day : 11/08/2015 9 results

ORIGINAL TUESDAY NIGHT REPORT: For the second time today, police are trying to solve a robbery. They’re reported to be looking for four boys, around 14 years old, who robbed the California/Andover mini-mart. One showed a gun. They were last seen southbound on California. No other description so far – more as we get it. (11:48 pm) No police left at the scene when we got there; at this point we won’t likely be able to find out more until morning.

ADDED FRIDAY AFTERNOON: The narrative from this incident finally has appeared on the SPD website. From the report (“V” refers to the victim, the store staffer who was on duty):

V/ stated he was
working at the listed location when 4 juveniles entered the store. He described them as 2 black males and 2 Hispanic males, all of them approximately 15 years old. V/ described the juveniles as follows: Suspect 1/HM, 15yo, 4’10”, black hair, buzz cut, and wearing a jacket around his waist. Suspect 2/BM, 15yo, red hat, black T-shirt, black pants. Suspect 3/BM, 15yo (No additional information at this time). Suspect 4/HM, 15yo (No additional information at this time).

V/ observed the suspects take several candy products off of shelves and place them inside their pockets and clothing. They then walked past the open pay counter and out the front door, without paying. As they did so, V/ approached the suspects and said “Hey, put back the candy”. As he said this, S/2 stood between V/ and the other suspects and pushed him out of the way. S/1 then reached towards his front waist and said, “We have a gun!”. V/ was afraid S/1 would use the weapon and disengaged from the suspects, letting them leave. As the suspects exited the store, S/1 told V/ he would shoot him “if he tried= something”. The suspects were last seen headed southbound on California Av SW.

The threat of a weapon (none was actually seen) is what turned this from shoplifting to robbery.

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This week’s free outdoor entertainment: Modern Relics @ Hiawatha; Overton Berry @ The Mount; ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ @ WS Outdoor Movies

August 11, 2015 7:02 pm

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| Fun stuff to do | West Seattle news

Looking ahead to this week’s biggest free-outdoor-entertainment events:

MODERN RELICS AT HIAWATHA: 6:30 pm Thursday (August 13th), the Admiral Neighborhood Association-presented Summer Concerts at Hiawatha series brings the Modern Relics‘ “country soul” sound to the park on the community center’s east lawn (Lander/Walnut).

Free – bring your own chair/blanket, bring family/friends/dinner/etc. Fourth of six concerts this summer.

(corrected since original publication) OVERTON BERRY AT THE MOUNT: 6 pm Friday (August 14th), the Overton Berry Jazz Duo takes centerstage at Providence Mount St. Vincent.

This too is a free show – if you’re interested in buying dinner and/or beer/wine, all that goes on sale at 5:30 pm – see the menu here. (4831 35th SW)

‘GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY’ AT WEST SEATTLE OUTDOOR MOVIES: Gates open at 6:30 pm, movie at dusk (8:30-ish) on Saturday (August 15th) for the second-to-last West Seattle Outdoor Movies presentation of the year, the 2014 mega-hit “Guardians of the Galaxy.”

Get there early! No admission charge here either, but if you can, bring $ for the raffle tickets and concessions that benefit local nonprofits. It all happens at the courtyard by Hotwire Online Coffeehouse (4410 California SW; WSB sponsor).

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West Seattle power outage: South Seattle College closing early for transformer repairs

August 11, 2015 3:47 pm

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| Puget Ridge | Utilities | West Seattle news

(ADDED: SSC photo of City Light crew member on campus)

Just out of the WSB inbox:

South Seattle College’s West Seattle Campus will close today, August 11, at 4 p.m. due to a power outage. All classes for this evening have been cancelled.

The Georgetown and New Holly South Seattle College campuses, however, will remainopen on their regular schedule.

Shortly before 11:30 a.m. today, a transformer blew on the West Seattle campus’ north parking lot causing a brief power outage. A loud “boom” that was caused by the transformer was heard at the north end of the parking lot. No injuries were reported.

To fix the transformer, Seattle City Light will need tp shut down all power on the West Seattle Campus to make the necessary repairs. Regularly scheduled hours for the West Seattle Campus are expected to resume tomorrow, August 12.

