day : 17/02/2016 10 results

We’re at the Delridge Neighborhoods District Council and there’s been one bit of news to share separately from our forthcoming full-meeting wrapup: The upcoming “safe lot” for vehicle campers in Highland Park is NOT opening this Friday, said Michael Taylor-Judd of the North Delridge Neighborhood Council, who had mentioned that likely opening date at his group’s meeting last week. He and city neighborhood-district coordinator Kerry Wade both said the opening date is “at least two weeks away,” and said that’s all they can say about it.

We’ve been monitoring the site and had noted again today (photo above) that no work has been done yet – no sign of the facilities (dumpsters, portable toilets, etc.) that were supposed to be in place before the projected 12 vehicles show up. The lot is one of two (along with a site in Ballard) to be operated by the Low-Income Housing Institute, with Compass Housing Alliance expected to offer services to help those using it get housing and more. When Mayor Murray announced the “safe lots,” they were “expected to” be up and running within a month; this Friday marks exactly a month since his announcement.

West Seattle Crime Watch: 3 reader reports; plus, SPD’s new privacy boss booked for WSBWCN

February 17, 2016 6:42 pm

| 5 COMMENTS

| Crime | West Seattle news

As noted in our coverage of last night’s West Seattle Crime Prevention Council meeting, car prowls remain one of our area’s most common crimes. If it happens to you, be sure to report it – then please let us know too. From the inbox today:

CAR PROWL: Jan reports from Upper Alki: “Yesterday morning near 57th and Admiral, our son’s car window was smashed in and two backpacks taken. The smaller backpack was returned to us later in the day by a neighbor who noticed it sitting in the back of her garage. The larger hiking backpack is still missing.” She says it’s Gregory brand, red and gray.

BROKEN WINDOW: Don’t know if this was a car prowl or pure vandalism, but Seth spotted it early today: “Came out of my home at 5:30am and saw a black SUV with its rear passenger window smashed. Across from the 7-11 on Avalon.”

STOLEN MAIL, TOSSED: Via e-mail: “Mail theft has been a problem on 17th Ave SW and 18th Ave SW for a couple weeks. I found fistfuls of mail on the ground between Kenyon and Henderson. This morning it was on 17th & Kenyon.”

One more note:

NEXT CRIME/SAFETY MEETING … is the West Seattle Block Watch Captains Network, 6:30 pm next Tuesday (February 23rd) at the Southwest Precinct. WSBWCN’s Karen Berge just sent news their guest is confirmed: the new Seattle Police director of transparency and privacy, Mary Perry.

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MISSING: Have you seen Richard Arneson?

February 17, 2016 4:15 pm

| 6 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | West Seattle police

ORIGINAL WEDNESDAY REPORT: Just in via SPD Blotter:

SPD detectives are asking for the public’s help locating a missing man who sent his friend a cryptic text before disappearing earlier this month.

Richard Arneson’s friends and family became concerned about his well-being after he failed to show up for work on February 5th. A friend went to check on the 62-year-old at his West Seattle apartment and found the back door open. Officers checked inside Arneson’s home and didn’t find any sign of him, or any indications of foul play. Later in the day, the friend contacted police again after she received a text message from Arneson, which read “my luck has run out.”

Police have not yet been able to locate Arneson, who has been known to frequent walking trails in West Seattle and Rainier Valley. If you have seen him or have any other information in this case, please call Detectives Elizabeth Litalien at (206) 684-5007.

ADDED THURSDAY AFTERNOON: The missing man’s sister sent two clearer photos. We have substituted the headshot for the one police originally posted above. Here’s the other:

Again, if you have any information, call the detective mentioned above, or 911.

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FOLLOWUP: The Whisky West coming to Morgan Junction

February 17, 2016 3:47 pm

| 85 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | WS beverages

(WSB photo, February 4th)

When the owners of 6451 California SW, most recently the Feedback Lounge, tore away its facade for remodeling, they told us they didn’t have a confirmed tenant yet.

