West Seattle, Washington

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month : 04/2016 306 results

What’s ahead for your West Seattle Monday
April 18, 2016 9:42 am
|    Comments Off on What’s ahead for your West Seattle Monday
 |   West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

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(Local photographer Patrick McCaffrey sent us this – taken from the Kingston ferry, but you have to love the Mount Rainier view)

Good morning! Calendar highlights for this almost-summery Monday:

TEENY TUNES: New music classes for infants/parents and toddlers/parents start this morning, 10:30 and 11:30 respectively, at Delridge Community Center – see our calendar page for both listings. (4501 Delridge Way SW)

AFTERNOON BOOK GROUP: 2 pm at Southwest Library, all welcome. “A Visit from the Goon Squad” by Jennifer Egan is this month’s book. (35th SW/SW Henderson)

HIGHLAND PARK PLAYGROUND & HP ELEMENTARY PTA: 2 meetings in one at the school tonight, of interest to the entire HP community: “Not only is this the first day back to school after Spring Break, but it is also the monthly PTA Meeting. Come out to hear about upcoming events, including the city’s plans for Highland Park Playfield, HPE’s annual Earth Day Clean up, updates on the HPE playground project, and more! City Park presentation at 5:30 followed by PTA meeting at 6:00. Snacks will be provided. Both Spanish and Vietnamese interpreters will be available. All are welcome!” (1012 SW Trenton)

TINKERLAB: 6 pm drop-in science/tech/engineering/math (STEM) fun for all ages at Delridge Library – details in our listing. (5423 Delridge Way SW)

DENNY PTSA: 7 pm tonight in the Denny International Middle School library, all are welcome at the PTSA meeting, with topics including looking ahead to summer learning opportunities, and volunteering for the school’s first-ever walk-a-thon. (2601 SW Kenyon)

SPRING COCKTAIL CLASS: 7 pm tonight at Salty’s on Alki (WSB sponsor) – call ASAP to see if there’s a spot! (1936 Harbor SW)

PUB QUIZ: Play tonight at Shadowland in The Junction, 8 pm. (California SW/SW Oregon)

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TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: Post-spring-break Monday; 11 days to Viaduct closure
April 18, 2016 6:03 am
|      11 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

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

6:03 AM: Welcome to what’s expected to be a sunny, very warm Monday. Spring break’s over and everybody’s back in school, so be watchful for everything from beacons to bicycles to buses.

Two big reminders of what’s ahead:

11 DAYS TO VIADUCT CLOSURE – ANY QUESTIONS? In case you missed it, last Friday brought the two-week warning of the tunneling-related Alaskan Way Viaduct closure. Before the morning commute on Friday, April 29th, Highway 99 will be shut down from the Battery Street Tunnel to the West Seattle Bridge so that the tunneling machine can go beneath The Viaduct; that’s expected to take about two weeks if all goes well. As we’ve been reporting for months, local transit/transportation agencies have made all kinds of plans to try to help you get through it. Do you have any questions? We’re going to a media briefing/Q&A event later this morning with WSDOT, SDOT, Metro, and Water Taxi reps and would be happy to take yours along.

9 DAYS TO BRIDGE CLOSURES AND MORE: Also announced Friday, specific dates and times for bridge and lane closures related to the Fauntleroy Expressway bearing-pad re-replacement project. The west end of the bridge will be closed overnight many nights starting April 27th. Some lane closures are planned for Spokane St. *under the high bridge*, too. Here are all the details.

6:46 AM: Alert from Metro:

Metro Transit Alert – Route 50 is currently rerouted off of S Lander St between 1st Av S and SODO Busway, due to a blockage.

6:57 AM: And now Metro says it’s back to normal.

8:46 AM: Two more reminders:

30TH/YANCY CLOSED ON THE WEST SIDE OF AVALON … as the pedestrian-safety project at that multi-point intersection continues; the work switched from east to west last Thursday.

OVERNIGHT 99 CLOSURE NORTH OF DOWNTOWN: Tonight through Thursday night, the nightly Highway 99 closure north of downtown, 10 pm to 5 am, will be for all lanes of SB 99 between the Aurora Bridge and Thomas Street – full details here.

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Before the big flush: What you might not know about where your water’s from, and not from
April 17, 2016 9:12 pm
|      22 COMMENTS
 |   Utilities | West Seattle news

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By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

That big tank on SW Barton, about halfway between Westwood Village and the Fauntleroy Ferry Dock – officially known as the Barton Standpipe – is empty and decommissioned.

