day : 17/05/2016 10 results

(WSB photo from last month, police searching for shell casings after Puget Ridge gunfire)

By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

Frustrated Puget Ridge residents came to the West Seattle Crime Prevention Council meeting tonight to ask Southwest Precinct police what they’re doing about the gunfire problem plaguing their neighborhood.

First – the monthly crime-trends briefing:

“Our criminal element is alive and kickin’,” as is unfortunately usual in the warmer months, began Capt. Pierre Davis, Southwest Precinct commander. “Right now, the crime du jour is car prowls, up all over the city, and our regional partners are having the same type of issues.” In some areas, it’s doubled. Highland Park, Morgan Junction are getting the biggest increases right now.

He mentioned a spike in drug use, “and a lot of that activity is driving the car-prowl increase right now.”

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BIZNOTE: Former restaurant space to become dental office

May 17, 2016 10:17 pm

| Comments Off on BIZNOTE: Former restaurant space to become dental office

| Health | West Seattle news

Quick biznote tonight for anyone wondering about the former Redline space on the ground floor of The Residences at 3295 on the southeast corner of 35th and Avalon, since the “for lease” signs came down recently: Building permit and “site plan” documents reveal it won’t be another restaurant, but instead will become a dental office; renovations are under the name Glo Dental Studio.

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SOFTBALL: West Seattle HS wins opening game @ district tournament

May 17, 2016 8:48 pm

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| West Seattle news | WS & Sports

The Metro League-champion West Seattle High School Wildcats won their first game at the district softball tournament tonight, 4-0 over Bainbridge at the Southeast Athletic Complex. They’ll be back in West Seattle for their next game, 6 pm Thursday night vs. Lake Washington at Southwest Athletic Complex (2801 SW Thistle).

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One more development note: 4528 44th SW demolition in the West Seattle Junction

May 17, 2016 8:16 pm

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| Development | West Seattle news

Thanks to Brian Presser of TouchTech Systems for the tip that demolition was happening today at 4528 44th SW in The Junction, tearing down an 8-unit apartment building to build a 6-story, 58-unit apartment building. The project got final Design Review approval last September (WSB coverage here). The site is prominent, as it abuts a busy alley (from which we took the photo) behind a block of West Seattle Junction businesses, and as we reported here in March, the construction team is posting information online here, including what’s next with the project:

• Excavation for the foundation
• Installation of concrete foundation
• On-site utility improvements

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West Seattle Crime Watch: Seen this stolen bike?

May 17, 2016 4:42 pm

| 6 COMMENTS

| Crime | West Seattle news

In Crime Watch this afternoon – Marie‘s bike has been missing since Saturday:

My bike was stolen from my apartment building at 2250 Bonair Pl SW near Alki Beach. The bike was in the laundry room in a secured building. The robber would have had to wait until the door was propped or had a key. The Kona was a gray mountain bike with “hybrid” tires. The bar handles had scratches.

Bicycles are often stolen to get from crime to crime, so you might spot one dumped somewhere, down a ravine, against a pole or fence – if you do, contact police.

P.S. Speaking of police, last call for tonight’s West Seattle Crime Prevention Council meeting, 7 pm at the SW Precinct (2300 SW Webster) – come hear about local crime trends and ask about your neighborhood concerns.

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6 West Seattle development/real estate notes from North Delridge to Morgan Junction

May 17, 2016 2:08 pm

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| Development | West Seattle news

Half a dozen West Seattle development/real-estate updates:

NORTH DELRIDGE TOWNHOUSES: A 10-townhouse development is proposed for 2821 SW Yancy (map). The newly filed “site plan” shows four structures (all circa early 1900s) to be demolished at 2811, 2821, and 2827 to make way for the project, which the city website says will go through Design Review. Five townhouses would face onto Yancy, and the other five would be behind (south of) them, while 11 offstreet-parking spaces are shown on the east side of the site.

MORGAN JUNCTION APARTMENTS: A 48-unit building with 5 offstreet-parking spaces is proposed for 5952 California SW in north Morgan Junction. This would replace a 1925 house with garage spaces behind.

9030 35TH SW: Demolition permits are being sought for the two structures on this site that will be replaced by a 40-apartment, 32-offstreet-parking-space project, which had its most-recent Design Review meeting earlier this month.

4801 FAUNTLEROY WAY SW: This mixed-use project got final Design Review approval back in February, and now the site and plans are up for sale, no price listed. It was approved for 53 units (including 13 micros), ground-floor commercial, no offstreet parking.

4453 CALIFORNIA FOR SALE: A corner commercial building in The Junction is on the market, the northwest corner of California/Oregon, home to more than half a dozen businesses. Its $4.3 million listing, touting “one of the last remaining key sites available,” notes that (as is most of the heart of The Junction) it’s zoned for up to 65′.

3050 AVALON FOR SALE AGAIN: The potential 104-unit “grandfathered” microhousing project is back on the market, asking $3.1 million. This version of the listing shows that two potential purchases “pending feasibility” didn’t go through since we first mentioned its listing back in January. The listing also says the plans are “paid off” and that construction could start immediately, if a purchase is completed.

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CONGRATULATIONS! WSHS Unified Soccer going to state tournament

May 17, 2016 12:14 pm

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| West Seattle news | WS & Sports

The photos and report are from Sam Brown, who along with Billy Edwards, both Special Education staffers at West Seattle High School, coach the WSHS Special Olympics Unified Sports teams. If you’re not familiar with Unified sports, she explains, “These are teams that are made up of both Gen-ed Students (Partners) and Special Ed Students (athletes) who compete with other schools in the state.” The big news, from her announcement that went to the entire school:

This last Saturday, WSHS took two teams of Partners (gen – ed students) and Athletes (special education students) to the King County Special Olympics District soccer tournament.