Now, two weeks later, they do.

The prospective tenants we met while checking out the renovations earlier this month were a West Seattle couple, Colin and Donna Pickering, well-known for The Whisky Bar downtown (2122 2nd Avenue).

And our check of the online liquor-license application files today revealed they’ve leased the space, to become their second location.

We just talked with Donna Pickering, who confirms the name will be The Whisky West, and that the space will be as similar to their downtown space as possible.

They’ve operated the downtown bar – on its second location – for 15 years, and owned a home in Gatewood for more than a decade. So for everyone who wanted to see a local operation take over this space, this is it.

She tells us they’re still working out a lot of details – “We’ve just had (the space) for a week!” – even the decision about whether to be 21 and over or to allow under-21s in for part of the day, perhaps just in the afternoon. Whatever the age limits turn out to be, she says they expect to be open from lunch until 2 am, at least for starters.

Their specialties will remain whisky and craft cocktails – and “good bar food,” probably with a menu somewhat expanded beyond what they offer in their first location; she mentioned sliders and fish and chips, among other things. They’re likely to have at least 20 beers on tap; their current location also offers 60 bottled beers.

While they won’t have regular music, they do plan to have some local bands.

But there’s still a lot of work to do – “it’s going to be beautiful,” Donna promises – so they’re not expecting to be open before June, she says; if you want a taste of what it’ll be like, visit The Whisky Bar downtown, until The Whisky West opens its doors.

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CONGRATULATIONS! Sealth wrestlers to state

February 17, 2016 3:01 pm

| Comments Off on CONGRATULATIONS! Sealth wrestlers to state

| West Seattle news | WS & Sports

(Photo by Daven Camacho)

We’ve been featuring local athletes who are headed to state competition, and here are five more! Thanks to Lynn Ogdon-Perrine for sharing news of the Chief Sealth International High School wrestlers set for state matches this Friday and Saturday. Above, Regional and Metro champions from Sealth, from left: Daron Camacho at 195 weight class, Hameed Maktoof at 152 weight class, and Joe Kereti at 220 weight class. Next photo features Antonio Chiles (left), who placed 3rd at Regionals and is headed to state at 182 weight class:

(Photo by David Perrine)

Lynn says Gonzalo Cruise also placed 3rd at Regionals and heads to state at 120 weight class. The state tournament is this Friday and Saturday at the Tacoma Dome. Good luck to all!

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LAST CALL! All aboard West Seattle Transportation Coalition’s light-rail survey

February 17, 2016 2:03 pm

| 16 COMMENTS

| Transportation | West Seattle news

Sound Transit light rail for West Seattle has momentum – even a mention from the mayor in his State of the City speech. But first, Sound Transit has to make big decisions for its ST3 ballot measure, including what route to pursue to get to this side of the bay, and beyond.

The West Seattle Transportation Coalition wants to make a recommendation with wide local support, so in addition to its “call to action” meeting last month, it launched a survey last week – and is circulating one last call for you to get in on it, if you haven’t already. As WSTC co-founder Joe Szilagyi puts it, “Sound Transit’s Board is making a decision in the next few months on what sort of train solution West Seattle is getting — so we need YOUR feedback to tell us where you stand, with this 5-10 minute survey!”

The survey closes Friday; answer the questions here as soon as you can.

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@ West Seattle Crime Prevention Council: SPD’s hot spots; emergency-alert system update

February 17, 2016 12:11 pm

| 3 COMMENTS

| Southwest Precinct Crime Prevention Council | West Seattle news

By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

Crime trends and an update on the Alert Seattle system were the focus points of last night’s West Seattle Crime Prevention Council meeting:

The dozen-ish people who showed up were from neighborhoods north to south, Admiral to Puget Ridge to Morgan Junction.

Southwest Precinct commander Capt. Pierre Davis told participants that more than a dozen neighborhoods in West Seattle have “micro-policing plans,” and they’re developing “targeted responses” to the issues.

