West Seattle, Washington
28 Sunday
(Four WS-relevant views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
7:30 AM: All’s quiet on the traffic front so far. Alerts and Throwback Thursday photo to come.
7:44 AM: Today’s alerts:
SW ORCHARD AT DELRIDGE: For Seattle Public Utilities‘ project at Delridge/Orchard – “Between Thursday, August 6 and Tuesday, August 11, SPU crews will grind, pave, and stripe SW Orchard Street. This work will require the closure of the westbound lane on SW Orchard Street (east of Delridge Way SW). The westbound lane will be opened to traffic during non-work hours. During the closure, all westbound traffic will be diverted to the eastbound lane with the assistance of a traffic flagger.”
ALKI AVENUE & BEACH DRIVE PAVING: Lane closures are expected between 7 am and 7 pm for the SDOT paving project announced for Alki SW between the 1300 and 1700 blocks and for Beach Drive/61st/Spokane.
ADDED 7:59 AM – TRAFFIC THROWBACK THURSDAY: A century ago, in the 3100 block of Admiral Way:
That’s from the Seattle Municipal Archives – click the image to go to a page with a larger view. If the numbering is the same, that would have been right about here, toward the bottom of the east Admiral hill.
No revelations Wednesday night when the Seattle Bicycle Advisory Board was briefed about the Admiral Way Safety Project, but the briefing did contain a few small updates.
(WSB photo: Frank Zuvela at Riverside plaza dedication in 2012)
Know where Riverside is? OK, maybe you do, but – have you seen it up close and personal? One week from Saturday – on August 15th – you have the chance, courtesy of the Southwest Seattle Historical Society:
Frank Zuvela, our expert on Riverside, the tiny fishing neighborhood below the West Seattle Bridge, will return on Saturday, Aug. 15, 2015, to lead our annual Riverside Walking Tour. Admission is a donation of $5, and the tour leaves at 10 a.m. For more info, click here!
RSVP not required – the donation will be accepted at the start of the tour (follow the link for location info).
(Photos courtesy Waste Management NW)
From the “what you’ll see at sea” file: Waste Management Northwest says the 300-foot barge you see above is on its way to its South Park dock after a trip to Alaska…
… where helicopters were used to pick up more than 3,000 super sacks filled with hundreds of tons of marine debris, each weighing approximately 400 pounds.
A significant amount of the collected debris was generated by the 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan and was subsequently deposited by winds and currents along the remote coastlines of Alaska and Canada. … The barge will arrive and unload the super sacks of marine debris on Waste Management’s Seattle dock. In a few weeks, local environmental volunteer groups will sort the material for recycling at an event coordinated by Parley for the Oceans, a national non-profit focused on addressing threats to the world’s oceans. Material Innovation company Bionic Yarn will then transform the sorted marine debris plastic into high-performance textiles and polymers. All remaining debris will travel via train to the Columbia Ridge landfill.
WM isn’t sure yet exactly when the barge will enter the Duwamish River; it’s hosting a media briefing at 11 am this Friday (August 7th) and the barge is expected to be docked by then.
King County Elections has gone public with its second round of primary-election results. While the top two in Seattle City Council District 1 remain the same, the order has changed – Lisa Herbold is now slightly ahead of Shannon Braddock:
Herbold – 28.56% – 3551 votes
Braddock – 28.23% – 3510 votes
Tavel – 18.51% – 2301 votes
Thomas – 10.87% – 1351 votes
Redmond – 7.20% – 895 votes
Rushmer – 2.20% – 274 votes
Robles – 1.56% – 194 votes
Wirsing – 1.41% – 175 votes
Goberman – 1.16% – 144 votes
Otherwise, the top two remain the same, in the same order as last night, in all the other races that West Seattleites voted on – at-large Council Positions 8 and 9, Port Commission Positions 2 and 5, and School Board Position 6, the only other district-specific (West Seattle/South Park) race on this ballot, which is now:
Leslie Harris – 46.74% – 5240 votes
Marty McLaren – 38.69% – 4338 votes
Nick Esparza – 14.09% – 1580 votes
Next results will be out around the same time tomorrow, with daily counts until final certification in two weeks. The general election is Tuesday, November 3rd.
Is there a preschooler or toddler in your family? Has s/he ever seen a firefighter up close, in full gear? Heard the household smoke alarm? Been told what to do in case of fire?
