West Seattle, Washington
19 Tuesday
(WSB photo, Sunday night)
5:37 PM: New information today about how police tracked down the 29-year-old burglary suspect arrested at Hiawatha Playfield last night (WSB coverage here). He remains in jail, bail set at $10,000 during a hearing this afternoon. And probable-cause documents say an alert neighbor is to thank for helping track him down.
We reported last night that the burglary was in the Alki area; it actually happened near Me-Kwa-Mooks Park. The residents told police they were only away for about 20 minutes when someone broke in around 3 pm, stealing jewelry and two rifles. A neighbor gave police a description of the car, including its Oregon license plate, which was quickly traced to a rental company. Just after 5 pm, the neighbor called 911 to say the car was back at the house. While headed there, police saw it at Admiral and California, then in the Starbucks parking lot, where the driver jumped out and ran south.
As we reported last night, a wide-ranging containment/search operation ensued. Then around quarter past six, a resident called 911 to report someone was hiding in his yard. An officer spotted the suspect walking east on SW Lander shortly afterward; a foot chase ensued, and then the suspect “got into the prone position near the playfields,” at which time he was taken into custody.
His last known address was in Federal Way, according to the police report, but the narrative says he took police to “where he stored the stolen guns” – three guns were recovered at an address near 2nd SW and SW 122nd in North Burien. The suspect is due back in court Wednesday, by which time charges could be filed.
1:53 AM: The suspect is out of jail after posting bond.
One of the last major components of the three-month-long surface Spokane Street paving project, east of the low bridge, is now planned for Thursday. Crews had been trying to get it done on recent weekends but the weather just didn’t cooperate. With dry weather forecast, here’s what the contractor hopes to do on Thursday:
· AREA 1 (Eastbound and westbound Spokane Street through lanes) and AREA 2 (Spokane Place) will be paved during the day – starting after 9 am;
· AREA 3 (Gate 1 to Terminal 18) will be paved after the gate closes – starting after 6 pm; and
· AREA 4 (Ramps from southbound 99 and westbound Spokane Street Viaduct) and AREA 5 (Lower Spokane Street) will be paved after 6 pm.
NOTE: THERE WILL BE TRAFFIC IMPACTS AND DETOURS DURING THE PAVING WORK. HOWEVER, GATE 1 ACCESS TO TERMINAL 18 WILL REMAIN DURING NORMAL HOURS OF PORT OPERATIONS AND ACCESS TO BUSINESSES AND FUELING OPERATIONS WILL BE PRIORITIZED AND MAINTAINED.
2:05 PM: It began with the preannounced 1:30 walkout – which we’ve been covering on Twitter – then two gatherings on the south side of Thistle, and now hundreds of students who left school in a pre-announced protest of last week’s election results have marched east on Thistle toward Delridge, with police ahead and behind them.
March heading east on Thistle pic.twitter.com/Tr1Vt1cNQB
— West Seattle Blog (@westseattleblog) November 14, 2016
2:08 PM: They headed southbound on Delridge, and now have turned west onto Trenton, according to WSB co-publisher Patrick Sand, who is walking alongside the crowd.
2:22 PM: Still westbound on Trenton, past Westwood Village.
(added) The signs below represent the biggest concern we heard from talking to groups of students in the crowd – that immigrant relatives and friends would be forced to leave the country.
We’re also hearing scattered reports of protesters in other parts of West Seattle – a group south of Admiral, a group near Youngstown Cultural Arts Center in North Delridge.
2:34 PM This had wrapped up with students returning to the Sealth/Denny campus. Denny is now out for the day; Sealth’s final bell is 3:15 pm. And yes, that’s a TV helicopter, though there’s not much to see.
