day : 17/06/2015 10 results

(WSB photos)
10:27 PM: Police are blocking off SW Thistle at 34th because of a crash just to the east, at 32nd and Thistle. Multiple cars involved; our crew is still trying to find out more at the scene.

10:33 PM: At least two people are hurt; one is being taken to the hospital, and the other is still being evaluated at the scene. Three cars are involved.

10:37 PM: Police at the scene tell us TCIS is not being called out – no life-threatening injuries – so this scene will clear after tow trucks arrive to move the vehicles. SFD has tweeted that it’s taking a 33-year-old man “in stable condition” to Harborview Medical Center.

11:59 PM: Just got a chance to go check the area to be sure the scene is clear … it is.

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PHOTOS: Spectacular almost-summer West Seattle sunset

June 17, 2015 9:23 pm

| 5 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | West Seattle weather

9:23 PM: Thanks to Jissy for being the first to send a photo of the truly spectacular sunset that’s gracing the northwestern sky right now. We’ll add more if we get them! (editor@westseattleblog.com)

9:41 PM: Thanks to those who’ve tweeted …

Shades of scarlet conquering! #WestSeattle #sunset. @westseattleblog WOW!! pic.twitter.com/Rvm1SRjXbW

— David Nyro (@DavidNyro) June 18, 2015

… and to those who’ve e-mailed. From Chris Frankovich:

From Darren Pilon, the sunset over the Arbor Heights Elementary construction site:

From Greg Snyder:

From Lynn Hall:

10:14 PM: Still adding – this one came in via text (remember we don’t see names with texts and don’t generally know your phone number on sight, so please mention your name so we can credit you!):

From Don Brubeck via e-mail:

And from Kristin Widman, taken at Salty’s on Alki (WSB sponsor):

Adding a few more when we get back to the keyboard in a bit – been dealing with breaking news.

12:37 AM: And two from beach level – this is from Paula G:

And from Jeremiah:

P.S. Speaking of sunsets … Saturday night, it’s Solstice Sunset Watch with Alice Enevoldsen, 8:45 pm at Solstice Park.

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FOLLOWUP: Repeat drunk driver jailed after bridge crash, bail set at $100,000

June 17, 2015 5:30 pm

| 40 COMMENTS

| Crime | West Seattle news

(WSB reader photo from Tuesday crash, courtesy Raquel)
The man who flipped his car on the eastbound West Seattle Bridge Tuesday afternoon is a repeat drunk driver who is in jail right now, bail set at $100,000. He and his 1-year-old daughter, who was in the back seat, escaped injury, as did the people in the three other cars involved, according to Seattle Fire. But police soon discovered that he was wanted on a warrant, which is why we’re identifying him as 32-year-old Christopher T. Martin of Renton.

According to the documents from his bail hearing this afternoon, Martin first told police the crash happened because he was passing a snack to his daughter, then later said he wasn’t sure why he crashed. Police also say he first told them he had been driving a gray Honda, when in reality he had been driving a red Ford. Police said he smelled of alcohol, and that he told them he had consumed one alcoholic drink 5 or 6 hours earlier, and also smoked “a bowl” of marijuana. They discovered Martin had a warrant for failing to appear in connection with a drunk-driving case that happened downtown three years ago; we looked up that case and found he had taken a breath test that showed him at three times the legal drunkenness level, and that his record at that time showed two DUI arrests in 2010 and two in 2003. Prosecutors wrote at that time that Martin “either cannot or will not refrain from driving impaired and is a grave danger to the community.” The case remains unresolved because of his failure to appear, for which an arrest warrant was issued in September 2012. (He had been allowed out on work release weeks after his May 2012 arrest.)

The new court documents also say he was driving despite a suspended driver license. According to Seattle Fire, neither Martin nor his toddler were hurt in the crash. King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office spokesperson Dan Donohoe says a judge found probable cause to hold Martin for investigation of reckless driving, reckless endangerment, and negligent driving while prosecutors review the case for potential charges; he’s due back in court on Friday.

