West Seattle, Washington
10 Tuesday
Heads up for Fauntleroy ferry-terminal users and people who drive/ride/walk in the area: The wrapping-up-soon Barton Pump Station Upgrade Project just north of the terminal will close the north lane at the terminal for two weeks around the clock, starting next Monday (March 2nd). It’s “to enable construction on a retaining wall,” says Annie Kolb-Nelson from King County, adding: “Flaggers will be onsite during busy commute times to guide traffic.” P.S. Full details are on the newest flyer.
(Screengrab from Water Taxi Watch)
Wondering where your Water Taxi is? Just announced:
The King County Marine Division (KCMD) is excited to announce that we have gone live with our Water Taxi Watch system.
Water Taxi Watch, modeled after Washington State Ferries’ (WSF) very popular VesselWatch, allows you to track vessels on our routes in real time, including their position, speed, and direction. You can also find arrival and departure schedules and other useful information on the site. Hopefully the next foggy morning you are down at the dock and cannot see your vessel, you will be able to use this new tool to track the status of your boat.
This project was funded by a Federal Transit Administration technology grant and is a collaborative effort between WSF and the King County Marine Division. Please visit our website at kingcounty.gov/watertaxi for a link to this exciting new feature!
(Note: The site currently lists the vessel’s estimated arrival time. This is an estimate based on the scheduled crossing time added to the actual departure time and does not account for weather or other delays during the crossing)
The direct link is here – it’s hosted on the Washington State Ferries website (you’ll notice that it lists WSF vessels as well), and as noted in the announcement, is reachable via a button from the Water Taxi homepage.
SIDE NOTE: While there’s no official announcement from the county yet (we’re checking), BikeVashon says the first new Water Taxi, M/V Sally Fox (which will be on the Seattle-Vashon route), is expected to be dedicated March 28th.
Signups just started for popular free classes at the Seattle Chinese Garden on Puget Ridge – the next session of the Community Chinese Corner:
Experienced Chinese teachers and student assistants lead these fun classes for all ages. Learning activities include talking about food, playing cards, and painting. Co-sponsored by the Seattle Chinese Garden and the Confucius Institute of the State of Washington. The sessions are free, but donations are welcome. Go here for more information.
The classes will be held alternate Tuesdays, March 24-June 30, 4:30-6 pm in the Chan Center at the garden, which is just north of South Seattle College (WSB sponsor). You can register online by going here. (2012 photo by Pollyanna Wang)
Just wrapped up at City Hall, SDOT director Scott Kubly‘s briefing for the City Council Transportation Committee, chaired by West Seattle-residing Councilmember Tom Rasmussen. We previewed it here last Friday when his written updates arrived along with the meeting agenda; some changes and additions in the briefing, monitored via Seattle Channel‘s live webcast (update: here’s the archived video):
99/AURORA LANE CLOSURES: WSDOT has been warning about weeks of lane closures on 99 just north of downtown, starting as soon as March 7th, because of foundation installation for future messaging signs; Kubly said it appears southbound traffic will be affected the most. City Councilmember Mike O’Brien expressed concern that RapidRide E Line will be caught in the delays and wondered if the project could be postponed until additional transit service starts in June. “(The signs) are for a tunnel that’s been delayed 2 years,” he pointed out. This might all be brought up at next Monday’s council briefing meeting.
FAUNTLEROY BOULEVARD: As previously reported here, design for the Fauntleroy Boulevard project between 35th and Alaska is paused at 60 percent until a decision is made about undergrounding utilities, which would add ~$6 million to the price tag.
Rasmussen told Kubly he’ll be meeting with City Light Superintendent Jorge Carrasco, including a tour of the area, and Kubly offered to join them.
35TH, ROXBURY SAFETY PROJECTS: The official dates for the next meetings on these West Seattle projects will likely be in mid-March, not the potential early March dates mentioned in Kubly’s written report; the announcements are expected within a few days. Speaking about citywide corridor safety projects in general, Kubly said the problem to be solved is that the city’s road network was designed in the ’50s and ’60s for just one transportation mode, the car. So what’s happening now is “not really a war on cars, (but) trying to (re)design our streets to reflect the diversity of ways people want to get around Seattle,” and increasing safety since the current road designs encourage speeding.
