the 4700 block of 26th SW (map). However, radio communication indicates it was a “porch fire,” and that police put it out before firefighters even got there. Most SFD units are being canceled.
4:14 AM UPDATE: But now there’s more to the story: This is a suspected case of arson, and at least one person is in custody. (More in comments.)
We can’t pass up the chance to note that exactly two months from today, May 10th it’s the 10th annual West Seattle Community Garage Sale Day, coordinated/presented by us here at WSB on the second Saturday in May, 9 am-3 pm. It will as always be a day for garage/yard/group sales all over the peninsula. Registration will open in early April; we’ll give you a heads-up here and plenty of reminders, once the date is set.
This Friday and Saturday, you have two great chances to get in the mood for garage/rummage saling – the twice-yearly two-day sales at Tibbetts United Methodist Church (WSB sponsor) and West Side Presbyterian Church. Find info on the Tibbetts sale here; on the West Side sale, here. Both begin at 9 am Friday.
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