(WSB photos by Patrick Sand)
While this morning’s Firefighter Storytime at Delridge Library looked and sounded like fun … at the heart of it was a life-and-death lesson: Teaching small children what to do in case of fire. With the help of Junction-based Engine 32’s crew members, Fire Chief Harold Scoggins was the guest reader:
He read the same book that’s usually read at Firefighter Storytimes … “No Dragons for Tea,” Jean E. Pendziwol‘s book about a visit from a friendly dragon who sneezes and accidentally sets a house on fire. What follows in the story helps kids understand what to do and what not to do. After the reading, the kids got to see Firefighter Jeff from Engine 32 suit up into full gear, including the rebreather that, as Chief Scoggins noted, made him sound like Darth Vader. Then he got down on the ground to demonstrate getting below the smoke in a smoke-filled room and crawling to safety:
Chief Scoggins also got down onto the floor for some prizes and high-fives:
The storytime audience got to go outside and see the fire engine:
They also learned that firefighters go to many different types of incidents, including medical calls, so you might see them even if nothing is burning. The hope of course is that they’ll never need to put the lessons into action, nor have to see the firefighters at work, but one boy said he had: “Grandma started a fire,” he said. Uh-oh.
P.S. Chief Scoggins assigned “homework,” including asking the grownups to show the kids what the smoke alarm sounds like, and making a plan about how to get out of the house and where to go. All important stuff you can and should do with your family even if you don’t get the lesson directly from SFD. But if you’d like to check out Firefighter Storytime firsthand – next one isn’t too far away, a week from today (August 12th) at 11:15 am at South Park Library (8th Ave. S./Cloverdale).
Two updates on the upcoming SW Roxbury Safety Project, and one also involves the 35th SW project:
NEW START DATE FOR ROXBURY: The Westwood-Roxhill-Arbor Heights Community Council has learned from SDOT that the work will start next month instead of this month. WWRHAH transportation chair Chris Stripinis checked with project manager Jim Curtin, who says the new start date is September 14th, so SDOT can “mobilize for both Roxbury and 35th.” Curtin told WWRHAH that “a new kind of technology to remove the existing pavement markings that is less intrusive and much faster” will be used on both projects, hydro-blasting. He added, “We will also do most of the removal work at night and on the weekends to ensure that we do not disrupt classes at Roxhill and Holy Family.” This method is being used on Rainier Avenue right now. One more update from Curtin, forwarded by WWRHAH: “Also important to note is that the paving work between 17th and 18th on Roxbury will not occur before we restripe the roadway. We need to purchase some land from King County in order for us to construct ADA compliant ramps on the south side of Roxbury at 18th. We are in the process of obtaining the land now and this work will still move forward as soon as possible.”
DNS COMMENT TIME FOR ROXBURY AND 35TH: Getting ready to write about all that, we checked the SDOT project webpage for Roxbury, and discovered that a comment period is under way for part of the preparation process, a Determination of (Environmental) Non-Significance. This covers both the Roxbury and 35th SW projects. You can see the DNS document here; then go here (or scroll through the embedded version, above) to see the SDOT State Environmental Policy Act-mandated checklist used to generate it – that’s a very detailed document with some project information you might not have seen before. While the first document says comments will be taken through August 14th, the Roxbury webpage says August 21st is the deadline, and explains how to comment.
(Last night’s Alki sunset, photographed by Trileigh Tucker)
Quick look at highlights for the rest of today/tonight – full list on our calendar:
FIREFIGHTER STORY TIME: 11:30 am, firefighters and SFD Chief Harold Scoggins are due at Delridge Library to help kids learn about fire prevention and safety. (5423 Delridge Way SW)
HIGH POINT MARKET GARDEN FARM STAND: 4-7 pm, buy fresh-picked organic produce at the High Point Market Garden Farmstand and the visiting ROAR Mobile Farmstand. HP SHA residents are eligible for vouchers, available at the farm stand as well as at Neighborhood House’s High Point Center, with half off all produce up to $10. (32nd/Juneau)
DUWAMISH RIVER KAYAK TOUR: Tonight at 6 pm, learn about the river and the Superfund – details here, including how to RSVP ASAP (which will get you the departure location – either West Seattle or South Park).