2:55 PM: Thanks to those who forwarded a note sent to Madison families saying about 50 walked out. A group walked out at Pathfinder K-8 too (thanks to Lisa for the note). And Justin tweeted this from Jefferson Square:
@westseattleblog West Seattle High School student having another Walk Out protesting Trump. pic.twitter.com/4hMsQVVlxE
— Justin Rush (@justin_devs) November 14, 2016
As far as we know, all the walkouts/protests in West Seattle are over now.
4:23 PM: More photos added inline above.
4:40 PM: We just checked with Seattle Public Schools spokesperson Luke Duecy regarding district policy for today’s walkouts. As was the case with last week’s West Seattle HS walkout, he says, “When a student leaves school without permission, the district considers that an unexcused absence. Students may not get the chance to make-up work missed. That decision on whether to allow a student to make-up work is up to an individual schools’ principal.” The district estimates that 5,000 students in all walked out of 20 middle and high schools, including Sealth and Denny, today. Also:
Seattle Public Schools is steadfast in our support for all students. While the protests are not sanctioned by the district, SPS students do have the right to peacefully demonstrate and express their personal views.
Any time a student leaves school without permission the district considers it an unexcused absence.
Staff are not taking part in the student-organized demonstrations. Some staff could observe students during their protest for safety and security reasons.
As a district we are responding to the requests and needs of our community and many schools are developing lessons and activities to have appropriate, post-election conversations in school buildings.
Regarding staff “observ(ation),” we saw both Sealth principal Aida Fraser-Hammer and Denny principal Jeff Clark on the sidewalk along Thistle, as well as assistant principals and at least one school security official who was telling students from the start of the walkout that they had to do it off school property (unlike some smaller demonstrations we covered earlier in the year which happened on the plaza by Sealth’s entrance).
The photo and report are from Alex:
Maybe not news but first time I’ve seen them, two jostling for space just upstream of fishbone bridge if you walk into the woods a little, just now!
Woo hoo, said our toddler!
The bridge is a bit north of Dragonfly Pavilion.
Another pre-holiday helping opportunity:
Do you have a couple hours Thursday, November 17 (12:30 – 3:00)? The White Center Food Bank will be doing one of our holiday food distributions and we’re short about 10 people. For questions or to volunteer, please contact Audrey Zemke at audrey@whitecenterfoodbank.org or 206-717-2531.
The WC Food Bank, by the way, serves part of West Seattle (south of Myrtle) as well as WC and vicinity.
A Good Samaritan just saved somebody’s life northwest of The Junction. Kelly texted the photo, explaining:
I was just driving down 44th near Andover and found a man face down all by himself, nobody around, I called 911, they had me roll (him) over and do chest compressions until the medics got here. …Doesn’t seem to be anybody who knows him in the neighborhood, he looks like he’s in maybe late 60s.
The medics have just taken the man to Harborview Medical Center. Kelly says he did not have a wallet or ID on him but did have cash and an iPhone. If you are looking for someone who might be this man, we would advise calling 911 to start with.
From the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar and newly launched West Seattle Holiday Guide:
STUDENT WALKOUT: Multiple schools around the city plan a student walkout at 1:30 pm today. Locally, Chief Sealth International High School is the only local school announced as participating, as reported here on Friday night. A citywide announcement this morning says Garfield, Nova, Franklin, the Center School, and UW are also participating. A 2:30 pm rally at Cal Anderson Park on Capitol Hill is planned as a followup, and then a 4:15 pm rally at Westlake Park downtown.
