West Seattle, Washington
12 Monday
(WSB photo by Patrick Sand)
First of two reports from tonight’s West Seattle Crime Prevention Council meeting: The Southwest Precinct’s second-in-command, Operations Lt. Ron Smith, had a long list of quick updates on crime trends and individual situations. Top of the list, the investigation of the death discovered at the scene of this morning’s 24th SW fire, barely a block southwest of the precinct. We had asked Lt. Smith about it before the meeting began, and he mentioned that in addition to SPD joining the investigation by mid-morning (photo above), ATF arson investigators checked out the scene a few hours later. Still no official word on what if anything they found in what Lt. Smith called a “full-blown investigation” – only that it’s “somewhat suspicious … it might not be (a crime) but … we’re at a very preliminary part of the investigation.” The victim has not been identified, nor has her cause of death been announced.
Other case updates/mentions and trends:
(2011 WSB photo by Stephanie Chacharon)
Two weeks and two days until your chance to enjoy a fun and fashionable night and help Northwest Hope and Healing, the West Seattle/West Seattleite-founded and -run organization that helps cancer patients. Tickets are on sale now for “Style ’14,” which includes a runway fashion show that features models who are also breast-cancer survivors, as well as prize drawings, a fund-a-need event, and more. It’s on Thursday, May 1st; you can just attend the show, or you can buy a VIP ticket which includes a pre-event party, cocktail reception, “heavy appetizers,” reserved seats, and a thank-you gift. Doors open at 6:30 pm for VIP, 7 pm for general admission, and the show starts at 7:30 pm; it’s a 21+ event. Though it’s outside West Seattle, at Showbox SODO, not only does it involve NWHH’s West Seattle leadership, it also involves West Seattle businesses including West Seattle Runner (WSB sponsor), Carmilia’s, Coastal, Ola, Twala Intimates, and more, as well as West Seattleites who are on the volunteer planning committee. You can buy your ticket online here (see the left sidebar of that page).
(WSB photo from 2013 Thriftway egg hunt)
If you have one or more kids determined to have the most fun possible at the Easter Eve egg hunts in West Seattle and vicinity on Saturday – here’s where to go, and when:
9 am – West Seattle Thriftway (California/Fauntleroy/Morgan; WSB sponsor) egg hunt
10 am – Seattle Parks & Rec community center egg hunt of your choice:
*********Alki – 5817 SW Stevens – is billed as for ages 11 and under
*********Delridge – 4501 Delridge Way SW – for ages 3-11
*********Hiawatha – 2700 California SW – for 3-11
*********High Point – 6920 34th SW – for 3-11
*********South Park – 8319 8th Ave. S. – for ages 1-10
11 am – Eastridge Church egg hunt at Lincoln Park (8011 Fauntleroy Way SW) – bring donations for the diaper drive for WestSide Baby
We’re still adding other special weekend events to the calendar, so if you have something for Saturday/Sunday (including services), it’s not too late – editor@westseattleblog.com.
If you’re concerned about development, it might be “the city department you love to hate” – the city Department of Planning and Development. Land use, zoning, permitting, reviewing – all under the DPD’s umbrella. You’re invited to tomorrow night’s Delridge Neighborhoods District Council meeting to hear from and talk with three DPD reps AND a community expert on grass-roots land-use research/activism. DNDC chair Mat McBride asked us to share the agenda :
DELRIDGE NEIGHBORHOODS DISTRICT COUNCIL
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 16, 2014 – 7:00 pm7:10 p.m. Seattle 2035 – Patrice Carroll and Nicolas Welch, Department of Planning and Development
7:40 p.m. Pedestrian zones – Aly Pennucci, Department of Planning and Development
8:00 p.m. North Delridge Community Development Action Plan – David Goldberg, Department of Planning and Development
8:20 p.m. (What citizens should know, from a grass-roots perspective) – Cindi Barker
The DNDC includes reps from community councils and other orgs around eastern West Seattle, but you’re welcome no matter where in the area you’re from. If you are researching development in your own neighborhood, Cindi Barker’s information might be particularly helpful. Tomorrow’s meeting is at 7 pm in room 106 at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center (4408 Delridge Way SW).
Congratulations go out to three West Seattleites with recent awards/nominations:
(Image courtesy NK Woodworking)
STEPPING UP TO VICTORY: Alki resident Nathie Katzoff is proprietor of NK Woodworking, which has just won more awards in a single year at the Stairways Manufacturers’ Association national trade show than any company has ever won before. That’s according to a company spokesperson who sent word of the wins – for Most Unique Staircase, Best Straight Staircase, Best Balustrade, and Best Stair Part, and notes that Katzoff has ascended in his industry relatively quickly, at the age of just 26.. The company also works on wooden boats, from a yard in South Park, and has its woodworking studio in South Seattle. See more of NKW’s work here.
EMMY NOMINATION FOR ‘DIVER LAURA’: Seattle’s regional Emmy Award nominations were made public this past weekend, and the nominees include West Seattle advocate/activist/photographer/etc. “Diver Laura” James, who contributed photography to the public-TV story you see above, a collaborative piece about sea otters and climate change, produced for KCTS 9 (though the story page from which the video comes is hosted by another public TV station). She is nominated along with producer Michael Werner, photographer/editor Greg Davis, and coordinating producer Katie Jennings. The winners will be announced at an event in June; you can see the full list of Seattle/regional nominees via a doc linked from this site.