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Student safety: How SPD followed up after chief’s Denny visit

June 17, 2015 4:05 pm

| 2 COMMENTS

| Crime | Safety | West Seattle news | West Seattle police | West Seattle schools | Westwood

(WSB photo from June 1st @ Denny)
Two weeks after Seattle Police Chief Kathleen O’Toole visited Denny International Middle School and heard students request more help from police in staying safe (WSB coverage here), members of her department followed up to start making good on that promise. Southwest/South Precincts Crime Prevention Coordinator Mark Solomon shares these notes of what happened when they visited the Denny/Sealth campus this past Monday, one day before the last day of school, particularly to lay the groundwork for a safer start next fall:

* SPD Reps met up with students and staff at 12:40 at classroom

* Walked SW Kenyon Street between 2600 Block and Delridge SW

* Walked from Kenyon & Delridge to Holden & Delridge; observed Holden Stairs; returned to Denny via same route

* Mark drove routes between Denny/Sealth Campus and Westwood Village to observe areas about which students expressed concerns.

* SPD Officers spoke with students about ways to minimize their chances for victimization (Robbery/Assault)

* Discussed the possibility of SPD officers getting together with students at the beginning of the school year to discuss safety measures; being proactive and focus on prevention vs. being reactionary.

Measures in Progress

* Mark will work with Youth Ambassadors and Denny Staff through the summer to engage surrounding neighbors to form Block Watch groups with have Denny/Sealth student safety as a prime focus.

* Mark will facilitate communication between the Youth Ambassadors Program and The Seattle Youth Violence Prevention Initiative regarding the Safe Passages Program (a group of adult volunteers who provide a presence in the Rainier Beach community between the 1400-1800 hrs on school days to deter youth violence and disorder). The goal is to try to implement this program for the Denny/Sealth campus area by the fall of 2015.

Recommendations

* Raise tree canopy on SW Kenyon Street Between 2400 – 2600 Blocks. Tree canopy should be no lower than 8′ to ensure good lines of sight for pedestrians transiting SW Kenyon ST.

* Request SDOT conduct additional vegetation clearing at dead end of SW Kenyon ST & 24th Ave SW.

* Request SDOT conduct vegetation clearing along trail/walkway/bridge over creek between Delridge WY SW & 24th Ave SW along SW Kenyon Street (Longfellow Creek Legacy Trail).

* Request additional vegetation clearing be done on the Holden Stairs, between Delridge WY SY & 20th Ave SW. (possible return of the goat herd?)

* Request vegetation clearing along the non-through streets of 26th Ave SW, 25th Ave SW and the North/South Alley that runs parallel between those two streets, between SW Thistle Street and SW Trenton ST. Students use these corridors to transit anyway; let’s open them up to reduce cover and concealment.

* SPD conduct student safety assembly at the beginning of the 2015-16 school year.

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West Seattle development: Revised CVS design; Whittaker’s 2nd crane; another South Delridge plan

June 17, 2015 3:01 pm

| 26 COMMENTS

| Development | West Seattle news

Three West Seattle development notes this afternoon:

REVISED CVS STORE DESIGN: One week from tomorrow – at 6:30 pm Thursday, June 25th – the Southwest Design Review Board will again take an “early design guidance” look at the planned CVS drugstore at 4722 Fauntleroy Way SW, and the “design packet” with the revised proposal is now available online – see it here. Board members’ first look at potential size/shape options in March ended with a “try again” directive (WSB coverage here); this project’s big challenge is seen as the the owners from whom CVS is leasing the land will not allow a mixed-use project, though the site is zoned for it, so the project team is expected to design it in a way that will still fit with a densifying neighborhood drawing increased foot traffic, and the new “preferred plan” is described as one with a “pocket park” feel – take a look at the packet and see for yourself. Public comment is welcome at the June 25th meeting, which will be at the board’s usual meeting place, the Senior Center of West Seattle.

The CVS is planned right across the street from the biggest project under construction in West Seattle, for which we also have an update:

(Recent photo by Long Bach Nguyen; Whittaker site is in lower-center)
THE WHITTAKER’S SECOND CRANE: One crane has been up at the south end of The Whittaker‘s Edmunds/Fauntleroy/Alaska site for almost two months, and now the second is on the way. The second crane’s base is up and a project-team spokesperson tells WSB its installation is expected on Monday, June 29th.

SOUTH DELRIDGE PROJECT: Last week, we had first word of a South Delridge site, 9021 17th SW, where a 31-apartment building is proposed. Today, city files have turned up a new early-stage plan on the next block to the west – one house to be demolished on a 4,400-square-foot lot at 9043 18th SW, with eight townhouses to subsequently be built on that lot and the vacant site (already subdivided into four parcels) to the south of it.