PHYSICAL THERAPY NIGHT: 5:30 pm at West Seattle Runner (WSB sponsor), a free one-to-one injury assessment with Biojunction Sports Therapy. (2743 California SW)
NORTH DELRIDGE NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL: 6:30 pm at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center, NDNC’s Michael Taylor-Judd says, “we will be discussing long term plans for the Council and a number of other groups and issues affecting our neighborhood.” All welcome. (4408 Delridge Way SW)
FAMILY STORY TIME: 6:30 pm, stories, songs, rhymes, and more at High Point Library, for children of all ages. (35th SW/SW Raymond)
QUIZ NIGHT: 7:30 pm at The Skylark, free, all ages. (3803 Delridge Way SW)
DADS’ BOOK CLUB: Second weekly meeting for this new group, 8:30 pm at Highland Park Improvement Club. Here’s how to get involved. (12th SW/SW Holden)
(Photo by Gary Jones – orcas seen from Alki Point area)
8:41 AM: Thanks for the tips – orcas are reported to be in the area again today. The person who called said they’re closer to the Vashon/Blake side, across from Fauntleroy; Jason points us to an Orca Network sighting thread with reports that they’re spread out and not necessarily heading in one direction. So if you’re on-peninsula and interested, take your binoculars over to the west-facing shore and have a look! (They were seen Sunday morning in Elliott Bay, as reported here, but the weather was a little murky for optimal viewing.)
9:06 AM: Thanks to Donna Sandstrom from The Whale Trail for this update – it’s a large group and they’re heading north, visible from the Alki area currently.
9:24 AM: Just got a report that a ferry going between Bremerton and Seattle has stopped so the orcas can pass!
9:36 AM: Just added (the top) photo from Gary Jones in the Alki Point area. Meantime, our texter says the ferry is moving again. (206-293-6302 any time, text or voice, that’s our breaking-news hotline, and whale sightings are always news!)
11:31 AM: Gary sent more photos that we’ve added to this story, including one showing the Bremerton ferry riders (aboard M/V Walla Walla) whale-watching as mentioned.
(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)
7:02 AM: Good morning. Two notes to start with – SFD is on the scene of a crash at West Marginal Way and Highland Park Way; Sound Transit says Route 560 is one of the routes experiencing delays because of a crash on the Eastside.
7:25 AM: SFD has closed out the call at West Marginal/Highland Park Way. We have no firsthand reports (and no cameras) there, though.
12:04 AM: Police have been dispatched to check out a report of four suspected gunshots near Me-Kwa-Mooks Park off Beach Drive. Along with hearing the dispatch, we’ve also received reports by phone and via Twitter. Too soon to know if they’ll find evidence of gunfire, but if you heard it and haven’t called 911 yet, please do, because the more reports they receive, police have said at community meetings, the better their chances of finding out what did (or didn’t) happen.
12:26 AM: No word yet if officers found anything. All we know otherwise is that there have *not* been any reports of a gunshot victim in the area.
(Direct link to West Seattle Junction draft HALA rezoning map)
If you’re on that map and interested in a city briefing about the proposed rezoning that’s part of the Housing Affordability and Livability Agenda – Tuesday is your big chance. The Junction Neighborhood Organization has announced its meeting on Tuesday night will include a presentation by, and Q&A with, senior planner Nick Welch of the city’s Office of Planning and Community Development. JuNO leader René Commons says Welch will “present the upzoning plan for our neighborhood and provide detail around the timing and process of proposed rezoning for increased density.”
The HALA rezoning is toward the HALA goal of Mandatory Housing Affordability; it will affect all property in the city that is currently zoned multifamily and/or commercial, as well as single-family properties that are in urban villages.
Draft maps for all the urban villages in the city – including the four in West Seattle (The Junction, Admiral, Westwood-Highland Park, and Morgan Junction) – were released online last month without an announcement, and the “outreach” since then has been scattered. Besides this guest appearance at the JuNO meeting, your major chance to find out more about what is (or isn’t) proposed for your neighborhood is a citizen-led, West Seattle/South Park-wide event coming up on November 29th (here’s the announcement we published last Monday). Following that, the city has an open house-style event planned for 5:30 pm December 7th at Shelby’s Ice Creamery and Bistro in The Junction, but no presentation, and the maps aren’t the only topic planned.