47TH/ADMIRAL SIGNAL: With construction starting soon, Rasmussen mentioned concerns about notification of how parking removal will affect Alki Mail and others in the area. Kubly said that notification had first gone out last August that parking would be removed within 50 feet of the intersection (as noted on the project page).
Earlier in the meeting:
TRANSIT BOARD: The committee voted on the resolution creating a new 11-member citywide Transit Advisory Board, which goes to the full council for final approval next week. One topic of discussion – how to ensure that it will have representatives from around the city? Geographic representation is “not mandatory, but aspirational,” observed Rasmussen. O’Brien suggested tweaking the resolution language to further encourage geographic diversity.
(Photo: Screengrab from this morning’s Seattle Channel webcast)
(Monday photo by Don Brubeck)
Highlights of what’s up today/tonight, from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:
MATH BUDDIES: 4 pm at West Seattle (Admiral) Library, K-5 students are invited to this drop-in, first-come-first-served program matching them with high-school-student volunteers to work on math – details here. (2306 42nd SW)
TEEN GRUB CLUB: 4 pm at High Point Community Center, teens cook for teens, exploring “healthy eating and cooking habits” – details here. (6920 34th SW)
WEST SEATTLE BLOCK WATCH CAPTAINS’ NETWORK: 6:30 pm at the Southwest Precinct, WSBWCN plans updates from SPD and a briefing on preventing/deterring property crime. All welcome – you don’t have to be part of a Block Watch to be there. (Webster/Delridge)
COUNCIL CAMPAIGN KICKOFF: One week after announcing he’s running for the District 1 (West Seattle/South Park) City Council seat, Dave Montoure is having a public campaign-kickoff event tonight, 6:30 pm at Easy Street Records in The Junction. (California/Alaska)
WEST SEATTLE HIGH SCHOOL PTA: 7 pm at the school library, it’s the next general meeting of the WSHS PTSA, with agenda highlights previewed in the school’s online newsletter. (3000 California SW)
FAMILY STORYTIME: 7 pm, the whole family’s invited to Delridge Library – get there early because space is limited. (5423 Delridge Way SW)
FREE COMMUNITY/NEIGHBORHOOD LEGAL CLINIC: For this clinic sponsored by the King County Bar Association at the Senior Center of West Seattle, appointments start at 7 pm – you have to call in advance for one; details are in our calendar listing. (Oregon/California)
BLUES, BINGO, TRIVIA, KARAOKE, SONGWRITER SHOWCASE … all part of the nightlife lineup – check out the venues and details on our full calendar.
This is the time of year when most college applications are in and students await acceptance letters. Then there’s the matter of how to pay for college. The Rotary Club of West Seattle is inviting applications right now for its annual Gambriell Scholarships, awarded to two or three local graduating seniors:
Here are the requirements:
· Available to any graduating high school senior student.
· Based on financial need and academic merit.
· Student would not otherwise be able to attend college without these funds.
· Preference given to West Seattle residents.This year each recipient will receive $3,000 to $5,000, depending on number of recipients.
· Funds must be used on tuition and fees to accredited post-secondary educational programs.The deadline for applications is fast approaching: April 15th, 2015. Recipients will be chosen by April 30th, 2015. Please e-mail Dotty Hughes, dotty.hughes@wafd.com, for an application. Applications may be returned by email, given to any West Seattle Rotarian, or mailed to the address on the application form.
The Rotary Club of West Seattle utilizes five avenues of service: Club, Vocational, International, New Generations and Community. The club’s foundation board (West Seattle Rotary Service Foundation) allocates funding annually to each avenue of service for projects. The Gambriell Scholarship is one of the Community Service projects of the club.
(Four WS-relevant views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
Good morning. No trouble spots in our vicinity so far. One big road-work reminder:
ADMIRAL WAY PAVING: SDOT will be working between Olga and 34th, starting around 7 am, just south of Admiral Way Viewpoint. They’re hoping to finish the work in just one day, according to the update we published Monday, and expect to keep one lane open each way.
Looking further ahead:
HIGHWAY 99 CLOSURE ON SUNDAY MORNING: One more thing to add to the lookahead list we included here yesterday – the Hot Chocolate 5K/15K will close part of Highway 99 just north of downtown for a few hours on Sunday morning. Details are in this update from SDOT.
