day : 01/04/2015 11 results

High-school baseball: West Seattle’s rough afternoon vs. visiting Eastside Catholic

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| West Seattle news | West Seattle schools | WS & Sports

Thanks to Caryn Johnson for the photo and report on West Seattle High School‘s varsity baseball game on Wednesday:

It was a rough afternoon for the Wildcats. The Crusaders of Eastside Catholic jumped out to an early lead and the Wildcats just could not recover. There were a few highlights in the game, but the key was when sophomore Andrew Burggraff [photo above] came in to pitch midway through the 3rd inning. He pitched the rest of the game, giving up only one hit and not letting in a run. In the end, West Seattle lost 13-2 in five innings.

Next game is against Ballard on Friday at Hiawatha, at 3:30 pm.

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Be part of 2015 West Seattle Community Garage Sale Day! Registration now open

| Community Garage Sale Day | West Seattle news

It’s on! Signup time for the 2015 edition of West Seattle Community Garage Sale Day starts now.

You can get to the form here. Or, it’s embedded here on WSB, below. First, the basics:

*Sale day is Saturday, May 9, 2015.

*Official sale hours: 9 am-3 pm, but if you want to start yours earlier/end it later, that’s up to you (no late starts/early ends, though; thanks!).

*Registration gets you on the map, which is published on WSB and on the West Seattle Community Garage Sale Day website – as well as promoted/advertised regionally and in our social-media channels – with clickable and printable (PDF) versions. The map is ready a week in advance and assigns each sale a number, which you can use for cross-reference, your own promotion (“come see us, we’re sale #22!”), etc.

*Same registration fees/process as years past – all online. Three categories: Individual, Organization/Business/School, Block Sale.

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Memorial this Saturday for Michael R. Shomaker, 1958-2015

April 1, 2015 8:15 pm

| 1 COMMENT

| Obituaries | West Seattle news | West Seattle people

Services are planned this Saturday (April 4th) for Michael R. Shomaker. Here’s the remembrance his family is sharing:

Michael Robert Shomaker
January 25, 1958 ~ March 28, 2015

Beloved husband of Michelle, son of Bob and Myrna Shomaker, father of Kyle, Cody, and Sophie Shomaker, brother of Beth Torgeson (Ron) and David Shomaker (Kathy), passed away after a valiant battle with myelofibrosis (blood cancer). Eagle Scout, Sea Scout, Control Systems Engineer, smart, funny, very caring, talented up the kazoo.

There was nothing he couldn’t fix or make better.

Services Saturday 4/4 at Forest Lawn Funeral Home, West Seattle. Viewing 12:00 pm, Chapel Service 1:00 pm, graveside following.

(WSB publishes West Seattle obituaries by request, free of charge. Please e-mail the text, and a photo if available, to editor@westseattleblog.com)

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West Seattle wildlife: Bobcat sighting reported

April 1, 2015 5:47 pm

| 11 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | Wildlife

Just received this from Tarah. It’s the second time in the past month or so we’ve heard about a possible bobcat – anyone else?

Hey, just wanted people to have a heads-up…I saw a bobcat in the parking lot of
Youngstown (Cultural Arts) center on Delridge. It ran off into the woods neighboring the lot. Just want people in that area to be forewarned so they can keep their animals safe.

The other possible sighting mentioned to us was three weeks ago, early morning, 59th/Alki. Here’s what the state Fish and Wildlife Department says about bobcats.

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West Seattle Crime Watch followup: Plea bargain in Highland Park theft of SUV with baby inside

April 1, 2015 3:33 pm

| 11 COMMENTS

| Crime | Highland Park | West Seattle news

Just found during our periodic check of open case files: A plea bargain in a crime that drew regional attention one afternoon last August, after an SUV was stolen from outside a Highland Park mini-mart with a baby in the back seat.