So if you are in the Junction “urban village” or the areas planned for expanding its boundaries (see the map), come to the Senior Center/Sisson Building (California SW/SW Oregon) on Tuesday (November 15th) at 6:30 pm to get a briefing, and answers to your questions. The questions and comments received by the city regarding the draft maps are expected to lead to final proposals
(Added: WSB photos)
5:52 PM: Thanks for the calls and texts about a police response and search in Admiral, primarily toward the east side of the business district. We’ve just arrived to find out more.
5:56 PM UPDATE: This apparently is related to the burglary we reported in our previous story – a suspect being sought in relation to the Ford with OR plates, which is in an Admiral business parking lot. Police believe the suspect is on foot and might be armed.
6:13 PM UPDATE: The search continues, including a K-9 team. The car was found between the Admiral Starbucks and Baskin-Robbins, where there’s still a heavy police presence. You might be seeing police blocks away from here, too, in all directions – the containment and search are spanning a wide area. We don’t have a description of the suspect yet.
6:22 PM UPDATE: We now have a partial description – white man in his 30s/40s, dark jacket, blue jeans, white sneakers. The car – reportedly a rental – was found with some items in it, but police won’t elaborate on whether it’s loot from the burglary. A tow truck will be taking it to SPD’s evidence lot shortly.
6:38 PM UPDATE: And now, a suspect is in custody at Hiawatha Playfield. Police tell us they believe it’s the person they’ve been seeking in relation to the burglary.
7:25 PM UPDATE: Photo added, from the WSHS/Hiawatha driveway south of the playfield, just before police took the suspect to the precinct for booking. A soccer team was at the field when the suspect turned up there, by the way; they quickly moved to the sidelines and everyone was OK, if a little startled.
11:31 PM UPDATE: The suspect, 29 years old, has been booked into jail, held for investigation of burglary and firearms violations. He does not appear to have a felony record, at least not in this state. Since he was booked before midnight, he’s likely to have a bail hearing tomorrow, and we’ll find out more about the case then.
Two reader reports:
ALKI BURGLARY: Phil reports his parents’ home in the Alki area was burglarized this afternoon, with the burglar(s) getting away with a lot of family jewelry “that had tremendous sentimental value.” They are believed to be in a silver Ford Escape, Oregon license starting with 179-G (police have the exact number). Call 911 if you see them.
CARD SKIMMING? MD wondered if a card skimmer was in action in the area this weekend – after somebody tried to charge something to his account at the Burien Walgreens, though his card is still in his possession. His previous use had been at a gas station on Roxbury. No proof that it’s where they got his number – he also had used it at a local restaurant the same day – but he wanted to get the word out to remind people to keep close watch on their accounts, and to see if anyone else had been hit by a similar fraud attempt. (The card is now, of course, canceled; he says his bank told him gas pumps and ATMs are the most frequent places numbers get stolen.)
@westseattleblog @wsferries Here she is….🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/7ctGY2jVtl
— shannon (@seapaddler) November 14, 2016
4:19 PM: Thanks to Shannon for the heads-up via Twitter. The aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68), which returned to Bremerton 10 days ago after almost a month away, is on its way out of Rich Passage right now – just a note for ship-watchers.
4:43 PM: Caught a glimpse from the west end of Alki Beach Park. It’s headed northbound fast.
5:22 PM: Added the photo we took (via long lens) from the promenade.
Four months since this year’s West Seattle Garden Tour, eight months until next year’s WSGT – but NOW is the time to start thinking about its poster/ticket-book art, chosen via competition. Just out of the WSB inbox this afternoon:
Call for Artists: West Seattle Garden Tour Art Competition
West Seattle Garden Tour’s annual search for local talent is under way! Your creative interpretation of the theme “The Art of Gardening” could win you prominence on the 2017 garden tour poster and ticket book, a spot in the West Seattle Art Walk, and $500! Original artwork may be submitted in person February 10-12, 2017, so start creating now. Get all the details and an entry form at the WSGT website.
Recent years’ winners: Cynthia Dale Turner (2016), Gretchen Flickinger (2015), and Sue Madill (2014).