ADMIRAL WAY PROJECT @ BICYCLE ADVISORY BOARD: The citywide Bicycle Advisory Board meets at City Hall tonight at 6, with three projects on the agenda, one in West Seattle, the Admiral Way Safety Project. Agenda here. (600 4th Ave., Room L280)
CRIME/COMMUNITY POLICING FOCUS GROUP: 6:30 pm tonight, if you live/work on Pigeon Point, you’re invited to come talk with the researcher who’s been convening “focus groups” for communities all around the peninsula, at the Southwest Precinct, 6:30 pm. (2300 SW Webster)
It’s Wednesday and the weekend is in view – so we’re reminding you what’s up next for this season of West Seattle Outdoor Movies on Saturday night (August 8th). After three weeks of classics, the free movie you’ll see on the wall by Hotwire Online Coffeehouse (WSB sponsor) this Saturday night is from last year – “Big Hero 6” (trailer above). Another big feature of this week’s event: The annual free barbecue presented by West Seattle Christian Church, longtime co-sponsor of the series (as is WSB). So come early – another crowd filled the courtyard at 4410 California SW last Saturday night:
Gates open at 6:30 pm – bring a chair, blanket, and if you’re so inclined, a few dollars for nonprofit-benefiting concessions and raffles. The movie’s at dusk, which could be before 9 pm this time around, especially if it’s cloudy. This is the fourth of this year’s six movies (“Guardians of the Galaxy” on August 15th and “Rocky Horror Picture Show” on August 22nd) – so if you’ve been meaning to go, don’t wait much longer. See you there!
(Four WS-relevant views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
We start the morning with a new road-work alert:
SW ORCHARD AT DELRIDGE, STARTING TOMORROW: From Seattle Public Utilities:
Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) is continuing sewer improvements near Delridge Way SW and SW Orchard Street. Work hours are 7 a.m. – 5 p.m. on weekdays and from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. on Saturdays. Between Thursday, August 6 and Tuesday, August 11, SPU crews will grind, pave, and stripe SW Orchard Street. This work will require the closure of the westbound lane on SW Orchard Street (east of Delridge Way SW). The westbound lane will be opened to traffic during non-work hours. During the closure, all westbound traffic will be diverted to the eastbound lane with the assistance of a traffic flagger.
Another ongoing utility-related project:
MURRAY CSO CONTROL PROJECT WORK BY LOWMAN BEACH: If you use Beach Drive in the area, keep this alert in mind.
And scheduled to continue today:
ALKI AVENUE PAVING: Lane closures are expected between 7 am and 7 pm for the SDOT paving project announced for Alki SW between the 1300 and 1700 blocks.
1:37 AM: Several people have asked about a police response in the California/Raymond vicinity. Here’s what we know so far: Police are investigating vandalism that damaged multiple cars. They were dispatched after what one texter described to us (similar to what was mentioned in the dispatching) as “yelling and smashing sounds.” They found multiple vehicles with damage including broken side mirrors, and were questioning one suspect at last report. We will follow up later this morning.
9:14 AM: We went down after it got light this morning to see if any of this damage was visible; above, two photos. We also are obtaining the report narrative from SPD and will add details when we have that.
9:54 AM: We now have that report, which notes at least 10 damaged vehicles, along California SW and in an apartment-building parking lot. The suspect is 31-year-old Yonas Berhane, who was arrested and cited – which means charged, in the Municipal Court system, which is why we are identifying him – with property destruction and harassment. As one commenter reports, the initial call to police said the vandalism was accompanied by yelling and screaming with threats to “murder people.” Police found Berhane walking northbound on California north of Raymond and say he appeared intoxicated. Someone told officers they had asked Berhane if he was OK and that he responded by threatening to shoot them and used both hands to “mimic … shooting guns, all the while shouting ‘blap blap blap’ (as in gunfire).” The King County Jail register shows he is still in custody, with initial bail at $2,000.
2:36 PM: Berhane is currently scheduled for a court appearance at the jail tomorrow morning. His record dating back to age 17 includes mostly misdemeanors, including theft and assault, but also a 2009 case that combined felony charges in multiple cases in South King County, including the theft of a car from a hotel parking lot near Sea-Tac; the car’s owners, according to the charging documents, had been staying at the hotel because their house burned down. He struck a plea bargain and was sentenced to two months.
ORIGINAL REPORT, 8:06 PM: The big race of the night for our area is the first-ever primary for Seattle City Council District 1, West Seattle/South Park, with nine candidates in the running. As soon as tonight’s vote count is in (any minute now), you’ll see the results here (and other races here).