7:11 AM: Checking travel times from the city map – these are from the Admiral Way hill:
SR-99 Offramp 4 min.
1st Ave Offramp 5 min.
4th Ave Offramp 6 min.
I-5 NB/SB 6 min.
Stadiums via 1st Ave 8 min.
Stadiums via 4th Ave 10 min.
South Lake Union 14 min
Lower Queen Anne 16 min.
Green Lake via SR-99 21 min.
Ballard 22 min.
Shoreline via SR-99 27 min.
Do you work in tech – software, or engineering? Can you share your expertise with a high-school teacher and her/his students? Read the letter above from West Seattle High School principal Ruth Medsker and see if you might be able to give a bit of time to boost computer science at her school; if you want to find out more about TEALS first, go here.
(WSB photo: Terminal 5 as seen from east Admiral this afternoon)
Port of Seattle commissioners meet tomorrow for the first time since it was publicly disclosed that the port had signed the lease with Foss Maritime that will bring Shell‘s Arctic-drilling-fleet vessels to West Seattle’s closed-since-last-summer Pier 5. Port CEO Ted Fick signed it on February 9th, and the commission met on February 10th, but the signing wasn’t brought to light until a February 11th letter to the environmental coalition that had not only urged the port not to strike the deal, but held a media event hinting at legal action.
While the T-5 lease is not an official agenda item for tomorrow’s meeting, the opposition coalition plans to bring it up during public-comment time at the meeting, which starts at 1 pm in the Sea-Tac Airport conference room. Emily Johnston from 350 Seattle tells WSB, “Legal action is still definitely being considered, and we’re definitely moving forward in other ways as well: primarily, persuading the Port to rescind the lease, or to work with Foss to mutually abandon the lease, or to do whatever else they need to do *not to play a supporting role in Arctic drilling*. The Port is a public entity, and it has not been acting responsibly as such; at a minimum, they need to pull back and hold hearings. … Working on their process so that “next time” they know how to manage a controversial decision like this isn’t good enough: this particular decision is as consequential as any they will ever have, and they need to make the right one, and nix the lease.” The “process” refers to a directive given by commissioners when they agreed January 13th to let staff continue negotiating the lease, saying they needed to come up with procedures for policies that could guide staff in the future. A briefing on that potential process change is on tomorrow’s agenda.
We also sought an update today from Foss’s spokesperson, who had indicated that more details of the T-5 plan would be available by now. We haven’t heard back yet but will include anything that we do find out. Tomorrow’s commission meeting, meantime, is open to the public; the commission’s public-comment rules are here.
We don’t know who it was (do you?), but – James Bratsanos shared these views of a powered paraglider, cruising over the south West Seattle shoreline this afternoon.
A bit further north, Beach Drive Blog spotted the flyer too.
Two car crimes start West Seattle Crime Watch today:
NON-STARTER: The photo is from “astounded & fuming“:
I live in the 5600 block of California ave SW and sometime between 6 pm and 8 pm Sunday evening someone broke into my Honda Civic, popped the hood and unbolted my distributor assembly, and stole it out of my car, which was parked in alley parking behind my building. It explains why my car wouldn’t start this morning!
STOLEN CAMARO FOUND: Just as we were about to publish a reader report about a stolen Camaro, we heard scanner traffic suggesting police were getting alerts to its whereabouts via the LoJack system. Shortly thereafter, police found it parked/ditched in High Point, not far from where it had been stolen overnight.
FROM THE ‘IN CASE YOU WONDERED’ FILE: Big but brief police response drew some attention this afternoon at Fauntleroy/35th/Avalon, even a few passes from a TV helicopter. Over before we arrived, so we asked SPD media relations: Officers thought they had spotted the suspect in a robbery outside West Seattle last week. But it wasn’t the person they were looking for.
BLOCK WATCH CAPTAINS TOMORROW NIGHT: Next chance to hear from and talk with local police comes as part of tomorrow night’s monthly meeting of the West Seattle Block Watch Captains Network. This agenda preview just arrived:
What can you do to help prevent property crimes? Why are thieves taking even inexpensive items from your yard or garage? CPT officer Erin Nicholson will be there to talk about prevention and answer your questions about these types of crimes that you can pass on to your Block Watch Groups.