‘CELEBRATE WORLD MUSIC’ AWARD NOMINATION: West Seattle’s Tim Huling is one of eight composers who were part of “Celebrate World Music,” a world-premiere concert at Benaroya Hall in March 2013. The resulting album is up for an Independent Music Award. Here’s one of Huling’s contributions from the concert, “The Ballad of Sylvester Jourdain“:
“Celebrate World Music” is nominated in the Contemporary Classical category; winners will be announced next month.
Three West Seattle Crime Watch notes for you: First, we start with the one that is more often the side note – the WS Crime Prevention Council meeting. Since it’s TONIGHT, here’s your last reminder about this monthly chance to bring a concern directly to police. The meeting usually begins with their update on local crime trends, and quickly moves to an invitation for anyone to ask a question or air a concern. After that – and there’s usually plenty of time – it’s the featured guest speaker(s), this time from the Seattle Police Crisis Intervention Unit. Meeting’s at 7 pm, Southwest Precinct; enter from the parking lot along SW Webster west of Delridge [map].
Ahead, two reader reports – break-ins and a hit-and-run:
(Photo by Gary Jones, added 11:20 am)
9:34 AM: On Monday, we had a report of southbound orcas (and a photo too – thanks to the unidentified texter!); now, there’s word of orcas headed northbound along the east side of Vashon, which means they might soon be visible from here. Thanks to Alisa for letting us know about the report, which appeared on the Orca Network Facebook page.
9:46 AM UPDATE: Donna Sandstrom from The Whale Trail just called and reports “three to five” orcas in this group, approaching Lincoln Park.
11:20 AM UPDATE: Just back from a trip along Beach Drive and Alki – didn’t see the orcas ourselves, but Gary Jones saw them in the Alki Point vicinity and shared his first photo, above (thank you!).
(Latest bridge and Highway 99 views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
While we keep watch on morning traffic, closures to remind you about:
SW GENESEE ALL WEEK: The SW Genesee hill east of Avalon Way is scheduled to be closed for concrete-panel replacement work. Here’s the Metro Route 50 reroute info.
ALKI AVENUE SATURDAY MORNING: The Earth Day 5K on Saturday morning will close Alki Avenue until about 11:30 am – it’s been a while since we wrote about it, and it’s new to West Seattle this year, so we’re starting the reminders now.
(SCROLL DOWN for updates, including police joining investigation)
(Photos, video by WSB’s Patrick Sand)
FIRST REPORT, 4:34 AM: Big Seattle Fire response for an apartment fire in the 7500 block of 24th SW (map), just south of the Southwest Precinct/Home Depot area.
4:40 AM UPDATE: At least one person is reported to be hurt, and crews are calling for more medics.
4:47 AM UPDATE: It’s not a big fire – but especially for a multifamily building, it’s SOP to send a sizable response just in case. Per scanner, it’s tapped/under control. Our crew should be on scene shortly.
5:02 AM UPDATE: Our crew says the fire was in a top-floor apartment. Working to find out more about the person found, injured, in that apartment. (added) SFD spokesperson Kyle Moore will be briefing media at the scene shortly.
5:25 AM UPDATE: There’s a reason we hadn’t heard a condition for the person described as a “victim” – Moore says that person found in the burning apartment was dead. That’s the only apartment damaged by fire, but others were affected by smoke, and the Red Cross has been called in to help one person.
5:48 AM UPDATE: Moore describes the person found dead in the burning bedroom as an adult woman. As you’ll hear in the video of Moore’s briefing (above), SFD’s investigator is working to find out how and exactly where the fire started. The apartment had a sprinkler, Moore said, but it was in the hallway, not the bedroom. It will be up to the Medical Examiner to determine how the woman died – whether from the fire, or something else.
8:55 AM UPDATE: Police are now at the scene – including CSI investigators – and yellow crime-scene tape is up.
Seattle Police spokesperson Det. Renée Witt says SFD investigators asked SPD to check out the scene “out of an abundance of caution” just to make sure they weren’t missing anything.
So far, she says she doesn’t know what they have or have not found, but there has not yet been any ruling whether this was or wasn’t a homicide, and the cause of death has not yet been determined by the Medical Examiner.
4:33 PM UPDATE: We’ve been checking, but still no updated information from investigators in either department.
7:15 PM UPDATE: We’ve talked to SW Precinct Ops. Lt. Ron Smith at the West Seattle Crime Prevention Council. He says ATF went to the scene today as well but that there is still no official finding about whether this was a crime or not, but it is certainly “suspicious.”
Great weather Monday afternoon for ballgames – and there were three locally, even though the schools are on spring break:
(Photo by Greg Slader: Spencer Elder, driving in WSHS’s only run)
West Seattle High School‘s baseball team played at Hiawatha, losing to Seattle Prep 4-1 (game stats here). From Greg Slader:
Kevin Cuddy pitched three good innings and held the Panther hitters in check, except one inning got away from the Wildcats as Seattle Prep scored three runs. Three double plays by the Panthers erased too many West Seattle base runners. Cameron & Spencer’s back-to-back hits scored West Seattle’s only run.
The Wildcats’ next home game is at 3:30 pm Friday vs. Ingraham.
Chief Sealth International High School‘s baseball team was home on Monday afternoon too, falling to O’Dea at Southwest Athletic Complex, 10-0.
(WSB photo: Evan Moe at bat)
Sealth’s varsity-softball team also played at SWAC on Monday:
(WSB photo: Sophia Bauer pitching for the Seahawks)
Sealth lost to Holy Names, 8-2 (game stats here);
Tonight (Tuesday), Seattle Lutheran High School plays at SWAC, 6:45 pm, vs. University Prep.
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