(8/27/14 photo by BETTINA HANSEN/THE SEATTLE TIMES, republished by permission)
25-year-old Estevan L. Sanchez pleaded guilty last week to auto theft and unlawful imprisonment – reduced from second-degree kidnapping – for stealing the vehicle from outside the Sea-Mart store at 16th and Holden last August 27th with a 10-month-old girl in the back seat. According to court documents from the plea bargain and from the original charges, the baby’s father ran into the store with the vehicle’s engine running, but the SUV was supposed to be locked and unable to be shifted out of “park.” Instead, Sanchez got in and drove it away even as the baby’s father ran out of the store and yelled for him to stop. 15 minutes later, the vehicle was found abandoned in White Center’s Greenbridge neighborhood, with the baby safe inside; Sanchez, a Highland Park resident, was found within the hour at 17th and Roxbury.

He already was wanted on warrants from a domestic-violence case in which he injured his girlfriend and her 11-year-old son, attacking her with a stun gun and knocking him down just before stealing her car.. As part of this plea agreement, Sanchez has pleaded guilty to reduced domestic-violence charges in that case too. In all, the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office is recommending 19.5 months in prison – a little over a year and a half – for Sanchez, who has been in jail for seven months since his August arrest. King County Superior Court Judge Monica Benton is scheduled to sentence him on April 17th. .

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PHOTOS: ‘Wall-to-wall’ Westwood transit-hub-and-vicinity tour, the sequel

April 1, 2015 1:11 pm

| 10 COMMENTS

| Safety | West Seattle news | Westwood

By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

You can complain and explain until you’re out of breath, but few things beat showing a problem spot firsthand to those who can at least help find solutions. That’s the idea behind the classic “walking tour” with community members and government reps.

One in Westwood on Monday afternoon was a sequel/followup to a similar one exactly 15 months earlier (WSB coverage here), from the “wall of buses” on Barton to the one on 25th, and beyond. It showcased what had changed, what hadn’t changed, and what will soon change.

This one, like the one at the end of December 2013, was requested by the Westwood-Roxhill-Arbor Heights Community Council, represented this time by chair Amanda Kay Helmick and WWRHAH’s Southwest District Council delegate (and SWDC co-chair) Eric Iwamoto. Also like the December 2013, other participants included Metro, SDOT, SPD, Seattle Parks, reps from County Executive Dow Constantine and City Councilmember Tom Rasmussen‘s offices, plus King County Sheriff’s Office transit deputies.

Ahead – what’s changed, what hasn’t, and more:

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Here’s where you can make a difference during the spring edition of Duwamish Alive!

April 1, 2015 12:09 pm

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| Environment | How to help | West Seattle news

Duwamish Alive! is just two and a half weeks away, and organizers hope you’ll take a minute now to decide where you want to join in to help out our city’s only river and its watershed. All you need to commit to is a four-hour shift on April 18th – 10 am-2 pm – and as the map shows, you have options from West Seattle to South Park and beyond. Go here to find out more and to choose your site.

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West Seattle Wednesday: Minimum wage & sales tax go up; Don Smathers memorial; SDOT at Southwest District Council…

April 1, 2015 10:35 am

| 7 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

(UPDATED 12:52 PM: Don Smathers memorial has moved indoors, to Easy Street Records)

(Photo by Jonathan S.: – Double rainbow from the Fauntleroy ferry on Tuesday)

Happy April!

TWO THINGS THAT GO UP TODAY IN SEATTLE: First, the minimum wage. It’s not anywhere near $15 yet – that’s being phased in over several years. Today, it’s either $10/$11 – here’s where to figure it out. Second, the sales tax. The one-tenth-of-one-percent increase starts today, as approved by voters last year to pay for transit. This means you’ll pay a penny more tax on a taxable $10 purchase, a dime per $100, a dollar per $1,000. (The other part of the voter-approved funding, the $60 car-tab fee, doesn’t kick in until June.)

Now, from the calendar:

NETWORKING/HOME OFFICE/ETC. MEETUP: Get out of the house and into West Seattle Office Junction (WSB sponsor), if only for an hour! Free – bring your lunch if you want.