SW Precinct commander Captain Steve Wilske will provide an update on recent events in West Seattle and South Park. Please join us to review and/or learn tips and techniques that will make your home and property less-desirable targets for criminals.
The meeting’s at 6:30 pm Tuesday at the precinct (Webster/Delridge), all welcome.
3:32 PM: Thanks to the texter (2062936302 any time!) who sent this photo of a dump-truck problem where Harbor Avenue meets the bridge. They note – as the photo shows – that vehicles are “squeezing by” to the right of the spill; we haven’t heard an emergency dispatch on this yet, but if you’re headed that way, be forewarned. And just as we finish typing this, we’re getting a Metro alert that RapidRide C Line and Route 21 are rerouted off Avalon because of this.
4:34 PM: Metro says the reroutes are still in effect. We’re going to go see how cleanup is going.
5:10 PM: Avoid Avalon northbound for a while longer. Truck has been righted, dirt is being scooped up, but the Avalon/Harbor onramp toward the eastbound bridge remains blocked and traffic is backing up intermittently. The outbound buses are detouring onto Yancy.
6:46 PM: Metro has just texted that the 21 and C Line are back on their regular routes, indicating the ramp has reopened after 3+ hours. This isn’t the first truck to get in trouble at this spot – we found a few other incidents in the archives, like this one.
Questions about the disappearance of the chain-link fence around the former Beni Hoshi Teriyaki site at 35th/Fauntleroy led us to check in with Seattle City Light, which owns the property. Beni Hoshi, you might recall, abruptly closed in January 2014; eight months later, the city fenced off the site, citing neighborhood concerns about unauthorized parking. Nothing’s shown up in city-permit files yet regarding impending business activity, but SCL’s Scott Thomsen tells us another restaurant is moving in:
We recently signed an agreement with the owner of the Pecos Pit BBQ to use that property. The owner plans to fix up the building and add a patio so they can add a new location for the restaurant. Once in operation, they will be monitoring parking to reserve it for customers. We did take down the fencing that we were paying for to protect against vandalism and the overnight parking. Now that there is an agreement in place, the owner of the business will be putting fencing back up until renovations are completed. That should happen later this week.
We have an inquiry out to Pecos Pit in hopes of finding out more about the plan for the site. City Light owns the parcel because of the former substation next door; Thomsen had told us in September that it was considered “surplus,” though it’s not part of the current group of West Seattle (and vicinity) ex-substations that the utility’s trying to get rid of.
Update from SDOT on this week’s Admiral Way paving work (reported here Friday thanks to a neighbor tip): We asked SDOT spokesperson Marybeth Turner about the plan; her reply: “SDOT paving crews plan to work tomorrow on Admiral Way between 34th Avenue SW and SW Olga Street from 7 am to 7 pm. They will repair areas of the street where pavement is deteriorating. At least one lane in each direction will remain open. They hope to complete the work in one day.”
Seattle Public Schools has confirmed to WSB what a reader posted in the Forum over the weekend – that a Highland Park Elementary School student brought “edible marijuana” to school. SPS spokesperson Stacy Howard says, “The edibles included a candy bar and was offered in the lunchroom.” It happened on Wednesday; this is the letter HPES principal Chris Cronas sent to families two days later:
Dear Highland Park families and guardians,
Wednesday afternoon, school administration learned that a 5th grade student brought edible marijuana to school, which was offered to students. We are not aware of any students who consumed the edibles offered. Additionally, parents of students directly involved were contacted and the student has received consequences.
I am truly embarrassed by what took place Wednesday. It is my goal to ensure that our students are safe. Unfortunately, the actions of one child who made a poor decision may have had an impact on how our students and community are perceived.
This incident, however, opens the door for a constructive conversation about drugs and drug use. With the legalization of marijuana in Washington State, as well as an increase in doctor-prescribed medicinal marijuana, minors have unprecedented access to the drug. I would encourage you to talk with your students about alcohol and drugs as soon as possible. It is never too soon to start this conversation. If you have questions about how to have these conversations or wish to obtain more information, please contact Tina Urso, our school nurse. She will be happy to provide you with more resources. Additionally, you can find helpful tips and resources at www.drugabuse.gov
I want to assure you that we are committed to doing everything we can to keep our students safe at school. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me. I will be happy to speak with families and guardians directly.