Our “Player Development” team took the SILVER MEDAL, losing to Mercer Island in a double overtime situation [photo above]. Our “Division 1” team [top photo] took the GOLD MEDAL, beating Chief Sealth 3-1 – this allows our D-1 team to move on to the Washington State Special Olympics Championship Games, vying for an opportunity to take first place in the whole state.

This may seem like just another team and another announcement of athletic success – but it is SO much more than that. West Seattle is so blessed to have gen-ed student partners who are willing to volunteer their time and energy to make these games happen. They are bridging the stigmatic gap here in our school between gen – ed and special – ed students, creating relationships and silently advocating for equity all across the boards. West Seattle is also blessed to have spEd student athletes who are hard-working, motivated and so amazingly ATHLETIC!!

Please join us in celebrating the accomplishments of this group of students. We will be hitting the State Tournament the last weekend in May, waiting on location details.

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West Seattle Tuesday: Crime Prevention Council; festival fundraiser at Joe’s; more

May 17, 2016 10:35 am

| 3 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

(Male Calliope Hummingbird, photographed by Mark Wangerin, who says they’re not often seen in Seattle)

Lots happening today/tonight – here are some highlights:

EAT AT JOE’S, HELP THE FESTIVAL: The Endolyne Joe’s (WSB sponsor) dine-out fundraiser for the Fauntleroy Fall Festival today has expanded to the entire day/night; there’s also a silent auction during the dinner hours. (9261 45th SW)

CITY COUNCIL TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE: 2 pm at City Hall, with agenda items including a proposed resolution with the council’s feedback for Sound Transit 3 (as reported here Monday) and the Bicycle Master Plan implementation update (which includes the SW Admiral Way Safety Project). If you can’t be there, you can watch live on Seattle Channel. (4th/5th/Cherry/James)

POWER-FUL MEETING: Interested in info about your electricity service? This was announced by City Councilmember Lisa Herbold:

Join me and Seattle City Light (tonight) from 6 – 7 at Hiawatha Community Center. City Light will have a short presentation on the utility’s strategic investments, budget and rate proposal for 2017-2018. In addition to Q&A with City Light staff, applications will be available for the Utility Discount Program and information about the solar and conservation programs and customer rebates.

(2700 California SW)

SOFTBALL: Not in WS, but in case you want to go cheer them on, the Metro League champion West Seattle High School softball team opens district-tournament play tonight at 6 pm vs. Bainbridge at Southeast Athletic Complex. (8815 Seward Park Ave. S.)

EVENING BOOK GROUP: 6:30 pm at High Point Library: “Join us for a discussion of the 2016 Seattle Reads featured work, ‘We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves‘ by Karen Joy Fowler.” (35th SW/SW Raymond)

TUESDAY TUNE-UP: Support SASG at Salty’s on Alki (WSB sponsor), featuring “live tunes by Piano-man and Emcee Victor Janusz with Medearis ‘MD’ Dixson on saxophone and Conor Apperson on drums.” Full details in our calendar listing! (1936 Harbor SW)

WEST SEATTLE CRIME PREVENTION COUNCIL: 7 pm at the Southwest Precinct, it’s your monthly chance to bring neighborhood concerns to local police, and to hear what they’re focused on. Also, WSCPC president Richard Miller has booked a guest from the city’s “code compliance” division – here’s what they enforce. All welcome. (2300 SW Webster)

LOTS MORE … on our complete calendar, for today/tonight/beyond.

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WEST SEATTLE SUMMER: New outdoor-music series in Delridge

May 17, 2016 9:27 am

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| Delridge | West Seattle news | WS culture/arts

(Photo courtesy Seattle Chamber Music Society)

Just announced – a new outdoor-music series in West Seattle this summer!

For more than twenty years, the Seattle Chamber Music Society has presented a series of free, family-friendly summer concerts in various parks around town. This year — for the first time — we will be coming to West Seattle.

In partnership with the Delridge Community Center, these events will take place on Tuesday, July 5th, and then three successive Mondays (July 11th, 18th, and 25th). Each event begins at 7:15 pm with a live performance by an outstanding student ensemble, followed at 8:00 pm with KING-FM’s broadcast of that evening’s Seattle Chamber Music Society concert, streamed live direct from Benaroya Hall.

Here’s the lineup for the live ensembles:

July 5th: “An eclectic program of music for guitar and violin, performed by an ensemble from Cornish College of the Arts”

July 11th: “Trio from UW”

July 18th: “Quartet from the Seattle Youth Symphony”

July 25th: “An eclectic program of music for guitar and violin, performed by an ensemble from Cornish College of the Arts”

Delridge Community Center is at 4501 Delridge Way SW.

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TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: Tuesday updates; overnight bridge closures continue

May 17, 2016 7:30 am

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| West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

(SDOT MAP with travel times/video links; is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE)

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

7:30 AM: Good morning. The sunshine’s back; it’s been a morning free of major incidents in/from West Seattle.

BRIDGE CLOSURE TONIGHT: The second overnight closure of the west end of the high bridge is scheduled for tonight, 9 pm-5 am, as part of the Fauntleroy Expressway seismic-cushion-re-replacement project; the 35th/Fauntleroy entrance to the eastbound bridge will be off-limits, so you’ll have to get on at Harbor/Avalon or Delridge; if you’re headed westbound, you’ll have to exit by Delridge.

NOTES FOR FERRY USERS: First, if you board via Fauntleroy, be aware of this change starting next Monday. Second, if you’re out there today, watch for whales – check this tweet: