West Seattle, Washington
30 Friday
Another TV/film crew is in West Seattle – if you’ve noticed the truck and portable restroom along Beach Drive, not far north of Lowman Beach Park, it’s for the Animal Planet show “Treehouse Masters.” We confirmed that with a crew member on scene, after a tip from Dr. Bryan Wiebe (of longtime WSB sponsor Fauntleroy Chiropractic). Turns out Athena and Laura were also discussing it on the WSB Facebook page. The crew member couldn’t go into detail, much less show us the “set,” but it seems they’re likely to be there a few days longer. The show’s built around East King County-based treehouse designer Pete Nelson, featured recently by The Seattle Times (WSB partner). His show is in its second season; we’ll keep watch for the West Seattle edition!
In discussions following West Seattle Crime Watch coverage here, some have wondered why police officers don’t appear to seek fingerprint evidence at every scene. Last night, at the West Seattle Block Watch Captains Network meeting, Southwest Precinct commander Capt. Steve Wilske said one challenge is that they didn’t have access to working kits – so he’s fixing that. In our first of two reports on last night’s meeting, here are the new local stats and prevention plans he mentioned as the meeting began:
(Friday photo by WSB’s Christopher Boffoli)
We’ve just confirmed the arrest of a suspect in last Friday’s High Point shooting. As reported here shortly after it happened, an 18-year-old was shot in the leg during what was reported as a fight involving about 20 people near 30th SW and High Point Drive. Police found a gun and multiple shell casings near and under a car in the area. After hearing from multiple sources about a possible arrest, we just confirmed with SPD spokesperson Det. Drew Fowler that a 17-year-old boy was arrested in West Seattle today in connection with the incident, was being questioned by Gang Unit detectives, and is being booked into the Youth Services Center for investigation of assault and unlawful possession of a firearm.
“Experience China without leaving Seattle!” Organizers say you can do that this Saturday afternoon at Chief Sealth International High School, during Confucius Institute Day, a mini-festival with free Chinese language/culture activities for all ages. Here’s the flyer with details:
The Confucius Institute has a center at the Sealth/Denny campus – you might recall the celebration back in 2010. This Saturday’s activities are set for 1-4 pm; the schedule is here, where you also can RSVP to let organizers know how many people to plan for.
When Mayor Murray‘s budget proposal went public on Monday, our quick search of the document for specific West Seattle callouts netted a few items we’ve since been following up on. Among them: A proposed miniature golf course at West Seattle Golf Course.
WSGC is part of the Seattle Parks and Recreation system, though managed by a private firm, so we went to Parks for more info. The reply below is from Joelle Hammerstad, who explains that the miniature-golf proposal has its roots in part in the 2011 decision canceling plans for a driving range at WSGC:
Seattle Parks and Recreation is considering the installation of a mini-golf course at West Seattle Golf Course. A mini-golf course would be a replacement for the driving range that had been planned for the golf course.
This work comes as a result of the Golf Master Plan, which was adopted in 2009. The Plan calls for several large, revenue-generating projects at Seattle’s public golf courses. When it became clear that the West Seattle community did not want the driving range, the money, which comes from general obligation bonds, was redirected to driving ranges at Jefferson and Jackson golf courses. (The Jackson driving range is scheduled to open next month, and the Jefferson driving range will open next spring.)
A mini-golf course would have two benefits:
1) It would open the course to children and families, expanding the use of a public amenity to the larger community.
2) It would partly replace the revenue anticipated from the driving range. (A mini-golf course is expected to bring in around $225,000 in revenue a year. A driving range was anticipated to have brought in $800,000 a year. The revenue is used to pay the debt on the general obligation bonds purchased to undertake the Golf Master Plan, and to make improvements to Seattle’s publicly owned golf courses. )
The process for developing the course will include public meetings, and community input.
The mayor’s budget declares “The West Seattle miniature golf course is scheduled for construction in the latter half of 2015.” Providing the budget is approved. P.S. One of the other three city golf courses has miniature golf already – Interbay.