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West Seattle Crime Watch: Update – robbery suspect in custody; plus – bizarre backyard burglary

August 11, 2015 2:16 pm

| 23 COMMENTS

| Crime | West Seattle news | West Seattle police

(Robbery report updated 4:40 pm with suspect being taken into custody)

Two West Seattle Crime Watch reports this afternoon:

(Photo from Scott)

SEARCHING FOR A ROBBER – UPDATE – SUSPECT IN CUSTODY: (Original report, 2:16 pm) Thanks to the tipsters who texted about a police search that’s continuing right now in the California and Spokane area. SPD media relations confirms they’re looking for someone in connection with a street robbery. They don’t have details yet on the exact circumstances of the robbery, not even whether a weapon was involved, but we do have this description of the robber: White man, mid-20s, scruffy beard, black hat with white “insignia,” gray T-shirt, dark zip-up vest, dark pants, dark shoes. If you have any information, please call 911. We’ll update this with anything more we find out – we have a crew on the way to try to get more information. (2:56 pm – No other details so far.) …

3:55 PM UPDATE: A suspect has been located and is in custody – more details to come.

4:40 PM UPDATE: Just back from the arrest scene – the West Seattle PCC (WSB sponsor). The suspect was being cuffed in the parking lot as we arrived:

(WSB photo by Tracy Record)

What we’d heard on the scanner preceding this – A photo of the suspect, apparently from a surveillance camera, had been circulated. One officer spotted him in the PCC/WSHS vicinity. He went into the store. Police converged. They found him in a bathroom. We’re still working to find out more details of the original incident itself, and will also be checking on the suspect’s status.

(back to original report) Meantime, the robbery call came in just as we had finished writing a separate Crime Watch report about a burglary early today – so read on for that:

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UPDATE: Use less water immediately, city requests, citing ‘potential … supply shortage’; plus – Seattle Parks conservation plans

August 11, 2015 11:42 am

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| Utilities | West Seattle news

ORIGINAL 11:42 AM REPORT: The city’s asking you to use less water – in hopes of holding off mandatory restrictions. Here’s the announcement made this morning, in conjunction with two of the region’s other major cities:

After unusually hot weather, the region’s all-time driest May-July and in preparation of a potentially drier-than-normal fall, Everett, Seattle and Tacoma have moved to the second stage of their water shortage response plans — voluntary reduction.

The voluntary stage has been enacted because the potential for a water supply shortage continues to increase.

The three cities are working together to manage water supplies for people and fish during the drought and higher-than-normal water use. They are asking customers for their help by voluntarily reducing their water use by 10 percent starting today.

(ANNOUNCEMENT CONTINUES BELOW – ALSO, SEATTLE PARKS CONSERVATION INFO ADDED)
Read More

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New West Seattle water taxi Doc Maynard launches, starts sea trials

August 11, 2015 11:13 am

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| King County Water Taxi | Transportation | West Seattle news

If you ride the King County Water Taxi‘s West Seattle-to-downtown route, that’s the new vessel you’ll be on starting sometime this fall. M/V Doc Maynard is being built at All American Marine in Bellingham, as was the new Vashon Island Water Taxi M/V Sally Fox; the photos are from Doc Maynard’s launch into Bellingham Bay last week to start sea trials.

According to an online update from Water Taxi management, M/V Doc Maynard will arrive in Seattle in about a month. Here’s what the county says will happen after that:

After the Doc Maynard arrives in Seattle, the King County Marine Division will familiarize the crew with the vessel, conduct route-specific training, and go through U.S. Coast Guard safety drills. Following a dedication event, the Doc Maynard will be put into service on the Vashon route for up to four weeks while the Sally Fox returns to Bellingham to undergo warranty work. When the Sally Fox returns, the Doc Maynard will go into service on the West Seattle route, increasing the capacity and comfort of this service.

Federal grant money covered 80 percent of the nearly $12 million cost of the two new passenger ferries.

More water taxi news from the summer newsletter – ridership is up:

And the newsletter also notes that the county is continuing to look at possible expansion: “King County has asked the Marine Division and our consultant, KPFF Engineering, to look at future route opportunities on both Lake Washington and Puget Sound. A report of viable options is expected by year’s end.”