We didn’t know that until our recent visit to Seattle Public Utilities‘ Operations Control Center in SODO:

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At the heart of that visit was a preview of the big flushing operation that SPU is about to start in West Seattle in hopes of lessening the recurring brown-water problems we’ve been covering since last fall. (Even today, we’ve received scattered reports of discoloration – no word on the cause this time.) We published our first flush preview on March 31st, and then followed up on April 8th with the first look at what was being mailed out to local homes.

Now, months of targeted flushing is about to begin in the area shown on this map:

W Seattle Flush Map Apr 8_FINAL

SPU was planning to start with test flushes late tonight at California/Spokane and 49th/Spokane (11:34 pm update: they’re under way, as shown in our quick added video clip).

They’ll be working out the process for a night or two. So we’re taking the opportunity to report the rest of the story behind how SPU gets water to you.

Read More

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West Seattle Crime Watch: Where car thieves are hitting
April 17, 2016 6:24 pm
|      27 COMMENTS
 |   Crime | West Seattle news

Another auto-theft reader report tonight – this one is from Andrea in Gatewood:

2007 Black Audi A3 2.0T 4 door hatchback with tan interior stolen from 3500 block Rose St and 35th Ave sometime after 11 pm (last night). WA AJU7551. Faded West Seattle Soccer sticker on back window. Car was in front of our house; neighbors heard nothing.

This theft is one of the 10 currently in view on the Seattle Police crime-report map in default view (our screengrab below is for the view that was sorted only to show this category of crime) for reports filed over the past week:

We don’t know what types of vehicles for the five incidents on which we have not received reader reports, since the map only shows the location and date/time reported, but the locations are, north to south:

*Thursday afternoon, 3200 block Alki SW
*Friday evening, 5700 block SW Winthrop
*Saturday 4/9 (reported Sunday 4/10), 3700 block California SW
*Wednesday morning, 4500 block 45th SW (white Ford van; reader report here)
*Sunday night 4/10, 5900 block 36th SW (black VW Passat; reader report here)
*Thursday night, 5900 block Beach Drive SW (gray Mercedes; reader report here)
*Wednesday afternoon, 6300 block 39th SW
*Thursday night, 3900 block SW Elmgrove (reader report here – found quickly)
*Saturday night, 3500 block SW Rose (the one reported at the start of this story)
*Wednesday afternoon, 8400 block Delridge

P.S. Reminder that the West Seattle Crime Prevention Council‘s next meeting, featuring your chance to bring up neighborhood concerns/problems with local police, is Tuesday (April 19th), 7 pm, at the Southwest Precinct (Delridge/Webster). After that part of the meeting, the spotlight topic this month will be parking enforcement.

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As spring break ends, 3 updates from Denny International Middle School
April 17, 2016 4:04 pm
|      2 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

Seattle Public Schools reopen tomorrow after spring break. Today, we have three updates from Denny International Middle School, shared by principal Jeff Clark:
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SPRING BREAK ACADEMY: A Denny tradition happened again this year:

At Denny International Middle School, 113 of our scholars volunteered to come to school over break, Monday through Thursday, for additional math, literacy, and science learning time with our great staff! We are super proud of the scholars who attended — great job! After four days of learning, we all enjoyed some time at the Family Fun Center!
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A special thank you to our Spring Break Camp team: Mr. King, Mr. Rodriguez, Mr. Watts, Mr. Lai, Mr. Moor, Mr. Wecker, both Mr. Nelsons, Ms. Ostroff, Mr. D. Evans, Ms. Hoang, Ms. Escobar, Ms. Nestor, Ms. Moland, Mr. Mosser and all of City Year, and our outreach team led by Ms. Amaral! Go Dolphins!

The week before break was big at Denny, too:

‘WE ALL BELONG’ ANTI-BULLYING WEEK: Special activities were held throughout the week, highlighted by a team-building day on Thursday (April 7th) and an assembly on Friday (April 8th) to celebrate our work at ending all bullying and raising awareness in support of LGBTQ youth.
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Thank you to Ms. Thomas, our planning team, City Year, Mr. King, 6th and 7th grade science teachers and 8th grade social studies teachers, and our partners from Camp Long for teaming up to bring a cross-grade team-building day to Denny on Thursday. Our scholars enjoyed the activities focused on cooperation and support of one another!
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I would also like to recognize and thank those involved in our assembly on Friday. A big thank you to Ms. Thomas’ girls group and others for sharing insightful information and inspiration to fully eliminate all bullying and to our Gay Straight Alliance and their advisors, Ms. Kugisaki and Mr. Chase, for helping us to shatter stereotypes and ending the Day of Silence, a national event that brings attention to the anti-LGBT bullying, harassment, and silencing that persists across our country. The information shared, singing, poetry, and dancing at the assembly were all inspirational! At Denny International, We All Belong!