FIRST RESULTS, 8:15 PM: The first and only election-night vote count is in: Shannon Braddock is the top vote-getter with 29 percent, Lisa Herbold next with 27 percent, Phillip Tavel third with 19 percent, Brianna Thomas with 11 percent, Chas Redmond with 7 percent. (added – full first-round results for all 9 District 1 candidates)
Braddock – 28.59% – 3096 votes
Herbold – 27.44% – 2972 votes
Tavel – 19.03% – 2061 votes
Thomas – 10.74% – 1163 votes
Redmond – 7.32% – 793 votes
Rushmer – 2.30% – 249 votes
Robles – 1.65% – 179 votes
Wirsing – 1.42% – 154 votes
Goberman – 1.17% – 127 votes
8:38 PM: Just talked to Braddock at her election-night party at Mission in The Admiral District. Asked “what did you do when you saw the vote count?” she replied, “Started breathing again!” We’ll add a short video interview later. (10 pm: Now added:)
Headed south in hopes of catching Lisa Herbold next.
8:51 PM: Just talked with Herbold outside her party location, Feedback Lounge in Morgan Junction (she was on the back patio, talking to her brother via phone, when we arrived). She said she was surprised by tonight’s results, not expecting a clear top two. We’ll add our quick video interview once we’re back at HQ. (10 pm: Now added:)
Again, this is just the first round of ballot-counting; next round is around 4:30 pm tomorrow. When the vote-counting is done and results are certified in two weeks, the top two advance to the November general election.
P.S. The county says 12,000 ballots from District 1 had been returned by Election Night – 20 percent of the “active voters” in West Seattle/South Park.
ORIGINAL REPORT, 8:04 PM: Voting’s over and vote-counting is under way – this is our placeholder for everything BUT West Seattle/South Park’s first-ever primary in City Council District 1 – we’re covering that race here. Once the vote count is released, the links below will go directly to results in that race:
City Council Position 8 (at large) – results here
City Council Position 9 (at large) – results here
School Board Position 6 – results here
Port Commission Position 2 – results here
Port Commission Position 5 – results here
FIRST RESULTS, 8:21 PM: The one and only election-night count is in. For Position 8, it’s Tim Burgess with 48 percent and Jon Grant with 28 percent. (Added – full results:)
Burgess: 48.34% – 37300 votes
Grant: 28.36% – 21883 votes
Roderick: 15.66% – 12082 votes
Persak: 7.07% – 5459 votes
For Position 9, it’s Lorena Gonzalez (a West Seattle resident) with 64 percent, followed by Bill Bradburd with 15 percent. (Added – full results:)
Gonzalez: 63.72% – 49191 votes
Bradburd: 15.21% – 11742 votes
Bassok: 9.22% – 7121 votes
Tobin: 8.58% – 6627 votes
Tahir-Garrett: 1.57% – 1209 votes
Tsimerman: 1.39% – 1076 votes
P.S. See all nine City Council districts/positions’ results here.
8:40 PM: For Port Commission Position 2, it’s Courtney Gregoire with 82 percent, Goodspaceguy with 9 percent. For Position 5: Fred Felleman 22 percent, Marion Yoshino 19 percent, Richard Pope 16 percent.
8:44 PM: For School Board Position 6, which represents West Seattle/South Park, Leslie Harris is top votegetter with 46 percent, incumbent Marty McLaren next with 39 percent. (Added – full results:)
Harris: 46.00% – 4493 votes
McLaren: 38.93% – 3803 votes
Esparza: 14.56% – 1422 votes
Again, the next round of results will be out around 4:30 pm tomorrow; final vote counts will be certified in two weeks, and the top two will be on the November ballot.
6:14 PM: It’s Night Out 2015 – which means dozens of side streets closed for block parties, with neighbors celebrating each other and intensifying their commitment to look out for each other. We’ll be stopping by some parties for photos; we’re also happy to receive yours and add it to the coverage. Different e-mail address than usual – westseattleblog@gmail.com – or you can share via Facebook, Twitter, Instagram (you’ll find us at all three as /westseattleblog) so we can re-share here – thank you!
6:30 PM: First photo in, above, is from Imelda‘s block party at 61st/Beach Drive – we’re hearing about lots of parties with live bands this year! We’re stopping at another one right now, 35th/105th in Arbor Heights – thanks to Darren for letting us know.
Pop-A-Shot (photo above) and Putt-Putt Golf are happening at the AH party, as are hot dogs, hamburgers, popcorns, and dozens of neighbors having a great time.
6:49 PM: We’re heading north now, just arriving in Gatewood, where Ellen‘s party is getting a visit from Reptile Man.