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West Seattle Tuesday: Parks superintendent @ Hiawatha; pizza at the P-Patch; Morgan Junction ‘focus group’; more…

August 11, 2015 9:09 am

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| West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

Our featured wildlife imagery today is the newest video by “Diver Laura” checking back on the octopus mom who’s guarding her eggs in a den off the northeast West Seattle shore (July video here). If you don’t have time to watch now … come back when you’re looking for something serenity-enhancing. Meantime, on with today/tonight highlights from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:

BABY STORY TIME: 10:30 am, your birth-to-1 baby is invited (and you, too) to Baby Story Time at Southwest Library. (35th SW & Henderson)

TODDLER STORY TIME: Also at 10:30 am, if your little one is a bit older, go to the West Seattle (Admiral) Library and enjoy Toddler Story Time. (2306 42nd SW)

MUSIC AND PIZZA IN THE GARDEN: 6-9 pm, all are invited to stop by the Barton St. P-Patch for its first “Evening in the Garden,” featuring pizza baked in its outdoor oven, music, and mingling. Free – donations are welcome – bring your favorite pizza topping(s), dough and sauce provided. (34th & Barton)

PADDLE DEMO & RACING: Summertime Tuesdays are big nights at Alki Kayak Tours (in partnership with sibling business Mountain To Sound Outfitters), 6 pm – details in our calendar listing. (1660 Harbor SW)

TRACK WORKOUT FOR RUNNERS: Free, with West Seattle Runner (WSB sponsor), 6:15 pm – just meet at the store. (2743 California SW)

PARKS SUPERINTENDENT AT HIAWATHA COMMUNITY CENTER: New Seattle Parks and Recreation Superintendent Jesús Aguirre is on a “listening tour” that will include five West Seattle stops, and the first of those is at 6:30 tonight at Hiawatha Community Center in The Admiral District. Come tell him your concerns, ideas, anything else you want him to hear as he ramps up his new job. (2700 California SW)

CRIME/POLICE CONCERNS IN MORGAN JUNCTION? Your “focus group” with researcher Jennifer Burbridge – explained here – is tonight, 7 pm, at the Southwest Precinct. All who live and work in the Morgan area are welcome. (2300 SW Webster)

TUESDAY TRIVIA: 8 pm at Celtic Swell on Alki, with Lyndsey. (2722 Alki SW)

SINGER/SONGWRITER SHOWCASE: 9 pm at Shadowland in The Junction. (California & Oregon)

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TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: Tuesday, on the move

August 11, 2015 7:40 am

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| West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

(Four WS-relevant views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
7:40 AM: Good morning! Another more-or-less-quiet commute so far. Might be 90 degrees one more time today. One road-work alert:

BEACH DRIVE PAVING: SDOT plans to resume repaving Beach Drive in the 61st SW vicinity today – here’s the alert on that.

Looking ahead to later this month:

99 CLOSURE NORTH OF THE BATTERY ST. TUNNEL: From Friday night, August 21st, through Monday morning, August 24th, Highway 99 will be closed both ways from the BSTunnel to Valley St. (lower Queen Anne), so if you’re heading NB that weekend, you’ll have to exit at Western – details here.

8:22 AM: If you take East Marginal Way S. toward downtown – be forewarned, two of the three northbound lanes are blocked by a crash at S. Orcas.

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West Seattle coyotes: Early-morning sighting near Schmitz Park

August 11, 2015 5:30 am

| 2 COMMENTS

| Coyotes | West Seattle news | Wildlife

Our latest sighting report is from Kristen, who saw one right about this time Monday:

I checked the blog and saw a posting from a few weeks ago that coyotes were heard in Schmitz Park. I heard them (Sunday) night as well. When I opened the door to go to the car at 5:30 am (Monday) morning, I saw one run down SW Forney Street and into the park. I walked my (large) dogs soon after and had no issues. I did want to report as there are neighbors in our area with small dogs and cats.

Remember – best thing to do if you see a coyote is to scare it away – it’s optimal for all involved if they remain wary of humans – as explained here.

SIDE NOTE: Seattle is of course not the only big city with coyotes. Looking around the Web for current coyote news from elsewhere, we found two stories of note – one about New York, one about L.A.

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