And a final note – congratulations to the Denny teams the Novel T’s (6th grade) and the Second-Round Slayers (7th grade) for winning the middle-school Global Reading Challenge!

P.S. We note from our calendar (and the school website) that Denny’s PTSA has its next meeting tomorrow night – 7 pm – join in and help the organization support the school and its students and staff.

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Seen off West Seattle shores: Superyacht Albatross
April 17, 2016 1:28 pm
|      14 COMMENTS
 |   Seen at sea | West Seattle news

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ORIGINAL REPORT, 1:28 PM: Thanks to the tipster who let us know that the 236-foot superyacht Albatross is sailing north on the Duwamish River right now, after leaving Delta Marine. We don’t know if it’s heading all the way into Elliott Bay, nor whether this is a shakedown cruise or journeying toward delivery to its owner, but if you’re among the many WSB readers who like to know about unusual boat sightings off our shores, here’s your heads-up. MarineTraffic.com shows it approaching the 1st Avenue South Bridge as we hit “publish” on this note (1:28 pm).

2:05 PM: We’re watching from Jack Block Park. It’s now headed NW in Elliott Bay.

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3:01 PM: MT now shows it moored in Magnolia’s Smith Cove. We’ve added our photos taken from Jack Block as Albatross (worth $80 million per this page) crossed the bay.

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UPDATE: Next step in Democratic caucusing – 34th Legislative District @ WSHS
April 17, 2016 12:12 pm
|      119 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle politics

12:12 PM: That photo tweeted by the 34th District Democrats is from the next step in the process of choosing the party’s presidential-nomination delegates: The legislative-district caucus, officially starting at 1 pm at West Seattle High School (3000 California SW). Those voting there today were chosen at the precinct-level caucuses last month; the list and other info can be found here. More than 1,000 delegates and alternates are expected; if you’re going, please bring a donation of non-perishable food for the West Seattle and White Center Food Banks.

5:20 PM: No word on results yet – commenters and tweeters say the event has moved very slowly.

7:09 PM: Not over yet, according to Twitter reports (see the latest from the hashtag #WAcaucus here), which indicate some other legislative-district caucuses are also still in progress.

9:24 PM: As of the top of the hour, the delegate counting wasn’t over yet, according to an e-mail report from Jill, who sent this photo:

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Meanwhile, from the official 34th District Democrats‘ Twitter account:

10:41 PM: While the caucus adjourned about an hour and a half ago, delegate tallying isn’t over, Jill adds – the Sanders delegates’ ballots are still being tallied.

12 MIDNIGHT: Another photo from Jill. Still waiting for word:

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12:39 AM: 34th Dems’ web editor Bill Schrier has published a post on the organization’s website with some explanation, as promised, of what happened over those many hours. Bill, like everyone else in the org, is a volunteer, something he mentions they needed, and need, more of.

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West Seattle restaurants: After 16 years, Azuma Sushi changing to 6 days a week
April 17, 2016 10:48 am
|      10 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle restaurants

If you’ve been thinking about Sunday dinner at Azuma Sushi in The Junction, you have two more chances, tonight and next Sunday. As of May 1st, Azuma will be closed on Sundays. And that means a regular day off for this mainstay:

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That’s Harry Tu, co-proprietor and sushi chef for Azuma, who has worked seven days a week since the restaurant opened in 2000. We photographed him while lunching there on Saturday, after getting a tip from a patron about the notices posted throughout the restaurant and on the menus:

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Harry’s standards are exacting, we’re told, and so even though Sundays have been a half-day at Azuma, open just for dinner, he’s still worked a full day, coming in early to prepare the fish and vegetables with which his creations are made. But starting two weeks from today, he and everyone at Azuma will get Sundays off. Their hours are staying the same otherwise.