(WSB photo, substituted for the not-as-clear Instagram image originally posted)
Lucy the alligator is one of the friends he brought along. This party was near 41st/Rose.
6:59 PM: Just tweeted by Amanda:
@SeattleNightOut 23rd Ave SW between Cambridge and Barton #WestSeattle @westseattleblog We love our neighbors! pic.twitter.com/RPkAC4U5s6
— Amanda Kay Helmick (@ak_helmick) August 5, 2015
We’re now arriving at the 37th/Raymond/Graham block party, invited by Aaron (thank you!) – these neighbors also are celebrating with a barbecue. Some party participants just paused to pose for us:
(Update – here’s our full-group photo from that party:)
Another block party’s youngest attendees are in these photos shared via Twitter:
@westseattleblog it's a toddler extravaganza over at the 9000 block of 34th! #NightOut pic.twitter.com/LKXvAMPQPO
— Bit of Butter (@BitofButter) August 5, 2015
@westseattleblog even more toddlers. Seriously, it's like a zombie attack. pic.twitter.com/KkLMSyW7MI
— Bit of Butter (@BitofButter) August 5, 2015
Headed now to the Fairmount neighborhood south of The Triangle, where four streets of neighbors are gathering for Night Out. This seems to be the Year of the Band at Night Out, peninsula-wide:
Sharonn invited us to this party, which is bringing together neighbors from 35th, 36th, 37th, 38th, as well as Edmunds itself. We’ll add the group photo later. (Added – here it is!)
7:20 PM: In High Point, the big party’s in Commons Park – that’s where Tim photographed Lucy dancing to the music near the bouncy house:
Many parties double as informational events; at the HP party, until about 8 pm, you can also talk with SDOT about the 35th SW Safety Project. From one HP to another – the next tweeted photo is courtesy of Marcia in Highland Park:
The 9000 Block of 13th SW is having an awesome night! @westseattleblog #ilovemyneighbors #NationalNightOut pic.twitter.com/soe3dPgEg6
— Marcia Ventura (@marciaventura) August 5, 2015
7:38 PM: Night Out and Election Night parties are about to overlap (22 minutes left to vote!) – but we’re still in Night Out mode, stopping now in the 3200 block of 36th SW, thanks to Andrea‘s invitation. This party has guinea pigs!
(Added: We learned via an Instagram comment that they are Oreo, Vanilla, and Marshmallow.)
8:05 PM: Still partying:
@westseattleblog in the alley of 40th/41st between Hudson and Edmonds. #seattleneighbornightout pic.twitter.com/5YfKccJb5p
— Matthew Boehm (@mjboehm267) August 5, 2015
9:08 PM: Had to break away from Night Out coverage to report on the election results and talk to a few candidates. But we’re back at HQ, where we’ll add the photos we took, and we’re now adding several more photos e-mailed to us (thank you!). First, from the 6700 block of 38th SW:
From Sara in Belvidere:
@westseattleblog The Queen of the block at 95 years old. Been living on Belvidere for 67 years. pic.twitter.com/ouObsyPwas
— Sara Gaccione (@saragaccione) August 5, 2015
Also from Sara – 24 kids at that same block party!
From Westwood – e-mailed by Michael:
He explained, “Our annual block party is still going strong but we wanted to share this awesome cake our neighbors Michael & Randi brought. We’re on 34th between Kenyon & Elmgrove, and we love our neighborhood!”
Next, from Chris at 15th and Trenton:
“Great turnout in our neighborhood!” Chris added. Next – Darryll‘s photo from 8800 block of 17th SW, when firefighters stopped by:
Max sent the next photo from the 2700 block of 36th SW:
From Long Bach Nguyen in Gatewood, the California/Portland block party:
Also in Gatewood – the 45th/Austin party – thanks to Kera for the photo:
On 36th SW between Findlay and Brandon, Jenny’s block-party neighbors gathered for a group pic:
At 45th and Edmunds on the southwest side of The Junction, a traffic-stopping street-closure sign:
Thanks to Michelle for that photo. Over at 16th/Trenton, Steve says his party got a little “goofy”:
He also reports, “We had an awesome time tonight. Engine 11, ping pong, basketball, bikes, soccer, hand-turned ice cream and tons of great neighbors.”
Earlier in the week, we showed you one of the Night Out signs on Pigeon Point. Here’s part of the party:
Thanks to Pete for the pic; Pigeon Point visitors included Southwest Precinct Captain Pierre Davis.