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THURSDAY: Our Lady of Guadalupe to host Seattle-wide followup to Pope’s environmental encyclical

June 17, 2015 1:39 pm

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| Environment | West Seattle news | West Seattle religion

Tomorrow, worldwide news will be made by a major statement expected from Pope Francis, about the environment and climate change (some of it’s already been leaked). Then tomorrow night, Seattle-area Catholics will follow it up with an event here in West Seattle. The announcement:

Pope Francis’ much anticipated encyclical on the environment will be celebrated at a 7 p.m. service Thursday, June 18, at Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church, 7100 35th Ave. SW.

All are invited to the 7 p.m. service to gather with local Catholic, ecumenical, and environmental leaders to honor Pope Francis’ call to protect the Earth. Speakers include:

· Fr. Jack Walmesley, pastor of Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Parish

· Dr. Catherine Punsalan-Manlimos, director of the Institute of Catholic Thought and Culture at Seattle University

· Dan and Robyn Campbell, parishioners at Our Lady of Guadalupe

· Jessie Dye, program & outreach director of Earth Ministry/Washington Interfaith Power & Light

There will also be the opportunity for a tour of the parish grounds, which feature solar panels, a children’s solar kiosk, a rain garden, a National Wildlife Federation Certified Wildlife Habitat peace garden, green buildings, and other energy-saving measures that have made the parish a leader in environmental sustainability.

Background: On the morning of June 18 in Rome, the Vatican will release the first comprehensive Catholic moral statement on caring for creation in the face of climate change. The pope’s encyclical, titled “Praised Be” (or Laudato Sii in Latin), is expected to make three key points: 1) Catholic teaching calls for protecting God’s creation; 2) humans cause climate change, which is a serious moral issue; and 3) the time to act is now – specific personal and public policy measures are needed to address global warming.

The encyclical will explicitly name climate change as one of the greatest threats to life on Earth, which poses particular challenges here in the Pacific Northwest where glaciers are melting, drought and forest fires are intensifying, and fossil fuel projects threaten Native American and other communities.

“’Praised Be,’ a call from Pope Francis to inspire us to care for creation, will resonate with Catholics throughout the region,” predicts Father Jack Walmesley, Our Lady of Guadalupe pastor.

All are invited to the event at OLG – more info here.

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West Seattle Crime Watch: Bicycle stolen; truck found; purse back

June 17, 2015 11:08 am

| 1 COMMENT

| Crime | West Seattle news | West Seattle police

The reader reports in this West Seattle Crime Watch report include some good news. But first, a new theft:

STOLEN BIKE: That bicycle was stolen from a garage in the 4500 block of SW Henderson (map) on Tuesday morning between 6:30 and 7:30 am. A police report is filed; please call 911 if you see it.

FOUND TRUCK: Last Friday, we published this reader report about a stolen red pickup truck. That helped its owners get it back, and they e-mailed this update late last night:

We couldn’t be more excited to report that our Red Ford F-150 XLT pick up was recovered late (Tuesday) afternoon in West Seattle.

Further, we directly attribute the successful return of our vehicle to two things:

1. The West Seattle Blog – The SPD officers specifically called out the West Seattle Blog, how they had remembered seeing the photo of our truck and description on the blog. We feel so fortunate that the blog, its staff, and the community responded so quickly and got the word out. It is so awesome to have such an incredible resource, for all types of information, in West Seattle.

2. SPD – West Seattle – We couldn’t be more proud to have met a handful of these guys today. After talking with them for over an hour, we certainly feel we’re lucky to have these guys looking out for us. And they do, every day, even when when they’re off the clock. They have our deepest appreciation and heartfelt thanks.

Johnny and Kalynn

STOLEN PURSE RETURNED: We also published word last Friday of a purse theft, and have an update from the purse’s owner: “it was returned anonymously; the ID and important papers were all in it.”

THEFT/TRESPASSING: Another reader report details an incident that started with a man parking on the street by her residence in the 2100 block of SW Holden on Monday and emptying items of “his very packed car onto my parking strip. It’s clear he is living in the vehicle. When I got home from work around 6 pm my housemate informed me that he saw some of my possessions in his car. The man had gone onto my property and stolen metal yard art from my flower garden. I called 911 while my housemate and neighbor confronted the man. He admitted to trespassing and stealing and explained it was an accident and after some time returned one item. I suspect he had more items, but I felt too intimidated to confront him further and didn’t want to spend time outside inventorying because he proceeded to shout and scream he would shoot anyone who messed with his family. He then took the paper items strewn about and shoved them into the grill and wheel wells of a Car2Go vehicle across the street. He settled down around 9:30 pm.” She says police finally came to check it out Tuesday morning; as of Tuesday afternoon, the man and his car were still there, and she wanted to alert people in the area to call 911 if they see an intruder on their property.