Respectfully,
Chris Cronas
Principal, Highland Park Elementary
The person who posted in the WSB Forum expressed concern about the time that elapsed before families were notified; Howard says the principal “needed time to gather all the info on Wednesday/Thursday to clarify everything before sending to families.” We asked her how school staff found out about what happened: “We found out because students trusted the staff enough, to report what happened, subsequently initiating an investigation.” She adds, “This student has since written a letter of apology to the principal and asked what he can do over the next few days to make up for work he missed while on suspension, as well as how he can make amends among his peers.”
more @seattlefire arrivals at Harbor Is. scene pic.twitter.com/LGlxvSg6d4
— West Seattle Blog (@westseattleblog) February 23, 2015
9:11 AM: In case you’re wondering about the big fire response headed for Harbor Island, they’re checking out a possible fire at a business in the 3400 block of 13th SW. The first unit on the scene reports “light smoke” coming from a metal building. More as we get it.
9:16 AM: The fire has been “knocked down,” per scanner. But there’s word a firefighter has been hurt.
9:42 AM: More reinforcements have been called to the fire scene, including ventilation. No official update yet about the injured firefighter, but SFD’s public-information officer was headed to the scene too, so we should have word soon. The SFD response is right by the entrance to Harbor Island when you leave the low bridge and circle around on Klickitat, so avoid the area if you can.
9:47 AM: Update from SFD’s Kyle Moore – A firefighter in his 30s has been taken to Harborview with second-degree leg burns after stepping into what turned out to be (updated) boiling water or metal; also, a worker in his 30s was “splattered with materials” and will be taken by private ambulance to be checked out further. (There was concern earlier about “volatile” materials in the furnace.)
9:56 AM: The fire is now described as “tapped.” Some units are being dismissed from the scene.
10:44 AM: We’ve added two more photos as well as video of what Moore told us at the scene – the photo above this line shows the MVU (mobile ventilation unit) he mentioned.
ADDED 2:24 PM: SFD has just published a full update on its website. The firefighter who was hurt suffered 1st- and 2nd-degree burns, SFD’s update says, and will be moved overnight to the Harborview burn it; he’s been with the department since 2006 and is based at North Delridge’s Station 36. What happened to him is explained as:
The firefighter manning a hose line in the smoky building stepped into a two-foot deep slag pit that is designed to catch molten metal. The unmarked and unsecured pit was full of boiling water. The boiling water made its way into the firefighter’s boots causing 1st and 2nd degree burns to his lower legs. A Mayday was called and fellow firefighters quickly rescued the injured co-worker.
The injured worker who suffered “spot burns” is described as in stable condition. And investigators say the fire “was accidental, caused by a failure in the induction furnace,” with damage estimated at $85,000.
(Photo courtesy Joe Paar)
The long-planned Little Free Library is now in place in Morgan Junction Park, reports Cindi Barker from the Morgan Community Association: “Thanks go to Joe Paar, Morgan resident; Tyler Jamison of Village Builders; Seattle Parks staff; and the Friends of Morgan Junction Park for getting this installed!” As shown in the photo, you can see it right next to the information kiosk at the park, which is at 6413 California SW. If you’re not familiar with the concept, as explained on the official LFL site, it’s “a box full of books where anyone may stop by and pick up a book (or two) and bring back another book to share.”
(Four WS-relevant views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
Good morning! As we keep watch on the morning commute (and beyond), transportation notes:
SOUTH PARK BRIDGE STATUS: After a malfunction put the bridge off-limits to surface traffic for most of Saturday, county road crews managed to get it back in service again, and are now awaiting parts for permanent repairs. You can check here any time to be sure it’s operational before you head that way. (Here’s a traffic cam, too.)
ADMIRAL WAY PAVING TUESDAY-WEDNESDAY: SDOT work on Admiral between 34th and Olga, as mentioned here Friday night after a tip from Mike.
WEST SEATTLE TRANSPORTATION COALITION ON THURSDAY: The WSTC’s monthly meeting is 6:30 pm Thursday at Neighborhood House’s High Point Center. The agenda features a guest: Paulo Nunes-Ueno, the new head of SDOT’s Transit Division.
METRO FARE CHANGES TAKE EFFECT NEXT SUNDAY: On March 1st, some go up, some go down, as explained here.