Near 48th/Morgan, Deb‘s party was visited by Matt from AlertSeattle:
That’s the new city service we mentioned on Tuesday morning – sign up for emergency alerts (and more). Finally, on 34th SW south of Camp Long, Susan says she and her neighbors had a “lovely evening” at their party:
“Close to 50-60 folks attended, enjoying great food, wonderful neighbors and awesome music from Hoo Doo Boogaloo” – featured in the video clip she shared:
One more time – THANK YOU to everyone who shared photos and/or invited us to come by (sorry the election overlap cut our travels short) – and congratulations on a neighborly night all over West Seattle.
Here’s a new way for your kid(s) to spend part of the rest of their summer: Learning “life skills” with Patricia London. We’re welcoming her as a new WSB sponsor, and here’s what she would like you to know about what she is teaching:
Patricia London is the Executive Director of LiNKS Independent Living Services and a certified Etiquette Factory instructor. Patricia has been employed in the Social Services field for over 10 years and Educational Training Field for 6 years. Additionally, she worked in varied settings as an Independent Living Services Director, Supported Living Director, Activity Director in a Rehab setting, and as a special-education teacher. She brings a broad base of experience and enthusiasm for children of all ages with varying learning abilities.
As a a Certified Etiquette Instructor and ILS and Social Skills Professional, she will help children learn manners, communication skills, social and life skills, with a strong focus on respect and value for others, integrity, and putting people at ease. The goals of what she offers include:
– To provide children with organized and structured recreations activities which contribute to intellectual, social, emotional and physical growth.
– To provide a variety of activities, which educate, empower, entertain, and motivate children.
– Promote each child’s appreciation of fair play, advocacy and consideration of others.
– Provide experience, which will allow each child to increase one’s self-esteem and self-confidence.
More than 50 different Life Skills will be covered, using games, role playing, props and kind discussion.
Exclusive Program:
Introductions
Kindness
Personal Space
Proper Hygiene
Self-Advocacy
Dealing with “Bullies”
Empathy
And Much, Much More
To register for upcoming sessions and/or find out more, call 206-551-4436 and/or e-mail linksilssummercamp@gmail.com.
We thank etiquette/social-skills instructor Patricia London for sponsoring independent, community-collaborative neighborhood news via WSB; find our current sponsor team listed in directory format here, and find info on joining the team by going here.
By Megan Sheppard
On the WSBeat, for West Seattle Blog
This edition of The WSBeat contains summaries written from reports on cases handled recently by Southwest Precinct officers – generally cases that (usually) have NOT already appeared here in breaking-news coverage or West Seattle Crime Watch reports, and many are not crimes, but might at least answer a lingering question such as “what WERE all those police doing on my block?” Or on the bridge, or the beach, or …
*In Arbor Heights, a man knocked on the front door of a residence on July 28th and offered to fix dents on some cars parked in the driveway. The man, who called himself “George,” seemed believable, since he had a truck that contained the types of tools used in a body shop. The residents agreed to pay George $300 for the work, which turned out to be phony. (A resin that was supposed to harden later melted instead.) After he departed, the victims discovered $200 worth of CDs missing from one of the vehicles. George had arrived with his wife and child, who stayed in their vehicle: A white, early 2000s pickup with a standard sized bed and no extra cab. George was described as a Hispanic man in his twenties, about 5’6”, thin build, dark hair and small mustache.
*Last Friday night (July 31st), a 29-year-old Alki resident was transported to Harborview after causing a series of crashes on the eastbound West Seattle Bridge, ending with him finally veering across all lanes and slumping over unconscious on the steering wheel. As medics pulled him out for treatment, a small plastic bag fell off his lap that tested positive for powdered methamphetamine. Blood samples were drawn from the suspect at Harborview. He remained unconscious throughout transport. He was left in the custody of the staff at Harborview.
*Last Wednesday afternoon (July 29th), officers spotted a known felon driving a car in the Morgan Junction area. He was taken into custody on an outstanding no-bail warrant for unlawful firearms possession and drug possession. In addition, the man was wanted on a $20,000 4th-degree assault warrant from Pierce County. He was booked into King County Jail.
