day : 03/08/2016 10 results

Story and photo by Linda Ball
Reporting for West Seattle Blog

Motivated by last week’s hate crime against the Endres family on Pigeon Point, 10 concerned neighbors got together tonight to talk about what they could do to make the family feel safe in their community.

On Tuesday night last week, someone left a racist, threatening note on the door of the Endres home. The disturbing message made it clear that the author did not appreciate her mixed-race children.

Rachel Glass, the precinct committee officer for the area, organized tonight’s meeting at a nearby coffee shop. Read More

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FOLLOWUP: Camp Second Chance on Myers Way says it has a reprieve

August 3, 2016 10:48 pm

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| Myers Way | West Seattle news

10:48 PM: Last time we heard from Camp Second Chance, the encampment that moved from a Tukwila church to a private site on Myers Way, and then to city-owned land across the street, it had a deadline to clear out: The city had posted a warning that it would clear the site at 9:30 yesterday morning. But it didn’t happen; a social-media post by the camp’s nonprofit sponsor said the city extended the deadline until tomorrow. That apparently isn’t happening either; tonight, the camp liaison contacted us to say they’d received word of another extension, to “mid- to late-August.” The camp is hoping the city will allow them to stay until they find a new, authorized site; they say they might have an offer of one on private land in South Park. Meantime, we’ll be checking with the city tomorrow.

THURSDAY NOTE: An SPD Community Police Team officer who’s been focused on homelessness-related efforts tells WSB the “week or two” reprieve claim is accurate.

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West Seattle wildlife: Seal dies after apparent dog attack

August 3, 2016 7:32 pm

| 80 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | Wildlife

The photo and report are just in, from Robin Lindsey of West Seattle-based Seal Sitters Marine Mammal Stranding Network:

I have very sad and troubling news to report.

Seal Sitters rescued a juvenile seal from the beach last Wednesday, the apparent victim of an attack by an off-leash dog. First Responder Lynn and I noticed the seal had puncture wounds on the throat as she rested at Constellation Park near the seawall. The pup returned to the water shortly afterwards, but was reported later in the day on a private beach just south of Harbor West Condos. We captured the small female and transported her to PAWS in Lynnwood, where sadly she died overnight. The necropsy exam revealed that the punctures were larger and “less professional” than that of a coyote. For more details and photos (go here).

I have attached the photo that was in my blogpost – it’s the best image by far, in that it shows puncture wounds and beautiful face of the young seal. What a tragic loss in West Seattle, where residents treasure the wildlife that shares our neighborhoods and beaches. We hope this will be a wakeup call to those dog owners who blatantly disregard leash laws.

If anyone has any information about a skirmish between a dog and seal sometime between Monday and Wednesday, please contact Seal Sitters (sealsitters@icloud.com).

This already had been a much-slower pup-sighting season than usual on West Seattle beaches. Any time you see a seal (or other marine mammal) on shore – or if you think one is in distress offshore – the Seal Sitters hotline is 206-905-SEAL.

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ELECTION RESULTS, DAY 2: Second place changes in Congressional race

August 3, 2016 5:43 pm

| 6 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | West Seattle politics

King County has released its second ballot count of the primary. The headline is in the race for second place in the U.S. House 7th District primary, to see who will advance to the November general election against Pramila Jayapal. Last night, West Seattleite Joe McDermott was in second, Brady Piñero Walkinshaw in third; tonight, it’s the other way round.

Jayapal 44,540 39.06%
Walkinshaw 24,285 21.29%
McDermott 23,798 20.87%

Most of the district is in King County, with a small slice of Snohomish County, so the official results are on the Secretary of State‘s website. Hundreds of thousands of ballots are still out, and the results won’t be certified until August 16th.

Otherwise, no changes of note – you can check the latest King County results here, and the latest statewide results here.

