West Seattle, Washington

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day : 04/11/2015 13 results

West Seattle Crime Watch: Search for possible Puget Ridge burglar
November 4, 2015 11:55 pm
|    Comments Off on West Seattle Crime Watch: Search for possible Puget Ridge burglar
 |   Crime | Helicopter | Puget Ridge | West Seattle news

11:55 PM: Police are searching in and around the 5400 block of 17th SW after a report of a possible in-progress burglary. We’re hearing that the Guardian One helicopter is either in the area or on the way – so if you hear a helicopter, this is what it’s about.

12:24 AM: No word of how this resolved; we’ll check later this morning.

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UPDATE: Wall fire at house in Arbor Heights; no one hurt
November 4, 2015 10:29 pm
|    Comments Off on UPDATE: Wall fire at house in Arbor Heights; no one hurt
 |   Arbor Heights | West Seattle fires | West Seattle news

10:29 PM: A sizable Seattle Fire response is headed for a house fire reported in the 11200 block of 35th SW [map]. It’s believed to have originated in a gas fireplace. More to come.

10:35 PM: Per scanner, “fireplace started a wall fire.” Everyone is reported to be out safely.

10:55 PM: Our crew is on scene. Some smoke visible, and firefighters working on the wall.

Some of the responding units are being dismissed. We’ve confirmed that no one is hurt.

11:00 PM: The fire has just been declared “tapped.”

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West Seattle Crime Watch: More stolen-and-found reader reports, plus hit-run search
November 4, 2015 10:27 pm
|      3 COMMENTS
 |   Crime | West Seattle news

West Seattle Crime Watch reader reports center on car prowls again tonight – thanks in advance to everyone helping reunite theft victims with their stolen stuff:

BINDERS STOLEN: From Stephen:

This morning my car was prowled on on the 8000 block of 17th Ave SW. A couple of binders were stolen that are very valuable to me (they are records of my training at Vashon Island Fire and Rescue), but were probably of no value to the thieves. I suspect that the binders ended up in someone’s yard, on the street or in the trash. They are two white binders, one filled with laminated maps of Vashon Island, the other full of training documents. Again, this happened near the corner of 17th Ave SW and SW Trenton Ave. Any help is much appreciated!

Yes, stolen items DO get found. WSB readers have proven that time and again. Most recent case:

FOLLOWUP: On Monday, we published Robert‘s report of a car prowl. He found some of his belongings. Then another key item turned up, found by GRG, who posted a comment after a theft at his residence led to the discovery of others’ stolen property. Robert now has that suitcase back – empty, though, so his teaching materials are out there somewhere, still. He also recovered an umbrella he hadn’t realized was missing.

Not far from where that all unfolded …

MORE FOUND ITEMS: John writes:

One of my neighbors found some things (including glasses) on Monday that had been tossed in her yard; another neighbor helped her out and is holding on to the items for safekeeping; spoke with him today and took the attached photo found in the vicinity of 37th Avenue SW and Thistle:

Also, I just recently got back from walking a dog and during the walk found something thrown onto an area beside sidewalk; seen (and left) on Monroe about halfway between 37th Avenue SW and 38th Avenue SW. Not exactly sure what it is; perhaps some sort of netting attached to something and inside a cover of some sort. Here is a photo:

Please comment if anything shown above looks familiar. Two more car-break-in reports:

ALKI BREAK-IN: From Desiree:

Just a note to let you know that someone smashed the sunroof of our Volvo that was parked out on the street last night. We never leave anything at all in the car for this very reason – so it may have been vandalism versus a break in. We live close to 61st and Alki.

MORGAN CAR BREAK-IN: An anonymous reader report: “Just wanted to make the community aware that our car was prowled sometime between Halloween night and (Monday evening). Glove compartment and center console were rifled through, and electronics and cords taken. There appeared to be no forced entry. Neighbors on our block had similar incidents take place last week. Again, no forced entry. I’ve filed an electronic police report. We live on Willow between California and Fauntleroy.”

And finally, a hit-run victim looking for witnesses:

HIT-RUN DRIVER DAMAGES PARKED CAR: From Aiden, who says this happened at 49th and Waite:

My parked car was hit last night, a hit and run. No injuries. Our neighbor heard someone hit the car at 10:41 last night. He said they heard one of those really loud cars with the loud mufflers drive down the street rev their engine hit something then speed off. From a piece of this car left behind, the car that hit and run was a Dodge.

