West Seattle, Washington
30 Friday
If you still have something coming via postal or package delivery … take note, we’ve received four more package/mail-theft reports today/tonight alone. See them ahead, along with another theft report (shoplifters bolting a store tonight):
From the “in case you were wondering” file … two more quick followups on what will likely be the next two West Seattle restaurants to open:
COASTLINE: As first reported here last summer, this is the burger joint that is going into the former Shoofly Pie Company spot at 4444 California SW. We checked in with proprietor Aaron Shepherd, who also owns Copper Coin in Admiral; he says they’re hoping to be open before year’s end. In the meantime, Coastline is listed on posters as the starting point for the West Seattle Santa Pub Crawl on Saturday night, and Shepherd says they will be keeping that commitment by pouring beers – just no burgers yet!
BLUE MOON BURGERS: As first reported here last spring, this Seattle mini-chain is converting the former Alki Auto Repair (which moved to Luna Park) location at 2504 Alki Ave. SW. A spokesperson tells us that Blue Moon is now hoping to be open by mid-January.
3:48 PM: It’s by no means a guarantee that light rail is headed this way – but it’s a necessary first step: The Sound Transit board has just approved ST’s Long-Range Plan Update, and part of it included an amendment to the ST map so that it will now show Downtown Seattle to West Seattle to Burien as a (potential) light-rail corridor.
4:41 PM: Some background – the talk about this possibility really started to intensify a year ago, when ST offered an online survey about its Long-Range Plan Update. In May, we reported on a presentation to the ST Executive Committee about the study of potential south-end corridors, including routes featuring West Seattle. Then in June, another survey was taken in connection with the draft environmental-impact statement for the Long-Range Plan Update. In July, ST reps spoke to the West Seattle Transportation Coalition and to the West Seattle Chamber of Commerce; and in October, the two West Seattleites on the Sound Transit board, County Executive Dow Constantine and County Councilmember Joe McDermott, announced they would work to get WS into the Long-Range Plan Update.
So what happens now? ST has to figure out what it wants to propose for its next ballot measure, dubbed ST3, which might not go to voters until November 2016. Today’s vote is no guarantee that the newly added West Seattle light-rail corridor will be included, but if the board hadn’t voted to add WS to the map today, there would have been zero chance of it making the next ballot measure.
(Photo by Gary Jones)
Yes, that was the USS John C. Stennis again, visible from West Seattle on its way back to Bremerton, two weeks after it left for flight-operations testing following its quarter-billion-dollar overhaul. The Kitsap Sun reported on Monday that the Stennis got its flight-operations certification during the testing off California, following 160 launches and recoveries. Other training’s been under way on board, too, as shown on the Stennis’s Facebook page.
When we toured Fairmount Park Elementary School just before its reopening, we heard a lot about the spaces on its walls where students’ work could be displayed. Thanks to a parent’s tip, we found out about one big example that’s up today for one final day before the work will be shown off at a schoolwide celebration tomorrow – corn-husk dolls celebrating students’ family heritage(s). It’s something that first-grade teacher Kevin Peterson did with his students elsewhere before he joined Fairmount Park – and now, at this school, his new class was joined in the project by another first-grade class and two 1st/2nd classrooms:
Here’s how he explains it:
This project is based around a book called Molly’s Pilgrim, written by Barbara Cohen. … The first and second grade students crafted the corn husk dolls here at school several weeks ago (with the help of parent volunteers from all four classrooms. Once the wet corn husks dried, the kids delivered the doll forms home and exploring a part of our heritage and dressing the doll became a part of a family project over Thanksgiving.
Here at school, first grade writers (did) a folio featuring a labeled drawing of their doll with descriptive words, a observational writing piece, and a map of which continent/culture their doll is representing. Second graders are doing some beginning research on the countries that their dolls represent.
We will have a heritage festival on Friday 12/19. Each classroom will sample foods from around the world and then will travel to the lunchroom to see the writing folio projects and dolls of more than 100 of their school mates. They will record three dolls from each continent (excepting Antarctica) and celebrate their hard work together.
We asked if we could stop by for photos, and he arranged for us to visit toward the end of the school day on Wednesday and talk to some of his students about their work – keep in mind, these eight are just a sampling of those who created dolls:
From left, the students who spoke with us are Georgia, Sophie, Delilah, Torin, Bear, Lilly, Chloe, and Magdalena. They all spoke enthusiastically about their creations, the country or tradition represented. This is the one Torin made:
He explained that it shows Ethiopian traditions in honor of his brother and sister, who are from Ethiopia. Chloe told us hers represents Colombia – “in South America!” she added. Magdalena mentioned her continent first – “Europe!” and then the specific nation, “Holland.” Take a closer look at a few more:
Toward the right, the doll with red hair and green satin was made by Georgia, who explained that Ireland is the country that inspired her. Other nations celebrated by the creations of the students we met included Japan, Iran, and Sweden. The parent who first wrote us about the project declared it “fantastic,” and we’d have to agree – what we’ve shown you here barely scratches the surface!
Congratulations to the West Seattle High School girls-varsity basketball team – head coach Sonya Elliott shares news of a big win last night, over Lakeside – ranked 9th in the state and playing on their home court! – 59-43. Next up for the Wildcats, a home game against Ingraham tomorrow night (Friday, December 19th), 6:30 pm.
Two items in West Seattle Crime Watch this morning:
POLICE SEEK TOY-THEFT SUSPECTS: Just published on SPD Blotter – a theft case police hope you can help them solve:
Police are looking for two men and a woman who stole toys from a Delridge drug store and attacked an employee when he tried to stop them Monday night.
The suspects walked into the store, in the 9400 block of 16th Avenue Southwest, around 7 PM. One man filled a shopping basket with toys and left out without paying. When a store employee confronted him outside and tried to photograph his license plate with a cell phone, a woman grabbed the phone away.
She couldn’t unlock the phone to delete the photograph, so the man who stole the toys warned the employee to delete the image or he’d return for him. The third suspect started up a car and all three fled, throwing the employees cell phone into the street as they left.
If you know where police can find these three suspects, please contact robbery detectives at (206) 684-5535.
The SPD Blotter post has the suspects’ names and photos, which we’ll add here as soon as we can.
(added) Suspects as identified/shown by SPD – in order as shown below, Raul Hernandez, Sandra Garcia, Omar Cruz-Resendiz:
(back to original report) STOLEN CAR: Eric‘s red 1997 Honda Accord was stolen sometime Monday near California/Holly in south Morgan Junction. Inside were two booster seats for his kids. Washington plates AQJ7944 – call 911 if you see it.
FRIDAY NIGHT 8 PM UPDATE: In the robbery story – one suspect is on the King County Jail Register now, Omar Cruz-Resendiz, booked at 2 pm today.
(Barrow’s Goldeneye, photographed by Mark Wangerin)
Happy Thursday! From the WSB West Seattle Holiday Guide and ongoing calendar:
HANUKKAH: This is Night 3 of the Festival of Lights.
COMMUNITY ACUPUNCTURE BENEFIT: 3-7 pm today at Community Acupuncture Project of West Seattle, all proceeds from services will be donated to the cause of Healing Justice for Black Lives Matter and the Legal Support Fund for Justice for Mike Brown. More details in our calendar listing. (4545 44th SW)
SHOP LATE THURSDAY: Still shopping? Tonight’s the final Shop Late Thursday of the season in The Junction, with many stores open until 9 pm. Participants (listed here) include WSB sponsors Click! Design That Fits, Emerald Water Anglers, and VAIN.
HABERDASHERY FOR THE HOLIDAYS, 6-9 pm pop-up jewelry/accessories sale, Twilight Gallery and Boutique. (4306 SW Alaska)
MIX, MINGLE, AND JINGLE … with the West Seattle Chamber of Commerce, 5:30-8 pm party at the Duwamish Longhouse. Register online. (4705 W. Marginal Way SW)
WSHS CONCERT: West Seattle High School musicians in concert, directed by Ethan Thomas, 7 pm in the West Seattle HS Theater: “The Band, Orchestra and Jazz Ensemble will be performing the music of Tchaikovsky, Brahms, Holst, Basie, Ellington and more. The concert is free and open to the public.” (3000 California SW)
LOTS MORE … on our calendar and in the Holiday Guide!
(WS high/low bridges and Highway 99 views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
Good morning! Heading for the heart of the commute, nothing unusual in this area so far.
8:41 AM: Just off the bridge – downtown assignment this morning. Smooth and relatively swift; 10 minutes from south of Morgan Junction all the way to the 4th Ave. offramp. Motorcycle officer standing guard at the gore point by the offramp to 99.
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