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6 ways to enjoy your West Seattle Sunday
April 17, 2016 8:46 am
|      1 COMMENT
 |   West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

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(The ospreys are back from South America and nesting, reports Mark Wangerin, who shared this image and the one at the end of this roundup)

Today is much quieter than Saturday – but the calendar isn’t entirely empty:

PEONY AND BAMBOO FESTIVAL, DAY 2: 10 am-4 pm, the second of two days for this celebration at the Seattle Chinese Garden on the north side of the South Seattle College (WSB sponsor) campus on Puget Ridge. See the schedule here, including demonstrations, Q&A, food, other vendors, more. (6000 16th SW)

WEST SEATTLE FARMERS’ MARKET: 10 am-2 pm in the street in The Junction – with today’s features including a noon cooking demonstration, and new vendors – details here. (California SW between SW Oregon and SW Alaska)

6TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION @ WEST SEATTLE RUNNER, DAY 3: Final day of the celebration/sale at West Seattle Runner (WSB sponsor), continuing during store hours 11 am-5 pm – details here. (2743 California SW)

MEET THE GREYHOUNDS: 11 am-1 pm at Mud Bay in The Admiral District, Greyhound Pets Inc. invites you to a meet-and-greet. (2611 California SW)

SOUTHWEST STORIES: The Southwest Seattle Historical Society‘s monthly series continues with a look at “West Seattle Heritage in Jazz,” featuring vibraphonist Tom Collier, who recorded this music-enhanced video invitation:

2 pm at Delridge Library, Collier will talk AND play. SPL, by the way, co-sponsors the series. (5423 Delridge Way SW)

OPERA PREVIEW LECTURE: 2 pm at West Seattle (Admiral) Library, “an entertaining preview lecture on Seattle Opera’s upcoming production of Wagner’s stirring fable which recounts the stormy romance between a supernatural sea captain and a young woman obsessed with his legend.” (2306 42nd SW)

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LOOK INTO THE FUTURE … next week, next month, beyond, via our complete calendar.

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West Seattle Crime Watch: Overnight gunfire; stolen coat
April 17, 2016 7:56 am
|      9 COMMENTS
 |   Crime | West Seattle news

Two West Seattle Crime Watch reports this morning:

OVERNIGHT GUNFIRE: We checked with police to find out if overnight reports of possible gunshots in the Admiral and High Point areas led to any confirmation of gunfire. According to Southwest Precinct Lt. Alan Williams, “a few casings” were found at 35th and Raymond, but “no known property damage, injuries, or verifiable witnesses to our knowledge at this time,” and “nothing else from any of the other locations where people reported hearing what sounded to them to be shots being fired.”

COAT STOLEN: A resident at 17th and Cloverdale says a coat was stolen from her car in front of her house between about 8 and 10:30 last night, a “women’s navy Barbour coat with hood and red interior in a size small … the suspect left another article of clothing on the sidewalk, presumably something he/she did not find as interesting.” She thinks that after grocery-shopping late in the day, “I had forgotten to doublecheck all car doors were locked.” Please comment, or let police know, if you happen to see a coat like this tossed aside somewhere.

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Duwamish Alive, report #2: Transforming Delridge’s ex-substation
April 17, 2016 1:13 am
|    Comments Off on Duwamish Alive, report #2: Transforming Delridge’s ex-substation
 |   Delridge | Environment | West Seattle news

That’s the first of the “surplus substations” in West Seattle to officially start the journey to greenspace – the former Delridge substation at 23rd SW and SW Findlay. It’s now at the heart of the Delridge Wetlands and Stewardship Project, and community volunteers were there Saturday as part of the multi-site Duwamish Alive! event.

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This document on the Delridge Neighborhoods Development Association website explains what the project is all about – including plans for the site to include a community garden and to be an outdoor classroom for students from nearby Louisa Boren K-8 STEM.

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DNDA’s Willard Brown (above), who’s leading the project, offered words of welcome as well as elaboration on plans for the site:

The “next generation of stewards” mentioned on Saturday morning was already represented, working with the Nature Consortium on an art project:

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Also there were reps of other partner organizations – including City Light, whose senior environmental analyst Rory Denovan (a West Seattleite), offered a few words too, as did Sharon Leishman of the Duwamish Alive! Coalition and Mary Fleck of the Seattle Green Spaces Coalition. It’ll take a lot of work to make hopes and dreams for the site come true – if you can help, willard@dnda.org is how to check in with Willard Brown and find out how.