In general, around West Seattle, auto thefts, robberies, and car prowls are the high-focus issues right now, he said.

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Here’s what’s up for your West Seattle Wednesday

February 17, 2016 10:24 am

| 1 COMMENT

| West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

(Harbor seal, photographed by Don Brubeck)

Busy day/night in West Seattle! Here’s just some of what you’ll find on our calendar:

FOOD TRUCK: 11 am-1 pm, the latke-press-sandwich truck Napkin Friends will be at C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor), out back on the alley. (5612 California SW)

FREE COWORKING MEETUP: Telecommuter? Entrepreneur? Coworker? Coworking-curious? Noon-1:15 pm, bring your lunch to West Seattle Office Junction (WSB sponsor) for this free meetup to “share and talk about business ideas, projects, get feedback, build community and make new friends and business partners.” (6040 California SW)

FRY BREAD COOKING CLASS: 6 pm, Duwamish Tribe Longhouse, details here – check ASAP to see if there’s still room! (4705 W. Marginal Way SW)

PLAYTIME: Starting at 5:30 pm, Wednesday nights at Meeples Games (WSB sponsor) include D&D, RPG, Star Wars … see the individual times and groups on the right side of the Meeples home page. (3727 California SW)

IRISH SET DANCING: Introduction at 6:30 pm, dancing 7-9 pm, no partner required, $5 donation. More info in our calendar listing! At Kenyon Hall. (7904 35th SW)

TRANSPORTATION, PLANNING @ DELRIDGE DISTRICT COUNCIL: 7 pm at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center, the Delridge District Council has guests tonight from the city, with topics including:

Move Seattle Levy, What’s Next for Delridge?
· Update on the Delridge Multimodal Corridor Project
· Delridge Vision Zero and Safety
· Bataan Park/Graham Street Stairwell

Delridge Action Plan & ACT Update
· Update on the Action Plan & upcoming community meeting
· Focus of the Delridge ACT (Advisory Core Team)
· OED Conversations around business health and the Delridge Grocery Co-Op

All welcome. (4408 Delridge Way SW)

WORDS OF LOVE, AT WORDSWEST: 7 pm. Tonight’s featured writers are Kathleen Flenniken and Stephanie Kallos, for the 14th installment of the WordsWest Literary Series at C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor) – “Love Lost and Found and Lost Again.” Details in our calendar listing. (5612 California SW)

34TH DISTRICT REPUBLICANS: Looking ahead to this Saturday’s GOP caucuses, the 34th GOP‘s monthly meeting is at 7 pm, American Legion Post 160. (3618 SW Alaska)

NIGHTLIFE: Trivia, open mic, karaoke – see the listings on our complete calendar.

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Free ‘Warrior Woman’ self-defense seminar Saturday

February 17, 2016 9:10 am

| 1 COMMENT

| Safety | West Seattle news

(WSB photo from July 2015: SBG’s Sonia Sillan showing ‘Warrior Woman’ participants how to subdue an attacker)

This Saturday morning (February 20th), 10 am-noon, Straight Blast Gym (WSB sponsor) is offering its “Warrior Woman” self-defense seminar for girls and women ages 10 and up. If you’re interested, sign up ASAP – here’s how. It’s free, but they’re collecting items to support women’s shelter New Beginnings.

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TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: Wednesday watch

February 17, 2016 7:02 am

| Comments Off on TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: Wednesday watch

| West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

(Click any view for a close-up; more cameras on the WSB Traffic page)

7:02 AM: So far this morning, no major incidents on the routes through/from West Seattle.

One major reminder: Seattle Public Schools are back in session today.

9:27 AM: One note looking ahead to tonight – SDOT reps are among the guests at tonight’s Delridge Neighborhoods District Council meeting, 7 pm at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center (4408 Delridge Way SW), to look at the Delridge Multimodal Corridor Project and more, including the Bataan Park/Graham Street Stairwell in High Point. All welcome.

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