7:11 AM: Quiet so far. Checking travel times from the city’s map:
35th Ave SW @ SW Snoqualmie St to …
SR-99 Off Ramp 4 min.
1st Ave Off Ramp 5 min.
4th Ave Off Ramp 6 min.
Stadiums via 1st Ave 10 min.
Stadiums via 4th Ave 10 min.
South Lake Union 15 min.
Ballard 22 min.
Crown Hill 28 min.
Green Lake via SR-99 22 min.
I-5 NB/SB 5 min.
Lower Queen Anne 17 min.
Shoreline via SR-99 28 min.
8:16 AM: Just got two texts about a bus-car collision at midspan of the eastbound bridge, reported to be blocking two lanes. One texter says two lanes are blocked including the bus lane; the other says the vehicles are “stopped on top of the bridge just east of the (crest).”
8:22 AM: You can see the bus and car in the top left camera. Only the bus lane is blocked now – the car is in front of the bus. It’s a #56, per a texter on board.
8:36 AM: Texter on board says driver told them the car hit the bus, and that after some pictures/paperwork, they’ll be able to move on. While the top-left camera will have the newest image, here’s a screengrab from a moment or two ago:
A supervisor is now out checking the bus’s exterior, our tipster reports.
8:45 AM: And now a #55 bus has arrived to take passengers from the stuck bus. Not room enough for all of them, says our tipster – “about a dozen” are back on board and now waiting for a #120.
8:57 AM: Bus lane is now clear – the bus, Metro supervisors’ vehicles, and the car that was involved have all just left.
Eight reports to share. First:
(From Jordan via Twitter)
30TH/GENESEE INCIDENT TONIGHT: A big police response converged in this area after a report of gunfire. No one was reported to have been shot; we did hear, via scanner, an officer report finding one shell casing. Southwest Precinct Lt. Alan Williams, responding to our inquiry about the circumstances, says it’s related to a recent assault; tonight “the victim fired a ‘warning’ shot up in the air to convince suspect to get away.” The investigation is still in progress. *
At mid-afternoon:
TRUCK VS. GARAGE: Thanks to Rob for the photo from 13th and Thistle earlier this afternoon. He saw the pickup truck hit the garage and says no one was hurt. Unlike last night’s crashes, in this one, the driver apparently stayed at the scene.
Reader report from overnight:
CAR BREAK-INS: Tori e-mailed:
We just wanted to let the West Seattle community know that both of our cars were broken into last night at 38th Ave SW & SW Oregon. They attempted to steal the car but were unable to, and instead, messed up the car and rendered it un-drivable. This is the third time this month that our cars, and other cars on our block, have been targeted. We are hoping that by letting the blog know, others in this area can be aware of car thieves and keep valuables out of their cars.
Another reader report, with photo:
BREAK-IN DAMAGE: Greg sent the photo to go along with his report of a burglary on Thursday:
My house near 35th and Charleston was broken into (Thursday) while I was at work. Burglars bashed in the front door, did some good damage to it. Electronics stolen, not much else, so feel lucky it was only that. I called the police and they dusted the house for prints.
Some incidents that aren’t as recent, but are detailed in police reports we just obtained:
STOLEN CAR IN CRASH BEFORE OWNERS KNEW IT WAS GONE: Early last Tuesday morning, police investigated a hit-run crash at 17th and Barton. The vehicle was registered to an Upper Alki couple who didn’t even know it had been stolen; it was still in the driveway when they went to bed several hours earlier. Police delivered the bad news that their vehicle was not drivable and had been towed.
ANOTHER SHOPLIFT-TURNED-ROBBERY: Another case of shoplifting that turned to robbery when the theft turned to violence. This one happened around 7 pm February 11th, according to a report we obtained this week as part of our ongoing public-disclosure requests. Employees at West Seattle Thriftway (WSB sponsor) told police a man and woman tried to steal food from the deli and candy from a Valentine’s Day display. They were intercepted while trying to leave without paying; they gave back the deli food but the woman denied having the candy hidden in her purse, even though the man yelled at her to give it back so they could leave. She refused and hit a store employee on the wrist, leaving a bruise, then swore at the store employees. Both suspects then bolted. She was described as Hispanic, early 20s, thin, 5-5, bright pink jacket and jeans; he was described as black, 30s, medium build, scruffy facial hair, 5-10, in dark clothing. Video surveillance was being checked.