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Water safety + fun = April Pool’s Day
April 16, 2016 10:07 pm
|    Comments Off on Water safety + fun = April Pool’s Day
 |   Safety | West Seattle news

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It’s beautiful, and it can be deadly. Water surrounds us, but water safety isn’t routinely taught to the youngest and most vulnerable among us. April Pool’s Day is meant to change that. The annual mix of safety lessons, free swim time, and incentives including raffles and treats happened at pools all over King County today, including Seattle Parks’ Southwest Pool in West Seattle. Toward the end of the free family event, lifeguards taught a round of boating safety, above. At poolside, we met someone with a special reason for pride in what was happening:

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That’s Tony Gomez, who manages the violence and injury prevention program for the Seattle-King County Public Health Department, and organized April Pool’s Day almost a quarter-century ago. He said it was inspired by a desire to recognize those who had saved lives – and then became a way to teach safety to those who could learn to save themselves. We talked about how this time of year – the first warm, sunny days – always brings the risk, and sometimes the reality, of deadly tragedy, especially in our area’s fast-moving, chilly river waters, far more treacherous than they appear. Today’s events focused on cold-water awareness, lifejacket use and promotion, and basic water rescue. If someone in your family doesn’t know how to swim – it’s never too soon, or too late, to start. April Pool’s Day is a reminder of that.
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Information on lessons and swim sessions at SW Pool is here.

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West Seattle weekend scenes: Peony & Bamboo Festival, continuing Sunday
April 16, 2016 8:15 pm
|      1 COMMENT
 |   Puget Ridge | West Seattle festivals | West Seattle news

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If you didn’t get to the Seattle Chinese Garden on Puget Ridge today for the first day of the Peony and Bamboo Festival – good news, you have another chance tomorrow. Thanks to David Hutchinson for sharing photos from today! The lion dance was a Saturday-only feature, but the festival’s namesake flowers and plants will be on view again Sunday for your viewing pleasure:

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Tomorrow’s schedule also includes Tai Chi, demonstrations, food, gardening Q&A, and music – see it here.

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The garden is on the north side of the South Seattle College (WSB sponsor) campus on Puget Ridge, off the north parking lot at 6000 16th SW; tomorrow’s festival hours are 10 am-4 pm.

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BIZNOTES: Record Store Day night; J.F. Henry closes; Pegasus Pizza reopens
April 16, 2016 6:45 pm
|      2 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle businesses | West Seattle news

Three West Seattle business notes:

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RECORD STORE DAY NIGHT: The most-festive day of the year at Easy Street Records is in its 12th hour, since a 7 am opening for which people were standing in line. We stopped in for the first of two afternoon/evening events, with Greg Vandy of KEXP‘s “Roadhouse“ show in the store this afternoon, signing his “26 Songs in 30 Days” book about Woody Guthrie:

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One more event before RSD wraps – a live in-store performance by Acapulco Lips, coming up at 7 pm.

JF HENRY FINALE: As noted here earlier this week, today was closing day for JF Henry Cooking and Dining in The Junction, after 31 years. We stopped in toward the end of the last day for a photo:

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What are you going to do next? we asked. “Not be here!” they joked – though on a more serious note, they will be back for a while around midweek, since there’s still some cleanup to do, despite how much merchandise moved during their retirement sale. Some of the remaining merchandise, they tell us, will be on eBay. (Backstory: We reported on their retirement plans in early March, and followed up on the building’s future days later.

PEGASUS REOPENS: The folks at Pegasus Pizza on Alki promised to let us know when their remodeling closure was over. This afternoon, they sent word that after five days, the restaurant is now open again.

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West Seattle Crime Watch: Helicopter help in auto-theft case; overnight car prowls; next WSCPC guest
April 16, 2016 5:50 pm
|      1 COMMENT
 |   Crime | Helicopter | West Seattle news

Three notes in West Seattle Crime Watch as we move into Saturday evening:

WHAT GUARDIAN ONE WAS DOING OVER SOUTH DELRIDGE: Thanks for the tips. The Guardian One helicopter has just left South Delridge airspace after helping with an auto-theft case. No other details yet – we had to track down an SPD officer on the ground just to find out that much, since we weren’t hearing anything on the scanner but people kept texting about the helicopter overhead. (Thanks! 206-293-6302 any time.) If we find out anything additional, we’ll update.

OVERNIGHT CAR PROWLS: One reader report today, from Sarah:

Just a quick report that both of our cars were rifled through last night sometime between 10 pm and 6:00 am. The cars were both in our driveway on SW Winthrop St [map]. Nothing of value was taken but a bag with gym clothes was returned to us from Seattle Police this morning.