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West Seattle Crime Watch followup: Morgan Junction bank-robbery suspect also under investigation for two grocery-store holdups

August 3, 2016 4:34 pm

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| Crime | West Seattle news

As first reported here last night, police arrested a suspect hours after Tuesday morning’s bank robbery at Washington Federal in Morgan Junction – and we now have confirmation from police that he is also the suspect in Monday night’s holdup at West Seattle Thriftway (WSB sponsor) across the street from the bank, as well as an earlier robbery at a QFC on Capitol Hill. The 48-year-old suspect was booked into jail after midnight today, so his first bail hearing won’t be until tomorrow. We’ve been working to get even more information from police, but this is what we’ve been able to confirm so far through the Southwest Precinct. Online records show his criminal history in this state goes back almost 30 years.

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Arts in Nature Festival 2016: Here’s who’s headlining

August 3, 2016 2:58 pm

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| West Seattle festivals | West Seattle news

(Photo courtesy Arts in Nature Festival)

Nature Consortium has announced another headliner for the upcoming Arts in Nature Festival (WSB sponsor) at Camp Long, now less than three weeks away:

Arts in Nature and the NW Folklife Festival are thrilled to present the band Big World Breaks (BWB), led by Aaron Walker-Loud, to the new amplified “Nancy Stage” (named after festival founder Nancy Whitlock.) BWB has worked with Janelle Monae, Macklemore, Digable Planets, Reggie Watts and other major recording artists, and is comprised of some of the best local Funk, Soul, World Music and Jazz musicians – many of whom are alumni of the internationally-acclaimed Garfield and Roosevelt High School Jazz ensembles.

The 2016 Arts in Nature Festival takes place Saturday, August 20, 11 am-9 pm, and Sunday, August 21, 11 am-6 pm, at Camp Long, 5200 35th Ave SW.

Tickets are $10 per day for adults (or $16 for a weekend pass) and $5 per day for kids 12 & under. Get tickets online here, or buy them at the festival.

A convoy of food trucks including GAI BOX, PICNIC, POP UP and ATHENA’S keeps you energized for art-making, dancing, and nature trail exploring. For an added dose of hoppy happy, Fremont Brewing is providing “beers of distinction” for the beer garden!

Art Installations & Interactions: Interaction ranges from using duct tape-wrapped chopsticks to hammering out a jam on Benson Smith’s “Junk Chime” to physically entering Installation Artist Markel Uriu’s “Bowers” to climbing aboard the converted RV that is YAMS, the Yesler Arts Mobile Studio, providing hands-on art and craft making for all.

A perfect example of the “arts in nature” concept encouraging artists and audience members to engage in active participation is the piece Inner Galactic, created by Maya Soto (choreographer) + Nico Tower (composer/multidisciplinary artist). The “Innernauts” explore the poetry of geology and the magic of time and sediment. They transform a cabin into a fantastical moon-like cave of crystals, craters, stalagmites, shadows and light representing deep matters of the heart using light + shadow boxes, visual design/art installation and original sound composition to create a new interactive sound environment. Visitors contribute through writing and sound-making.

Look for the performance and art schedule on the festival website as it gets closer.

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West Seattle Crime Watch: Jessica Detrick charged in two burglaries

August 3, 2016 1:02 pm

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| Crime | West Seattle news

Repeat burglar Jessica Detrick – known for prowling with her dog in tow – is now charged in two West Seattle burglaries, including the one in which she was caught on a security camera, as shown above.

When we first published that photo on July 18th, after the victim of the burglary in Upper Fauntleroy sent it to us, readers quickly noted the resemblance to the prowler-and-dog video we had published in May, weeks before her arrest in connection with Highland Park/South Delridge cases in June.

Detrick, 36, had been charged with misdemeanor criminal trespass in connection with those June cases, and got out of jail after three days. Since then, as we noted in last month’s story, a warrant had been issued for her arrest due to failure to appear for “day reporting.”