If you have any information, you can report to police and cite the incident number 15-385904

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FOLLOWUP: School Board delays ‘bell time’ and Student Assignment Plan votes, approves boundary changes, purchase of ex-Westside portables, play equipment
November 4, 2015 9:01 pm
|      11 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

Following up on the School Board agenda items for tonight that were previewed here this morning:

BELL TIMES: The vote’s been postponed until November 18th, because the state Environmental Policy Act requires a 7-day waiting period between the release of the environmental-impact statement – posted on the district website Tuesday – and any final vote. The board still got an earful from parents upset about the Tier 3 times which will have some schools starting after 9:30 am.

STUDENT ASSIGNMENT PLAN: This too has been delayed, no date announced. As one furious parent pointed out in the public-comment period, what had been described earlier this fall as “minor revisions” turned into a giant stack of changes when the agenda was published last Friday – changes that parent declared would “gut” the current assignment plan in myriad ways. She called for more notice and feedback opportunities. The proposed changes will be discussed at an upcoming board committee meeting.

BOUNDARY CHANGES: Changes including the move of some West Seattle Elementary territory to Roxhill Elementary‘s zone next year, instead of Arbor Heights, were approved. Following up on concerns expressed during a hastily added meeting at EC Hughes on October 19th – following the revelation that Roxhill is expected to move to Hughes in 2018 – West Seattle board rep Marty McLaren said she had talked to WSE and Roxhill principals today and both “are comfortable” with the move. Also brought up: What about Roxhill community members’ request to have their school renovated so they could move back eventually? The district indicated that’s not likely to happen – that Roxhill would really only merit demolition and rebuilding, though it was stressed that’s not currently planned, and would cost up to $25 million. Its future after the Hughes move isn’t clear, but the district says it would hold onto the site regardless, as it expects to eventually need all its properties as enrollment grows.

BUYING PORTABLES, PLAY AREA AT HUGHES FOR $525K: As of this writing (9:01 pm), the board is in a break and hasn’t gotten there yet. We’re continuing to monitor the meeting live via cable video and will update when they do. (9:18 pm update – Passed unanimously without discussion.)

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TRAFFIC ALERT FOR TONIGHT: More emergency I-5 repairs
November 4, 2015 7:19 pm
|      1 COMMENT
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

More expansion-joint trouble on southbound I-5 just north of the West Seattle Bridge, so WSDOT has just issued this alert:

If you’ll be heading this way from points north during those hours, you’ll probably want to use another route, such as SB 99.

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ELECTION 2015: District 1 City Council race a bit closer after 2 more vote counts
November 4, 2015 4:43 pm
|      27 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle politics

ORIGINAL REPORT, 4:43 PM: King County Elections‘ second vote count is out, and it’s not the last one of the day – the KCE website says they’re also planning an update at 7 pm. The City Council District 1 race has tightened a bit since last night, with Shannon Braddock still ahead of Lisa Herbold:

Braddock – 7,416 – 52.43%
Herbold – 6,656 – 47.06%

The full list of results is here.

7 PM UPDATE: Tonight’s second and final update is in. The percentage gap has tightened yet again:

Braddock – 7581 – 52.25%
Herbold – 6,852 – 47.23%

Next vote count will be out Thursday afternoon.

THURSDAY 4:53 PM NOTE: KC Elections just announced it’s NOT going to have an afternoon update today – just 7 pm. (ish)

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Dance! West Seattle: Welcoming a new WSB sponsor
November 4, 2015 3:42 pm
|      2 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | WS culture/arts

Our newest WSB sponsor has been providing quality dance enrichment for West Seattleites of all ages since 1983!

For more than 30 years, West Seattle has been home to one of the region’s best schools for dance instruction and art enrichment. Dance! West Seattle (formerly Seattle Civic Dance Theatre) has exposed hundreds of children and their families to the joy of dance through classes, pre-professional company experience and community performance. With classical ballet at its core, Dance! West Seattle has expanded its class offerings over the years to include *Tap, *Jazz, *Hip Hop, and *Contemporary.

“We’re one of West Seattle’s best-kept secrets,” says Artistic Director Kim Dinsmoor.

This might be because of our off-the-beaten-path location! Dance! West Seattle is located in the lower level of Fauntleroy Schoolhouse (9131 California Ave SW), with the main entrance facing SW Director. Walk by any weekday evening or Saturday morning to hear music drifting out of the tall studio windows. Then, stop in and say hello! We are happy to offer a FREE CLASS to any student (ages 3-Adult) new to our studio.

Unlike other schools, Dance! West Seattle doesn’t focus on competition. Professional instructors lead students in a supportive and creative environment so they develop strong minds, bodies and spirits and a love for artistic expression through movement! We look forward to serving the West Seattle community for another 30 years.