CAR PROWL IN SUPERMARKET LOT: Same location as the previous item, but this happened around 10:30 am February 10th. Someone broke into a car while its owner was in Thriftway for a few minutes. A backpack and pair of pants were taken. Store surveillance caught the incident and it turned out one person seen on the video had been in the nearby cell-phone store, “trying to activate a stolen cellphone,” and his identity was known. Cross-referencing jail records, we note someone with the same name spent a day and a half in jail this past week in connection with an apparently unrelated case involving a stolen car. We don’t yet know the status of the case involving the car prowl.
ITEMS FOUND: Maybe someone will be able to find the owner here, as “HelperMonkey” did with the items noted in a recent roundup. In this case, a neighbor in the 8800 block of 37th SW in Upper Fauntleroy found “property on the street that she suspected was associated with a crime,” per a report, which says police retrieved the items, described as wires, old clothing, and food, plus a debit card in the name of Ana S—–a. Police were not able to find anyone by that name. If you know Ana, have her contact police.
P.S. – NEXT CRIME PREVENTION/SAFETY MEETING … is this Tuesday (February 24th), when the West Seattle Block Watch Captains Network meets at the SW Precinct (Webster/Delridge), 6:30 pm, all welcome. The agenda’s still being finalized but police will have a presence there as always, so bring questions/concerns, and take advantage of the opportunity to strengthen/start a block watch.
(WSB photo)
8:41 PM: If you’ve noticed a sizable fire response headed for the 4500 block of West Marginal Way SW, Seattle Fire is responding to a report of at least one bus on fire in the bus yard/maintenance facility there. No traffic effects since the yard/garage is set back from the road. More as we get it.
8:48 PM: Monitored via scanner – firefighters have just described the fire as “knocked down.”
9:28 PM: Just back from the vicinity. Didn’t get close to the bus that caught fire but a wisp of smoke was still visible from West Marginal. SFD’s investigator has arrived to look into how the fire started. No injuries reported.
MONDAY MORNING UPDATE: SFD says the fire started in the engine compartment of a private bus at the maintenance facility, and that damage is estimated at $40,000.
The brackets are set tonight for next weekend’s regional high-school basketball playoffs, and that means we have official details of the next games for both local teams still in the fray, the West Seattle High School girls (Saturday game report here) and Seattle Lutheran High School boys (Saturday game report here). Both teams play next Saturday (February 28th) – SLHS will play Yakima Tribal, 2 pm, at Bellevue College (map/address); WSHS will play Sumner, 8 pm at Renton High School (map/address).
Thanks to everyone sharing photos! First one’s from a flyover this afternoon:
John Bartell sent that photo tonight, showing the military jets that flew over northeastern West Seattle around 2:15 pm. We happened to see them from North Delridge. In the hours since, we’ve looked around and asked around and haven’t found any specific reason for the flyover. (Please comment if YOU know – thanks!) John also photographed tonight’s beautiful sunset, which many might have missed since the Oscars were on by then:
That’s from the Brace Point area. Meantime, near High Point, Yma photographed the sunset through bubbles.
No major chance of rain in the forecast until Thursday.
In addition to the Admiral Way road work on Tuesday/Wednesday (thanks again to Mike for the tip; we noticed today that the no-parking signs are up, confirming it), two more FYIs for the week ahead:
UTILITY POLE REPLACEMENT: This work has been under way for months and Shauna says her neighborhood, SW Kenyon between 39th and 41st in Gatewood, appears to be next, with no-parking signs up and new poles already delivered. Outages often accompany pole replacement work; Shauna hadn’t received any such notice, but we’ll be checking with SCL tomorrow. Checking around the City Light website, by the way, we noticed something interesting – an explanation of why new utility poles tend to, well, stink for a while.
SFD AT MURRAY CSO: Doug Marsano from King County says the Seattle Fire Department will use the million-gallon-tank construction site across from Lowman Beach for drills next Saturday:
Please be aware that the Seattle Fire Department plans to conduct drills at the project site for 3-4 hours on Saturday, February 28. You can expect to see fire trucks and personnel working at the site that day, but no project work is currently scheduled. More information about the Fire Department’s plans will be provided next week. Please contact the project hotline: 206-205-9186 with any questions or concerns.
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