While making a routine check of the jail register early today, we discovered that she had been booked on July 23rd; four days later, she was charged with two counts of residential burglary – for the July 18th Upper Fauntleroy burglary and for a break-in at a home in the 8800 block of 16th SW on June 19th. Her bail is set at $101,000 – $100,000 for the burglary cases, $1,000 for the earlier warrant. Prosecutors asked for the relatively high bail amount, saying that they believe “defendant is escalating her serial (residential) burglary conduct and poses a danger to the community.” The charging documents summarize Detrick’s history as “38 warrants in King County alone since 2000 … multi-state criminal history, including arrest history in Illinois and conviction and warrant history in Arizona.”

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West Seattle development: Design Review date for 80 apartments at 2222 SW Barton

August 3, 2016 12:29 pm

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| Development | West Seattle news | Westwood

(“Preferred option” configuration from design packet for 2222 SW Barton, by Playhouse Design Group)

The first Design Review date is set for the four-story, 70+-apartment proposal at 2222 SW Barton [map]. It’s been three months since we first reported on this plan for that triangle of land southeast of Westwood Village. According to the Southwest Design Review Board‘s schedule, the project’s Early Design Guidance review – when size/shape (“massing”) is the focus – is set for 6:30 pm Thursday, September 15th, at the Sisson Building/Senior Center in The Junction. The first draft of the design “packet” by Playhouse Design Group is downloadable from the city website; you can get it here (16 MB PDF). It says the project could vary from 70 to 80 units, 260 to 515 square feet, depending on the final approved design. No offstreet parking is included, and none is required because of the “frequent transit” (including RapidRide) available nearby. The site currently holds a fourplex built in 1959, according to county records.

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Think fall! Hiawatha signup time for girls’ volleyball

August 3, 2016 9:31 am

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| West Seattle news | WS & Sports

We know, too soon to let go of summer. You don’t have to – but for some things, you do have to think ahead. Like girls’ volleyball at Hiawatha Community Center, which is registering players right now. Here’s the announcement:

Girls will learn teamwork, sportsmanship and volleyball fundamentals leading into more advanced skills. Players may sign up at Hiawatha CC or email john.hasslinger@seattle.gov for more information. Practices will occur at Hiawatha Community Center while games will occur at various centrally located Community Centers. League play begins the week of September 19th and concludes on November 19th with a jamboree. $35 participant fee includes practices, games, and uniform. Sign up today!

They’re also looking for volunteer coaches and assistant coaches. Hiawatha is at 2700 California SW in The Admiral District.

P.S. The fall brochure for all of West Seattle’s city-run community centers is here.

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TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: Wednesday watch; looking ahead

August 3, 2016 6:39 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)

6:39 AM: Good morning! No incidents in our area so far, but the rain finally did move in overnight, so roads are wet. Reminders:

BLUE ANGELS I-90 CLOSURES THURSDAY-SUNDAY: Tomorrow through Sunday, the annual Seafair closures on I-90. From WSDOT:

The mainlines of I-90 will be closed between I-5 in Seattle to Island Crest Way on Mercer Island:

Thursday, Aug. 4: 9:45 a.m. – noon; 1:15 – 2:40 p.m. (practice)
Friday, Aug. 5: 1:15 – 2:40 p.m. (practice)
Saturday, Aug. 6: 1:15 – 2:40 p.m. (Seafair Air Show)
Sunday, Aug. 7: 1:15 – 2:40 p.m. (Seafair Air Show)

35TH SW MEETING: Tomorrow (Thursday) at 7 pm, as we’ve been reporting for about a month now, SDOT plans an “open house” meeting on the next phase of the 35th Avenue SW Road Safety Corridor Project – north of Morgan. The meeting is at Neighborhood House’s High Point Center (6400 Sylvan Way).

6:52 AM: Bus cancellation just texted and tweeted by Metro:

Transit Alert – Route 57 due to leave 44th Av SW and SW Alaska St at 7:06 AM will not operate this morning.

— King County Metro (@kcmetrobus) August 3, 2016