ENROLLING NOW! Find us online @ dancewestseattle.com and facebook.com/dancewestseattle | info@dancewestseattle.com | 206-938-3063

We thank Dance! West Seattle 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.

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Renovation ahead for Lincoln Park’s north play area: What do you want to see there?
November 4, 2015 3:08 pm
|      3 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle parks

Seattle Parks is getting ready to fix up the north play area at Lincoln Park, and has two requests:

#1 – Answer this survey

#2 – Come to the open house on November 19th (two weeks from tomorrow), 5:30 pm-6:30 pm at Southwest Teen Life Center (2801 SW Thistle), to see design options and offer your ideas

Parks explains:

This project will replace play equipment, provide access improvements, and improve other features at the park. The scope of these projects provides improvements to bring the play area into compliance with current play area safety standards and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) access.

The estimated $600,000 cost of the project is coming from the Seattle Park District levy, and the work is expected to be done next year.

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Three ships from Shell’s Arctic fleet now in at Terminal 5
November 4, 2015 1:23 pm
|      4 COMMENTS
 |   Port of Seattle | West Seattle news

As photographed from Jack Block Park, that’s the Aiviq, one of three ships from Shell‘s Arctic-drilling fleet now docked at West Seattle’s Terminal 5. (Thanks to Ted for the three-ship tip.) Out of view to the right is the canary-yellow-hulled Tor Viking, and to the left is Harvey Explorer:

So what are they doing here, you ask, considering Shell shelved its drilling plans, and sent the largest member of the fleet, the platform Polar Pioneer, to Port Angeles? there are still some loose ends to tie up, as T-5 tenant Foss Maritime‘s spokesperson Paul Queary had mentioned back in September. And that’s what’s happening now, Queary tells WSB today: “Foss has a lease with the Port of Seattle through January 2017, with options to renew. We are actively pursuing business for the terminal. For now, we continue to serve our current customer as they wind down their project.”

SIDE NOTE: Looking further into Terminal 5’s future, you’ll recall that the port has launched the Environmental Impact Statement process for its “modernization” project – while you can get information and comment via the “online open house” that continues until Nov. 23, also remember that the in-person “scoping meeting” is now eight days away, at The Hall at Fauntleroy (9131 California SW) on Thursday, November 12th, 5:30-8:30 pm. (A rep of the neighborhood group that campaigned for the environmental review is also on tonight’s Southwest District Council agenda, as mentioned in our daily preview.)

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West Seattle Hi-Yu introduces first-ever Teen Ambassadors
November 4, 2015 11:11 am
|      1 COMMENT
 |   West Seattle Hi-Yu Festival | West Seattle news

Thanks to Joanne Murray from West Seattle Hi-Yu for sharing the photo of the organization’s first-ever Teen Ambassadors, a new way for prospective young leaders ages 13-16 – between Junior Court and Senior Court age – to represent Hi-Yu in the community. From left, Louis Quantrille, Alyssa White, Callie McFadden, and Lily Trinneer were installed at this past Monday’s Hi-Yu meeting. As Joanne explains, “Their duties will be to accompany the West Seattle Hi-Yu float and carry the banners or flags in all of the parades that the West Seattle Hi-Yu float will appear in throughout the year in Western Washington.” West Seattle is the city’s last neighborhood with a community float. If you’re new around here and not sure what Hi-Yu is or does, Joanne explains that too:

West Seattle Hi-Yu is an all-volunteer nonprofit organization celebrating its 82nd year, with community festival activities throughout the year. Volunteers are welcome to join in the fun, help design and build the traveling float, and assist in fundraising activities. More information is available on the website: westseattlehiyu.com or contact Hi-Yu at info@westseattlehiyu.com.

Business and corporate as well as service-club memberships help to fund the scholarships and operating costs to keep West Seattle Hi-Yu going. Individual memberships are just $20 per year. Meetings are held on the first Monday of each month at 7:00 pm at Admiral Congregational Church, 4320 SW Hill St.

Callie, by the way, has held a high-profile Hi-Yu role before – she was a member of the 2014 Junior Court. Speaking of which – girls and boys 8-12 interested in applying to be on the 2016 Hi-Yu Junior Court should do it now; the application deadline is just a few weeks away – go here to find out more.

