day : 05/10/2015 10 results

As they had promised in the note published here this morning, neighbors created a sidewalk-side memorial tonight for 17-month-old Drue Lehto, who died eight days ago of internal injuries that police say his father’s girlfriend confessed to causing by kicking him. They told us other community members had stopped by to add small tributes – stuffed animals, candles, flowers. It’s in a tree well along the sidewalk in the 6500 block of California SW, just south of the Morgan Junction apartment building where Drue died; you are welcome to add to it, they said. Meantime, the accused killer remains jailed in lieu of $1 million bail; we’ll likely hear from prosecutors tomorrow about charges.

Seen from West Seattle: ’12’ shines from downtown skyline

October 5, 2015 9:21 pm

| 3 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | WS & Sports

From Seacrest – 12 sighting, postgame. pic.twitter.com/NnAcwbhVOU

— West Seattle Blog (@westseattleblog) October 6, 2015

For the first nighttime home game of the Seahawks’ season, the big bright “12” was back downtown. We photographed it shortly after Seattle’s 13-10 win over the Detroit Lions. This was the Seahawks’ only scheduled Monday Night Football appearance this year; they’re set for a Sunday Night Football home game on November 15th, hosting the Cardinals.

9:49 PM P.S. Via Twitter, we learn Zillow is now the largest tenant in the building.

Share This

FOLLOWUP: Crash victim’s mother asks for help finding hit-run driver

October 5, 2015 8:13 pm

| 13 COMMENTS

| Crime | West Seattle news

(Family photo, taken the day Alex left Harborview)
That’s Alex, who survived a crash on Fauntleroy Way north of Lincoln Park four weeks ago. His mother Katie e-mailed to say that investigators are still looking for the driver who left the scene:

On 9/8/15 around 9:30 pm my son was involved in a hit-and-run accident on Fauntleroy and Othello. He was admittedly going over the speed limit when a white truck pulled out in front of him, cutting him off. The driver of the truck then stopped in the middle of my son’s lane, causing my son to hit the back driver’s side quarter panel. The impact threw him off his motorcycle and into two parked cars. The motorcycle slid for quite a ways in the middle of Fauntleroy. The driver of the truck then backed up, looked at my son, and then drove off … leaving my son screaming in pain, asking for help.

Share This

CONGRATULATIONS! National honors for Chief Sealth International High School Academy of Business

October 5, 2015 5:29 pm

| 2 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

Congratulations to Chief Sealth International High School for again being recognized as having one of the nation’s top career/vocational business academies. From Gary Perkins, who also shared the photos:

For the third consecutive year, the Academy of Business, which includes both the Academy of Finance and Academy of Hospitality & Tourism programs, was awarded “Model Status” by the National Academy Foundation, an award given to only a select number of business academies across the country. NAF is a leader in the movement to prepare young people for college and career success and operates in more than 650 academies across the 50 states. For over 30 years, NAF has refined a proven educational model which included industry-focused curricula, work-based learning opportunities through summer internships and job shadows, and a relationship model that connects the classroom to the workplace.

There are only five NAF academies in the entire state of Washington, with two of those located here at Chief Sealth Int’l. Over the past five years, the graduation rate for the Academy of Business has exceeded 99% and over 95% of those that graduate have gone on to college or post-secondary education.

In the pictures are juniors and seniors from the Academy of Finance and Academy of Hospitality & Tourism. Also included are Gary Perkins (Academy Coordinator/Instructor) and Jenny Austad (Academy Instructor). You can find out more about the program by E-mailing Gary Perkins at gaperkins@seattleschools.org

Share This

What do orcas and ants have in common? Find out when The Whale Trail’s new Orca Talk series begins