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West Seattle Wednesday: Council candidates @ Youngstown; Kids’ Night @ WordsWest; college; comedy; coworking…

June 17, 2015 9:45 am

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| West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

(Photographed at Alki last weekend by Joe Szilagyi)

That dog looks like a potential “Bark of Morgan“ candidate … but the festival’s not until Saturday. Right now, we’re looking ahead to the rest of today/tonight – five highlights from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:

LEAVE YOUR HOME (OR COFFEE SHOP) OFFICE … at noon today, to go meet others working nontraditionally in West Seattle, during the free weekly meetup at West Seattle Office Junction (WSB sponsor), this area’s only coworking center. (6040 California SW)

LOOKING AHEAD TO COLLEGE: Don’t wait to learn the hard way that it’s never too soon to start planning. Check out this free workshop for youth looking ahead, at High Point Community Center, 4-5 pm – details here. (6940 34th SW)

KIDS’ NIGHT @ WORDSWEST LITERARY SERIES: 6 pm at C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor), this month’s event is “Kids’ Night at WordsWest - Build a Summer Reading List! with Sundee Frazier and Charles & Elisheba Johnson” – details here. And Leslie Sumida from the West Seattle Library is the featured “favorite poem” reader. (5612 California SW)

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE CITY COUNCIL CANDIDATES? Tonight’s 7 pm forum presented by the Delridge Neighborhoods District Council includes a chance for you to give instant feedback (it’ll be explained as the forum begins). The format:

Round 1 – Each candidate draws a Delridge Priority from a special hat and allotted five minutes to address the priority.

Round 2 – Each candidate will present on the Delridge Priority of their choice. Two minutes allotted.

Round 3 – (time permitting) – Freestyle! Candidates will share (what) they would like. One or more minutes allotted, depending on time available.

Come early for dinner – the Spice on Curve Indian-food truck will be on site starting at 6 pm. (4408 Delridge Way SW)

FUNNY @ THE FEEDBACK: 8 pm comedy at Feedback Lounge in Morgan Junction – see the lineup here. (6451 California SW)

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2016 West Seattle Wildlife Calendar: Help it take off!

June 17, 2015 8:50 am

| Comments Off on 2016 West Seattle Wildlife Calendar: Help it take off!

| How to help | West Seattle news

The first-ever West Seattle Wildlife Calendar featuring photos by Mark Wangerin, who kindly has shared so many here on WSB, was a hit – sold out, raising money for students at Chief Sealth International High School, where Mark taught for so long.

Now the small independent local publisher that printed his calendar, Mark House Publishing (which donated ALL proceeds from it), is getting ready for a 2016 West Seattle Wildlife Calendar. Mark and Mark House are hoping for a little help, so the calendar sales can yield even more for the students: They’re crowdfunding to raise money to help cover the print run of 500. Laura Robb of Mark House explains:

Just like last year, the calendar sales will benefit Chief Sealth International High School environmental programs. Last year the sales netted Chief Sealth $1200 and helped them host the WAGIN leadership conference for 200+ students at Sealth in March.

With double the run of calendars this year, our goal is $2500. However, if we can crowdfund the printing costs, the donation could rise to $5000. We need people to contribute just $10 to the campaign. $10 will print 2 calendars and net the students over $20. For contributors of $50 or more, we are offering an autographed print of Mark’s bald eagle photo from the cover of the 2016 calendar, as seen above. Here’s how to contribute.

The calendar will go on sale in September; if you’re interested in pre-ordering it, e-mail markhousepublish@gmail.com.

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TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: Wednesday updates and alerts

June 17, 2015 7:36 am

| 6 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

(Four WS-relevant views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
Quiet commute so far. Two alerts to mention:

ALKI SW RAMP WORK: SDOT announced yesterday that you’ll see work crews installing two curb ramps at crossings on Alki Ave. SW over the span of about a week and a half, starting today.

47TH/ADMIRAL/WAITE SIGNAL & CROSSWALKS: If you’re traveling through this area, you might have to pause as the final phase of work intensifies, as noted here on Tuesday.

9:09 AM: Traffic still sludgingly slow, per commenters … no incidents on the 911 log or scanner.

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