NEXT WEST SEATTLE CRIME PREVENTION COUNCIL MEETING: WSCPC president Richard Miller sent word today of the spotlight topic for Tuesday night’s meeting (7 pm, Southwest Precinct, Delridge/Webster): “Parking enforcement issues: People will be able to get answers about and make comments or complaints about parking-related issues.” And as always, police from the precinct will be there to talk about crime trends and listen to neighborhood concerns.

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UPDATE: UW’s first-ever home beach-volleyball match, on Alki
April 16, 2016 4:25 pm
|      2 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | WS & Sports

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4:25 PM: The biggest sports event in West Seattle today has another hour-plus to go (until 5:30ish) at Alki Beach, this year’s “home” for the University of Washington Huskies. They’re hosting Oregon, on 2 courts. No admission charge; good crowd. More photos, and scores, later.

8:46 PM: The Huskies tweeted that they took the match, 3-2. As promised, more photos:

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Here’s the roster. Checking the schedule, this appears to have been the one and only “home” match for the Huskies this year, the third one for the beach-volleyball program at UW, so they’re not expected back at Alki this year. We’ll check to see about next year.

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Duwamish Alive 2016, report #1: Along Longfellow Creek
April 16, 2016 2:47 pm
|    Comments Off on Duwamish Alive 2016, report #1: Along Longfellow Creek
 |   Delridge | Environment | West Seattle news

The spring edition of Duwamish Alive! has just wrapped up. We stopped at two of the dozen-plus volunteer sites, and this was the first:

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Dozens of volunteers gathered before the 10 am work-party start time at Greg Davis Park along Longfellow Creek in North Delridge. Supporting the Duwamish River means supporting its watershed and the waterways that feed into it, like Longfellow. A special 9:30 am kickoff event here included words from 34th District State Rep. Joe Fitzgibbon (below), who’s hailed as an environmental champion, as well as from Chauncey Foster (2nd below) and Sharon Leishman (3rd below), both from the Duwamish Alive! Coalition:

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The main message is that supporting your local urban forest and waterway(s) matters all year long, not just on special days like this one and the fall Duwamish Alive! date – get involved. Every little bit helps – no matter how young (or not-as-young) you are:

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You’ll also see “the next generation of stewards” in our second report, coming up in a few hours.

Next: ex-sbstation

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Seen off West Seattle shores: USAV General Brehon B. Somervell
April 16, 2016 1:32 pm
|      1 COMMENT
 |   Seen at sea | West Seattle news

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Thanks to Chris Frankovich for the photo: That’s the USAV General Brehon B. Somervell, aka LSV-3, based in Tacoma, heading north past West Seattle’s western shores this morning. The ship is assigned to the U.S. Army Reserve‘s 805th Transportation Detachment. We don’t know where it’s headed, but as of right now, MarineTraffic.com shows it passing Whidbey Island.

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VIDEO: Ride for Major Taylor
April 16, 2016 11:02 am
|      2 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle people

(WSB video and photos)

Great day for a bike ride, and this is a big one – Cascade Bicycle Club‘s second annual Ride for Major Taylor. Our video shows the riders taking off from Chief Sealth International High School this morning – after, of course, photo ops!

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(Above: Don Brubeck, president of West Seattle Bike Connections)

It’s a fundraiser for the Major Taylor Project, a youth-development program serving hundreds of middle- and high-school-age students at schools including Sealth and adjacent Denny International Middle School. The namesake and inspiration is Marshall Walter “Major” Taylor, the first African American cyclist to become a world champion. They’re riding through South King County – not a race, but a 24-mile ride – and the official finish line is Big Al Brewing in White Center.

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HAPPENING NOW: West Seattle Runner’s 6th anniversary
April 16, 2016 10:34 am
|      2 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle businesses | West Seattle news

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It’s been six years since we first reported on Lori and Tim McConnell‘s plan for a store to serve West Seattle’s running community – and as they celebrate another anniversary, West Seattle Runner (WSB sponsor) is going strong. We stopped in to photograph them and new shop dog Myrtle as they greeted participants arriving for the weekly Saturday morning group run:

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This is WSR’s second anniversary since the move to a larger storefront at 2743 California SW. As noted in this WSB West Seattle Event Calendar listing, their anniversary sale/celebration continues all weekend, with discounts, treats, and raffles. WS Runner is open today until 6 pm, 11 am-5 pm on Sunday.