Six more summaries ahead:
Here in the heart of summer, extra chances to enjoy fresh air and fun times – this week, three outdoor-music opportunities in West Seattle:
THURSDAY – STAR ANNA @ HIAWATHA: This week’s Summer Concerts at Hiawatha headliner is alt-country sensation Star Anna, 6:30 pm Thursday on the east lawn at Hiawatha Community Center. Free – just bring your chair/blanket, picnic dinner (no concessions on site), family/friends/neighbors, and get ready for great music. Presented by the Admiral Neighborhood Association, with sponsors including WSB. (Walnut/Lander)
FRIDAY – 85TH ST. BIG BAND @ THE MOUNT: Providence Mount St. Vincent kicks off its four-Fridays summer concert series this week with the 85th Street Big Band on the patio on the south side of its campus, 6 pm – concert’s free, but you can buy dinner/beer/wine if interested – see the menu via a link in our series preview. (4831 35th SW)
SATURDAY – DELRIDGE DAY: VIEWS, which is presenting the Delridge Day festival 11 am-3 pm this Saturday at Delridge Community Center/Park/Skatepark, has shared the music schedule:
11:00 am – Quarter Past 8 – rock
12:00 noon – Ellis Brothers – jazz
1:00 pm – Yesod – psychedelic world music
2:00 pm – Oldies But Goodies – classic Rock/R&B
Delridge Day also is free to attend – see our previous preview here. (Delridge/Genesee)
Tonight brings two major events – the end of primary-election voting and start of vote-counting, aka Election Night, plus the annual community-building Night Out.
VOTE BY 8 PM! 51,000 of the 60,000 West Seattle/South Park ballots still had NOT been turned in as of last night. Here’s how you can still get your primary-election ballot in by the deadline:
-Get it to a US Postal Service box/post office/letter carrier by evening pickup so it’ll be postmarked today (remember, this requires a stamp, NOT the case for the KC Elections options below)
-Get it to a King County Elections ballot-dropoff van – there’s one at West Seattle Stadium (where we photographed the crew, above, on Monday afternoon, when they’d already received 200 ballots for the day) and one outside Greenbridge Library in White Center, both there until the 8 pm deadline
-Get it into a King County Elections dropbox – here’s the list of locations (also a deadline of 8 pm tonight.)
-Vote at a King County accessible-voting center (Seattle, Renton, or Bellevue) by 8 pm
ONE LAST MENTION OF OUR ‘LAST LOOK’: If you haven’t voted because you haven’t decided, our “Last Look” mini-guide might help. (We don’t do endorsements, but try to present as much information as possible, including, for that final report, video conversations with each of the 9 District 1 City Council candidates.)
ELECTION-NIGHT PARTIES: Starting around 7 pm, West Seattle/South Park will be full of them. Alphabetically by first name, the candidates whose parties we’ve heard about – including two at-large council candidates who happen to be West Seattleites:
Alon Bassok (Position 9) – Skylark
Brianna Thomas (District 1) – Loretta’s (South Park)
Chas Redmond (District 1) – Beveridge Place Pub
Lisa Herbold (District 1) – Feedback Lounge
Lorena Gonzalez (Position 9) – Talarico’s
Phillip Tavel (District 1) – The Bridge
Shannon Braddock (District 1) – Mission
(Any other candidates with a West Seattle or South Park election-night party? Please tell us in the comment section!)
WHEN WILL YOU SEE THE FIRST ELECTION RESULTS? King County publishes one set on Election Night, usually around 8:15 pm. We’ll of course have the highlights, and reaction, here.
Also happening today/tonight:
BIKEMOBILE BIKE REPAIRS: “Need a tuneup?? The BikeMobile is Bike Works’ new mobile repair truck, staffed by youth interns … Its purpose is to deliver bike repair service on a sliding scale to communities without bike shops and provide a platform for community engagement through bike repair.” 1:30-4 pm behind Neighborhood House’s High Point Center. (6400 Sylvan Way)
NIGHT OUT: Block parties all over West Seattle, generally 6-9 pm – if you’re not going to one, be aware that many side streets will be blocked off for the occasion! We’ll be stopping at a few (thanks for the invites); if we don’t get to yours, please consider sending us a photo for inclusion in WSB as-it-happens coverage – editor@westseattleblog.com or tweet it to @westseattleblog or share it via the WSB Facebook page (we’ll republish on WSB) OR tag us on Instagram – thank you, and have a great party!
35TH SW QUESTIONS? After two meetings last month to unveil the first phase of safety changes for 35th SW, SDOT plans to be at tonight’s High Point Night Out event for anyone with questions, 6-8 pm at High Point Commons. (Morgan/Lanham)
FAMILY STORY TIME: 7 pm at Delridge Library – for kids of all ages. (5423 Delridge Way SW)
LOOKING FOR SOMETHING ELSE? Maybe you’ll find it in the full list of today’s events, on our calendar.