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Four possibilities for the rest of your West Seattle Wednesday
November 4, 2015 10:46 am
|      11 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

(Photo by Mark Dale)

From the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:

COWORKING/HOME WORKING/SOLOPRENEUR/ETC. MEETUP: Bring your lunch and take an inspirational break from the solo grind at this weekly West Seattle Office Junction (WSB sponsor) meetup, starting at noon. (6040 California SW)

SCHOOL BOARD: 4:15 pm meeting, 5 pm public comment, 6 pm votes, items of interest previewed here earlier this morning. The meeting is at Seattle Public Schools‘ SODO headquarters. (3rd & Lander)

SOUTHWEST DISTRICT COUNCIL: Reps from western West Seattle’s community councils and other major organizations meet at 6:30 pm at the Sisson Building (home of the Senior Center of West Seattle). Agenda includes the Terminal 5 Environmental Impact Statement process, Emergency Communication Hubs, and SWDC officer elections. (SW Oregon and California SW)

LIVE MUSIC: 7 pm, C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor) is where you’ll find Jim Page. (5612 California SW)

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TONIGHT: Bell times, boundaries, Hughes portable purchase and more on School Board agenda
November 4, 2015 9:18 am
|      14 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

Though the election results will soon change the Seattle Public Schools Board of Directors to a new-member-majority board, the current board has some big decisions to make tonight, including two issues that have been hot topics here – bell times (schedules) and boundaries – plus a few others of special interest. Here’s the agenda, and here’s where things stand:

BELL TIMES: These district-wide changes were born from advocacy for starting middle and high schools later, after years of research showing tweens and teens do much better if they’re not in school so early. The final schedule proposals, school by school, were in our coverage here. Then, as we reported after the subsequent board meeting, concerns over “Tier 3” schools starting at 9:40 am – in West Seattle, those would be Louisa Boren K-8 STEM and Lafayette Elementary – led to a question of whether that time could at least be moved back. In the final version of the plan, scheduled for a vote after 6 pm at tonight’s meeting, two things have changed:

*Tier 3 is scheduled to shift back five minutes from the final proposal, to 9:35 am starts

*The superintendent is authorized to look at whether Tier 3 schools that don’t want to be so late might be able to move into Tier 2 later this school year, voluntarily

BOUNDARY CHANGES: After a series of meetings looking at other changes to the boundaries the board approved in 2013 to take effect next school year, you’ll recall, the district revealed that it’s expecting to move the Roxhill Elementary program to now-empty EC Hughes after remodeling and expansion – likely in 2018 – so an area that was supposed to move from West Seattle Elementary to Arbor Heights next year is instead now planned to be moved into the Roxhill zone next year. The district belatedly added an October 19th meeting to explain this; concerns voiced there included potential effects of WSE losing more students (another section of its area already was scheduled to be moved as of next year). Details and maps for tonight’s scheduled vote are here.

SPEAKING OF HUGHES – PORTABLE PURCHASE: Also on tonight’s agenda, the district is proposing to pay the Hughes building’s former tenant, Westside School (WSB sponsor), $525,000 for improvements it made to the site – primarily the four portables that contain nine classrooms, which the district says must be kept so that Hughes could hold up to 550 students when reopened, but also other items including playground equipment. The agenda document says Westside invested $1.1 million in the improvements but with depreciation they’re worth less than half that.

WHAT’S NOT LIKELY TO HAPPEN TONIGHT: When the mentioned-earlier boundary changes were discussed at the EC Hughes building two weeks ago (WSB coverage here), the district rep also mentioned a big proposed change in the works regarding the district’s Student Assignment Plan – no more post-summer waitlists for students whose families hoped to get them into something other than their neighborhood school. That, and a change in tiebreakers, hadn’t gotten much daylight. The updated agenda says Superintendent Dr. Larry Nyland is asking to delay the vote on that and other changes – detailed here – two weeks, to the November 18th meeting.

The board meeting at SPS HQ in SODO (3rd and Lander) starts at 4:15 pm; public comment starts at 5 pm (the speaker list and waitlist are already finalized, per district policy); action items start at 6 pm.

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TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: Wednesday updates & alerts
November 4, 2015 7:20 am
|      4 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

(Six WS-relevant views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
7:20 AM: No outbound incidents but if you are headed southbound toward West Seattle – don’t take I-5 – WSDOT is doing emergency joint repairs right by the WS Bridge, and that’s led to a mega-backup. WSDOT tells us the work is north of the eastbound bridge exit to southbound I-5, so it should NOT affect people exiting from the eastbound bridge.

8:57 AM: The repairs are complete, according to WSDOT. But it’ll take some time for the double-digit-mile backup to clear out, so travel in this direction from downtown northward is still a better bet on alternate routes.

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