MEMORIAL FOR DON SMATHERS: 5 pm at ~~Junction Plaza Park~~ – if you knew Don, you’re invited. Here’s what we published after news of his death – with many warm tributes added in the comment section. Since the weather’s been volatile recently, if there’s any last-minute change, we’ll post an update here as well as via the WSB Facebook and Twitter feeds. Otherwise, see you at the park. 12:52 PM UPDATE: New location – Easy Street Records. (California/Alaska)

INTERESTED IN COMMUTING BY BICYCLE? Or at least a bit curious? Free class tonight at Cycle U in West Seattle, 6:30 pm – details here. (3418 Harbor SW)

SOUTHWEST DISTRICT COUNCIL: Whether by bike, car, bus, truck, feet, or … transportation remains the local hot-button topic, and SDOT is at the heart of the agenda for tonight’s 6:30 pm meeting at the Senior Center of West Seattle. At 6:40 pm, SDOT director Scott Kubly is back to talk about the Transportation Levy to Move Seattle (following last night’s open house); at 7:10 pm, SDOT communicators with two more topics, Arbor Heights microsurfacing and Admiral Way bike lanes. All welcome. (Oregon/California)

And stay tuned for this:

WEST SEATTLE COMMUNITY GARAGE SALE DAY REGISTRATION STARTING BY TONIGHT: The big day is May 9th, and every year we start signups right about now so we can get everything lined up well in advance. Planning to have a sale this year? When the form is ready to go later today/tonight, we’ll publish announcements here on WSB and on the official WSCGSD page at westseattlegaragesale.com.

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‘Pajama Game’ opens tomorrow at WSHS – plus, tickets available now for special benefit April 10th

April 1, 2015 9:31 am

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| West Seattle news | West Seattle schools | WS culture/arts

The West Seattle High School Drama Club presentation of “The Pajama Game” opens tomorrow (Thursday) night, 7:30 pm, at the WSHS Theater (3000 California SW).

In addition to the regular run, you have the option of seeing the closing-night performance on April 10th as part of the annual benefit:

Your ticket for the April 10th benefit event also includes:

Gourmet dessert from Essential Baking Company and beverage of your choice (pre-show and during intermission!)
Pajama Game photo booth pictures
Priority seating for benefit ticket holders

You can buy your ticket(s) online by going here – or e-mail tickets@westsidedrama.com.

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Last chance for tickets to tomorrow’s Westside Awards breakfast

April 1, 2015 8:59 am

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| West Seattle businesses | West Seattle news

Those smiling faces belong to Lynn Dennis, West Seattle Chamber of Commerce CEO, and Nancy Woodland, WestSide Baby executive director and past Chamber board chair. We photographed them last Thursday when the Chamber brought its monthly After Hours event to WS Baby – and we’re showing the pic this morning as a reminder that this is your last chance to buy tickets to tomorrow morning’s Chamber-presented Westside Awards – they need to have the attendee count locked in by noon today, and still had a few seats last we checked. The event starts at 7:30 am Thursday at Salty’s on Alki (WSB sponsor) and will feature award presentations for the honorees announced last week, as well as a keynote by West Seattleite Mark Tabbutt, chair of Saltchuk International. Online signusp are closed so call 206-932-5685 – before noon today! – to register for the breakfast.

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TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: Wednesday updates, as April begins

April 1, 2015 6:41 am

| 1 COMMENT

| West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

(Four WS-relevant views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
Good morning! Welcome to April. Transportation news, to start with:

47TH/ADMIRAL UPDATE: As published here last night – today’s work is expected to be louder than usual, with some excavation on the southeast side of the intersection. And SW Waite will be closed to through traffic next week.

TRANSPORTATION LEVY MEETING: Really more of an open house last night, but tonight’s Southwest District Council meeting brings another chance to hear/ask questions/comment about it (6 pm, WS Senior Center, Oregon/California).

TRANSIT TAX: Seattle sales tax goes up .1 percent today as part of Transportation Benefit District Proposition 1, approved last year for transit service that will be added starting in June. That means you pay 1 cent more sales tax on a taxable $10 purchase.

8:07 AM: Katie tweets that SPD is on bus-lane enforcement on the bridge this morning.

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