Two quick West Seattle Crime Watch notes:
MAIL THEFT: Thanks to Leanne for reporting mail theft along 40th SW in Arbor Heights. “Neighbors found a couple envelopes and a birthday card in the ditch.”
RECOGNIZE THIS BICYCLE? Abandoned bicycles often turn out to have been stolen, so if you know someone missing a bike:
Katy sent the photo after spotting the bicycle in shrubbery along SW Thistle west of California SW in Gatewood, where it’s been for at least a day. (The only bicycle theft on the Seattle Police crime-reports map for the past week happened Saturday night in the 9200 block of 17th SW, but others could be in the online-reports queue and not showing up on the map yet.)
The city has opened signups for AlertSeattle, which its announcement describes as “a new, real-time emergency alert and notification system … a way to send out messages to the public with information on what to do when emergencies like earthquakes, explosions, flooding, or other disasters happen,” as well as “community notifications about severe weather, safety, health, utility-service disruptions, major traffic incidents, preparedness events and more.” You can register by going to alert.seattle.gov and creating a profile. Set aside a few minutes before you start – it’s a bit complicated, with numerous optional fields you can (but don’t have to) fill out beyond the basic notification information; it’s linked to Smart911, so you’ll also be asked, for example, if you want to provide information about your household that could be displayed to emergency providers if you call 911 from the phone number you register.
(Four WS-relevant views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
Quiet commute so far.
METRO SURVEY: Less than a week left to answer the survey to help Metro shape its long-range plans – find it here.
ALKI AVENUE PAVING: Today’s the day SDOT says paving work will start on a stretch of Alki Avenue – we’ve confirmed since the announcement that the nonexistent streets referred to in the announcement translate to, between the 1300 and 1700 blocks.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: How will the city fix the policies, or lack of them, that play into slow clearing of incidents such as the fish-truck crash (9 hours) and West Marginal crash (5 hours)? 90 changes are recommended – from more traffic cameras to free towing on chokepoint roadways. Here’s our full report.
12:24 PM: 2-car crash reported on the eastbound bridge at 4th Avenue South. SFD closed out of the scene fairly quickly so we don’t know how serious it is – no cameras in that area.
(WSB photos by Patrick Sand)
10:20 PM: All those sirens are from a big Seattle Fire response headed to a possible house fire in the 10200 block of 32nd SW in Arbor Heights [map]. Updates to come.
10:23 PM: Crews are starting to arrive. Early word is that the fire started in the living room, and that everyone got out of the house OK.
10:28 PM: Per scanner, they’re scaling back the response. The fire has been declared “tapped.”
10:43 PM: Our crew has talked with the incident commander, who says it was a “small electrical fire” that’s now out; nobody hurt, and the residents will be able to go back inside shortly.
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
Before the next bridge-snarling crash – or a stall that takes hours to clear – city leaders vow to go the extra mile to work on how they deal with traffic trouble.
The promises were made in the middle of a midsummer Friday afternoon, with the Blue Angels roaring overhead – a time when many in all lines of work do their best to call it quits early and head out to revel; instead, media were summoned to SDOT‘s Traffic Management Center (and an adjacent conference room) to hear details of a consultant’s critique of the city’s traffic-incident-management (TIM) policies.
Or, relative lack of them, per this key conclusion of the report:
A lack of coordination among agencies in Seattle – including but not limited to the Seattle Police Department (SPD) and the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) – was immediately identified as a recurring problem in Seattle’s TIM response.
The report was ordered after the infamous tipped-fish-truck fiasco on southbound Highway 99 last March, a crash that took nine hours to clear, though no one was seriously hurt, and that caused chain-reaction backups around the city while turning the highway itself into a walkway for some.
(Reader photo texted during March 2015 fish-truck blockage on SB 99)
Throughout those nine hours, we featured as-it-happened coverage, and followed up the next day here; Councilmember Tom Rasmussen promised followup reports. By May, Mayor Ed Murray had ordered the review and recommendations that he and Rasmussen unveiled Friday.
Atop this report is our video of most of Friday’s briefing (we were a few minutes late so it starts as the mayor was wrapping up his introductory comments). Below is the report by consultants TransSafe Consulting and Sam Schwartz Engineering, whose proprietor Annette Sandberg, a former Washington State Patrol chief, presented a slide deck of highlights during the briefing – or browse the embedded version below:
Ahead – key points of what’s being recommended, and what happens now:
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