P.S. WSR is again presenting the Float Dodger 5K before the West Seattle Grand Parade this year – Saturday, July 23rd – this year starting on the nearby Hiawatha track. Registration is already open, online or in person at WSR.

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So many possibilities for your West Seattle Saturday!
April 16, 2016 6:03 am
|    Comments Off on So many possibilities for your West Seattle Saturday!
 |   West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

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(West Seattle tulips: From the WSB Flickr group, by Flickr member Yel0Rose)

Spectacular Saturday ahead … weather-wise as well as in terms of your many, many options, including these:

RECORD STORE DAY @ EASY STREET: Biggest day of the year at Easy Street Records in The Junction, and it starts at 7 am. In the very-early-morning hours, the store posted this Instagram video showing prospective shoppers how things are laid out inside. See our preview for details, including events this afternoon and evening. (California SW/SW Alaska)

6TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION @ WEST SEATTLE RUNNER: The 8 am group run with Pearl Izumi starts the second day of the celebration at West Seattle Runner (WSB sponsor), continuing during store hours 10 am-6 pm – details here. (2743 California SW)

BOY SCOUT TROOP 484’S MULTI-FAMILY GARAGE SALE: 8 am-4 pm at Admiral Congregational Church:

Bake sale too! More info here. (California SW/SW Hill)

RIDE FOR MAJOR TAYLOR: It’s not a race, it’s a ride, so departures from the starting line at Chief Sealth International High School start at 9 am – that’s also when you can register to participate, if you haven’t already. See our preview for more info. (2600 SW Thistle)

SEASON STARTS FOR TAI CHI ON THE BEACH: 9 am, first 2016 session of Tai Chi on the Beach with Lao-Shi Caylen Storm, free. Details in our calendar listing. (Near the Bathhouse, 60th SW/Alki SW)

DUWAMISH ALIVE! KICKOFF & RESTORATION/CLEANUP EVENTS: The spring edition of Duwamish Alive! gets going with a 9:30 am kickoff event at Greg Davis Park in North Delridge (2600 SW Brandon), and continues with volunteer restoration/cleanup events 10 am-2 pm at multiple locations from West Seattle to Georgetown to South Park to Tukwila. Pigeon Point Park was said to be most in need of additional volunteers – so if you’re not signed up somewhere yet, just go there at 10! Full event details and addresses are on the official website.

KAREN KONZUK COLLECTION LAUNCH @ CLICK! 10 am-5 pm at Click! Design That Fits (WSB sponsor) in The Junction, jewelry-maker Karen Konzuk‘s new Stellar collection launches. Find out more on the Click! website. (4540 California SW)

MIOPOSTO BRUNCH: Second weekend for brunch starting at 10 am at Mioposto in Admiral (WSB sponsor) – you might need fuel to keep going with this schedule of events. (2139 California SW)

CLOSING DAY FOR JF HENRY: 10 am-6 pm, it’s the last day of the retirement sale at JF Henry Cooking and Dining, whose owners say they’re closing after today. (4445 California SW)

PEONY AND BAMBOO FESTIVAL: 10 am-4 pm, the first of two days for this springtime celebration at the Seattle Chinese Garden just north of the South Seattle College (WSB sponsor) campus on Puget Ridge. See the schedule here, including 11:15 am lion dance, followed by Bubbleman. (6000 16th SW)

APRIL POOL’S DAY: 10:30 am-noon, free and fun chance to learn about water safety and go swimming at Southwest Pool. More info here. (2801 SW Thistle)

DELRIDGE STEWARDSHIP/WETLANDS GROUNDBREAKING: 11 am, with students and community leaders joining in the celebration, explained here. (23rd SW/SW Findlay)

WSHS BASEBALL @ THE SAFE: 12:30 pm, the West Seattle High School baseball team plays in the annual High School Baseball Classic at Safeco Field, facing Olympic HS (from Bremerton). Admission is free; Safeco garage parking is only $5. Go cheer for the Wildcats. (1250 1st Ave. S.)