October 5, 2015 3:30 pm

| Comments Off on What do orcas and ants have in common? Find out when The Whale Trail’s new Orca Talk series begins

| West Seattle news | Wildlife

That photo by Araya Casey Photography is one of several shared with us after orcas swam past West Seattle on Sunday (see others here). If you’re among our area’s many orca fans, you will want to hurry up and get your ticket for the October 13th event that will lead off The Whale Trail‘s new Orca Talk season, with world-renowned author and orca expert Erich Hoyt speaking October 13th at The Hall at Fauntleroy. His talk titled “Ants, Orcas and Creatures of the Deep” is one of three stops in the region on Hoyt’s “Orca Tour 2015.” Wondering what in the world ants and orcas could have in common? Don’t miss the chance to find out – you can get your ticket right now through Brown Paper Tickets. (When Hoyt spoke here two years ago, he filled the house!)

Share This

Big Seattle City Light project on the way for Delridge: Mile-long streetlight-system replacement, plus stairway lighting

October 5, 2015 12:49 pm

| 12 COMMENTS

| Utilities | West Seattle news

(Part of the stretch of Delridge where the upgrading will happen)

By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

Another big city project is headed this way.

We got first word of this while talking with one of the many city department reps who came to West Seattle on Saturday for the mayor-led Find It, Fix It walk in Delridge (WSB coverage here). It isn’t in the area on which the walk focused, but it’s in an area where many people will be affected by the work as well as by its results. Here’s what’s up:

Next year, Seattle City Light plans to replace and upgrade the Delridge Way SW streetlights and their infrastructure between SW Myrtle and SW Henderson. That’s a 1.1-mile-long stretch (see it on this map).

The Delridge Way SW Streetlight Infrastructure Upgrade Project entails much more than changing to LEDs (which won’t happen on other West Seattle arterials until 2017) – SCL says the light installations themselves have issues with wiring, grounding, and even siting/spacing, so the entire streetlight system along that stretch is being redesigned and replaced.

Along with new streetlights along Delridge, the project also will include lighting improvements on the SW Holden stairway between Delridge and 20th SW, the focus of safety concerns after robberies earlier in the year (yes, this is the same stairway where goats did some cleanup work last spring).

And, SCL says, some power-cable work will be done in areas where “injection” repair work failed.

Here’s the city overview of the type of work that’s expected to happen during this project:

City Light contractors will be trenching within the right-of-way. They will work within planting strips whenever possible, but will be demolishing sidewalks in some locations. New sidewalks and curb cuts will be installed as necessary and trenching across streets will be required in some areas. Sections of sidewalk will be closed while work is taking place. Roadways may be redirected for short periods of time when trenching across streets is taking place. Residents will be notified if driveways will be blocked.

SCL says the work is not expected to require or cause power outages.

The full scope of the project is still being planned, with its design not expected to be complete until March of next year, and bidding to follow in April; construction is expected to happen June 2016-January 2017. We’re checking on the estimated cost, as the SCL budget proposal for next year doesn’t list this (or other) specific projects.

Share This

YOU CAN HELP! What Chief Sealth IHS’s Clothing Closet needs

October 5, 2015 11:02 am

| Comments Off on YOU CAN HELP! What Chief Sealth IHS’s Clothing Closet needs

| West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

New and “gently used” items would be greatly appreciated by students in need at Chief Sealth IHS – here’s how to help:

The Clothing Closet is open and looking for donations!

Chief Sealth International High School PTSA — along with CSIHS staff and Key Club — coordinates the Clothing Closet, where students in need can get clothing, school supplies, and toiletries at no cost. The Clothing Closet relies on donations to keep its shelves stocked.

Here are some things that we’re currently in need of:

new men’s and women’s athletic and dress socks
new men’s underwear — preferably stretchy boxer briefs of all sizes
new women’s underwear – preferably cotton bikinis of all sizes
gently used athletic shorts — all sizes
gently used sweatpants, athletic-style pants, yoga pants, and leggings — all sizes
gently used men’s belts — casual and dress

You can drop off donations at the collection box in the Main Office. We’ll also have a collection box outside the Clothing Closet during the Open House on October 8. For more information, please contact Lisa Conley with PTSA at lisalconley@hotmail.com or 206-938-1947.