SIDE NOTE: While the Golf Master Plan called for perimeter trails at city-owned courses as its “highest priority,” Hammerstad tells us the perimeter trail for West Seattle Golf Course remains unfunded, but: “With the influx of funds from the revenue-generating projects, there may be an opportunity to develop the trail.”
(On the beach at Lincoln Park, photographed by Mark Ahlness, shared via WSB Flickr group)
From the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar for today/tonight:
CO-WORKING MEETUP: Working at home today? In a coffee shop? Meet your fellow non-traditional workers at the West Seattle Office Junction (WSB sponsor) weekly co-working meetup, noon-1:15 pm. (6040 California SW)
FINAL FARM STAND FOR HIGH POINT MARKET GARDEN: 4-7 pm, this season’s last scheduled farm-stand sales day for the organic produce grown in the High Point Market Garden. (32nd/Juneau)
WEST SEATTLE TIMEBANK: 6-7 pm at Southwest Branch Library, new/prospective Timebank members are welcome to this month’s orientation event. (35th/Henderson)
WEST SEATTLE LAND USE COMMITTEE: 2nd meeting of the new group focused on peninsula-specific land-use/zoning/development issues. West Seattle Senior Center, 6:30 pm. Here’s our coverage of its first meeting. (Oregon/California)
LIVE/WORK IN SOUTH/SOUTHEAST WEST SEATTLE? CRIME/SAFETY CONCERNS? 7 pm tonight is your chance to bring them up directly with Seattle Police, at a special joint meeting of two West Seattle community councils representing much of the peninsula’s south/southeast areas, Highland Park Action Committee and Westwood-Roxhill-Arbor Heights CC. 6:30 pm potluck before the meeting, all welcome to that too! Highland Park Improvement Club. (12th/Holden)
LOTS MORE, INCLUDING NIGHTLIFE: Please browse the WSB calendar (updated multiple times daily/nightly) for the full list of what’s up today/tonight/beyond.
Fall is fundraising season – and two local organizations that help local families have events this weekend:
WESTSIDE BABY: The “Shake, Rattle & Fly” cocktail benefit is 7-10 pm Friday at Emerald City Trapeze (2702 6th Ave. S.), “an evening of music, dancing, aerial performances, an auction, complimentary valet parking, and of course, delicious food and drink.” Auction items include “a yearlong VIP concert package to the Showbox and a vacation to Crystal Mountain” plus a cruise/air package. Three bars are in the event’s “signature cocktail competition,” including West Seattle’s Feedback Lounge (WSB sponsor) and West 5. Online registration is here.
SOUTHWEST YOUTH AND FAMILY SERVICES: The annual gala for Delridge-based SWYFS is 5:30-8:30 pm Saturday at The Hall at Fauntleroy. You’re invited for “dinner, a wine grab, dessert dash, music, student poetry, networking, and a chance to win 2 roundtrip Alaska Airlines tickets or dinner for 4 at Canlis!” Former mayor Greg Nickels is the emcee. Online registration is here.
(WS bridge and Highway 99 views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
Good morning! With major rain for much of the night, that’ll be the big news for the morning commute. Other notes:
SCHOOL’S OUT EARLY: For Seattle Public Schools, it’s two-hour-early dismissal today.
TRANSPORTATION NEWS: Bus didn’t come? This might be why … Miss the Fauntleroy Boulevard open house? Here’s what you missed … SDOT declares road-work season mostly over.
9:49 AM: As commenters are pointing out, traffic is, overall, terrible – and the rain has just hit downpour level again.
As a draw for people from around the region, Alki Beach poses a unique challenge for local police. It’s one of six areas of West Seattle for which Southwest Precinct leaders are drawing up neighborhood-policing plans, so Operations Lt. Ron Smith came to this month’s Alki Community Council meeting in search of comments on the draft. He was one of two guests, along with a city rep working on the revised Shoreline Master Program.
ALKI POLICING PLAN: The ACC had circulated the draft policing plan along with the meeting agenda:
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