TEA PARTY @ THE LONGHOUSE: The annual Duwamish Princess Angeline Native Tea Party is hosted by Princess Angeline’s great-great-grand-niece, Duwamish Tribe chair Cecile Hansen. Native and English Teas and more, $10 suggested donation, 1-3 pm; details here. (4705 W. Marginal Way SW)

NANCY PEARL @ FULL TILT: The Northwest’s legendary librarian, Nancy Pearl, is a guest scooper at Full Tilt Ice Cream in White Center at 2 pm, celebrating the first in a series of new flavors honoring local icons. Part of the proceeds will go to the White Center Library Guild. (9629 16th SW)

HUSKIES VS. DUCKS AT ALKI: 2:30 pm-~5:45 pm on two courts at Alki Beach, the University of Washington beach-volleyball team plays its first-ever home game, hosting regional rivals, the University of Oregon. Admission free; more info in our preview. (57th SW/SW Alki)

ROO FORREST AND FRIENDS: Relax with live music – a mix of covers and originals – at the end of a busy day. Roo Forrest and Friends are performing at C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor), 7-9 pm. (5612 California SW)

HARD TO BELIEVE, BUT … there’s even more for today/tonight on our calendar (and for tomorrow, next week, beyond!).

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West Seattle Crime Watch: Car prowls; hit-run; words of thanks after stolen vehicle found
April 15, 2016 11:24 pm
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 |   Crime | West Seattle news

Four reader reports in West Seattle Crime Watch, and a followup from a car theft reported this morning:

ALKI CAR PROWL: From Amy:

When I got into my car today at 2:00 PM, I noticed it had been broken into. I don’t know if it happened on Thursday night or this morning. The car was parked on the street on the 3100 block of Alki Ave. SW.

The door by the driver’s seat was unlocked, though I am always careful to lock it. No visible damage was done and nothing was taken (I don’t keep any valuables in the car), but it was clear the car had been searched (the trunk was popped open, the glove compartment and ashtray were open).

SUNRISE HEIGHTS CAR PROWL: From Morgan:

Unfortunately sometime last night/ this morning our neighbors’ SUV had its window smashed in. Nothing was in the car, so nothing was taken, but it was rifled through. This happened on 34th Ave SW between Webster and Holden. The police have been notified.

HIT-RUNS: A resident of SW Findlay between California and Fauntleroy says their car suffered hit-run damage around 5:30 am and while they don’t have enough evidence to put out a call for a certain type of car, theirs is “light gold/tan” and should have some front-passenger-side damage. They also wish the many drivers who use the street as a cut-through would please slow down.

FOLLOWUP – CAR FOUND: Shortly after we published a Crime Watch report this morning about two stolen cars, we heard from a neighbor who had spotted one of them. Rebecca‘s red Subaru wagon turned up just blocks away from where it had been stolen in Gatewood. She said it was “a mess inside,” but drivable, and shared these words of thanks:

Thank-you, neighbor Bonnie, for reading the blog and reporting back. I feel lucky to live in a community like West Seattle. Thanks to Officer Houston (sp), who came knocking around 3 hours of initial report (I did not even think they would send an officer out for a car theft). And a big shout out to the West Seattle Blog, which serves such a critical role as a conduit of information and a forum for the West Seattle Community. You are the best!

As far as we know, the gray Mercedes also reported stolen this morning hasn’t been found yet.

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BASEBALL: WSHS plays at Safeco tomorrow, after Hiawatha game today
April 15, 2016 9:27 pm
|    Comments Off on BASEBALL: WSHS plays at Safeco tomorrow, after Hiawatha game today
 |   West Seattle news | WS & Sports

pickoff
(WSB photo: WSHS pitcher Anthony Coats)

Go root for the West Seattle High School Wildcats at Safeco Field tomorrow! There, they will face Bremerton’s Olympic HS after a tough loss at home to Roosevelt HS this afternoon. Thanks to Caryn Johnson for the report and the next three photos:

Friday afternoon was a little chilly, but another nice afternoon for baseball. This game would see 24 hits between the two teams and 16 runs scored. Junior Ryan Kimsey started on the mound for West Seattle against senior Tomiz Medina for Roosevelt. The Rough Riders would score in the first three innings to take an early 5-2 lead and then tacked on another two in the top of the 5th. West Seattle would come alive in the bottom of the 6th inning, with three hits, two walks and 4 runs scored. By the end of the inning it was all tied up. Unfortunately, the Wildcats would fall short and ended up losing 7-9.

Jaimebat

Jamie Maples (photo above) and Anthony Coats had three hits each to produce 5 RBI’s between the two of them.

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Defensively, Nathan Johnson (photo above) made two great catches in center field to keep the game close.

Remember to come out to cheer on West Seattle at Safeco Field, Saturday at 12:30 pm, as they play in the High School Baseball Classic. Gates open at 11:30 and parking in the Safeco parking lot is only $5; admission to the game is free. Hope to see you all there.

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