The school is at 2600 SW Thistle.

Share This

West Seattle Monday: School boundaries; ‘Booktoberfest’; more…

October 5, 2015 10:03 am

| Comments Off on West Seattle Monday: School boundaries; ‘Booktoberfest’; more…

| West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

(Alki photo by Michael Zaton)

Looks like one more day of the endlessly blue sky and sea. From the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar for today/tonight:

DROP-IN HOMEWORK HELP: 4-7 pm, Homework Help volunteers are available at High Point Library, for K-12 students. (35th SW and SW Raymond)

SEATTLE PUBLIC SCHOOLS BOUNDARIES/STUDENT ASSIGNMENT PLAN MEETING: No big boundary changes in the current West Seattle plan, but the ones that are in the works for next year – explained in our preview – are the subject of a meeting tonight, 6:30 pm, at Schmitz Park Elementary. (5000 SW Spokane)

WEST SEATTLE HI-YU: 7 pm at Admiral Congregational Church, it’s the monthly meeting for West Seattle Hi-Yu, which is currently inviting youth to apply for its new Ambassador Program. Come to the meeting to see how you can help with anything and everything Hi-Yu is up to. (California SW & SW Hill)

‘BOOKTOBERFEST’ AT SKYLARK: 7:30 pm, match wits with librarians, who are going around the city this month for special events like this round of “bookish and library-themed trivia” at The Skylark. (3803 Delridge Way SW)

LOOK INTO THE FUTURE … by browsing our complete calendar.

Share This

Neighbors plan memorial for toddler killed in Morgan Junction

October 5, 2015 8:59 am

| 1 COMMENT

| Crime | West Seattle news

Two followups this morning in the case of 17-month-old Drue Lehto (family photo at right, republished with permission), who died eight days ago in a Morgan Junction apartment, with his father’s 20-year-old girlfriend in jail for investigation of homicide:

First, neighbors invite you to join them tonight in an informal memorial. Alexa told us via e-mail, “There will be a few of us neighbors setting out a small memorial for baby Drue, the baby killed last week, (tonight) at 8:30 by the building [6533 California SW]. Just some flowers, candles, and stuffed toys, no formal event, but others are welcome to come join to pay their respects or stop by the next day to add to the memorial.”

Also, Drue’s aunt Samantha shares word of this crowdfunding page raising money for funeral expenses.

In the criminal case, meantime, the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office has until tomorrow to file charges against the suspect, who, according to court documents, had lived for about half a year with Drue, his father, and her own toddler from an earlier relationship. She remains in King County Jail in lieu of $1 million bail.

Share This

TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: Monday updates & alerts, with football tonight

October 5, 2015 6:41 am

| 2 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

(Three WS-relevant views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
6:41 AM: Good morning! So far this morning, no incidents in West Seattle or on the major outbound routes from here. Big story later will be Monday Night Football, with the Seahawks hosting Detroit, 5:30 pm kickoff at CenturyLink Field. The West Seattle Water Taxi will have extended evening service, with the last run from downtown set to leave at 10:30 pm.

10:32 AM – WEEKEND PREVIEW ADDED: Quiet morning so far. But alerts for the week ahead will likely be emerging – like this one from WSDOT, of note if you use I-90:

Westbound traffic between Bellevue Way and Rainier Avenue South will be reduced to one lane and detoured to the I-90 express lanes from 11 p.m. Friday, Oct. 9, to 5 a.m. Monday, Oct. 12. Drivers heading to Mercer Island must exit westbound I-90 at East Mercer Way. There are no westbound exits to Mercer Island from the express lanes.

Since it’s westbound, it won’t cause an I-5 backup like the earlier eastbound work did, but still something you’ll want to know about if you’re crossing the lake over the weekend.

Share This