(WSB photos)
As the West Seattle YMCA (WSB sponsor) expansion project gets closer to completion, more new features are coming online. We stopped by this week for a hard-hat tour to get a look at what’s happening. Above, the new outdoor play structure is in, but the really big news is indoors – a new exercise area next to the pool features Queenax, described as “a multipurpose training system that centers on your functional fitness, using exercises that mimic what you do in daily life to improve cardiovascular endurance and gain strength, flexibility, and conditioning.”
You can register for free Queenax demos that start tomorrow, whether you’re a Y member or not – sign up online (find the links on this page) or at the Y. Open drop-in times and group-exercise classes launch December 5th (here’s the schedule).
Back to the tour – Read More
Thanks to Chas Redmond for the tip – he says a car has crashed on, and is blocking, the Delridge offramp from the westbound West Seattle Bridge. SFD Engine 36 was briefly assigned to respond but has already been canceled so we’re not sure about injuries but Chas says the car had major damage. If you’re headed this way any time soon, be aware you might need to take a different exit.
We photographed Giles and Cathy in the storage area that Westside Unitarian Universalist Congregation is letting them borrow for the donations they’ll be taking to the Standing Rock Sioux-led oil-pipeline-route-protest camp later this month. We stopped by yesterday, during the second of three Saturday dropoff events there; one more is coming up, next Saturday (November 19th), 8 am-noon (7141 California SW). If you’re just hearing about this now, here’s their original announcement; here’s last weekend’s update. Now – the update they sent this morning:
Another big thank you to West Seattle. We now have more stuff than will fit in our cargo van. And we have one more week of donations!
We now need folks who are going to Standing Rock to help transport the donations before the winter weather truly sets in. If you can help, let us know so that we can coordinate with you.
Or, we can still take monetary donations.
Cathy Morgan and Giles Stanton
They also provided this inventory of what’s been donated so far (PDF).
8 AM: The weather’s a little murky but if you’re near the water – keep watch for whales. Todd reports a northbound sighting just now, Alki area, headed toward Magnolia.
8:03 AM: Just after posting that, we got a text with another report and more details:
7:30 am-7:50 am, orcas seen between the west end of Alki Beach promenade and Alki Point. Adult and adolescent, possibly one more. Initially 50-100 yards from shore, gradually moving away from shore toward Magnolia, then diagonally toward Pier 91/Queen Anne.Exhibited what I would describe as feeding behavior – circling and roiling the water.
(Harlequin ducks, photographed by Mark Wangerin)
From the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar and newly launched Holiday Guide, highlights for today/tonight:
CURIOUS KIDSTUFF ONE-DAY SALE: West Seattle’s one and only toy store offers you a deal today – it’s a one-day sale at Curious Kidstuff (WSB sponsor) in The Junction, 10 am-5 pm, 15 percent off. (4740 California SW)
WEST SEATTLE FARMERS’ MARKET: Year-round in The Junction, 10 am-2 pm. (California SW between SW Oregon and SW Alaska)
BOOK DONATIONS: As previewed here last night, the Chief Sealth Key Club welcomes donations of children’s books (particularly kindergarten-4th grade reading level) 10 am-2 pm at the West Seattle Kiwanis booth at the Farmers’ Market. (California SW just north of SW Alaska)
FAUNTLEROY FINE ART AND HOLIDAY GIFT SHOW: 11 am-2 pm, the three-day show/sale concludes at Fauntleroy Church‘s Fellowship Hall. Participating artists are listed here. (9140 California SW)
BENEFIT BOOK SIGNING: As previewed here, First Lutheran Church of West Seattle pastor Ron Marshall signs his new book “Kierkegaard in the Pulpit: Sermons Inspired by His Writings.” Benefit for West Seattle Helpline and West Seattle Food Bank. (4105 California SW)
METROPOLITAN MARKET THANKSGIVING TASTE: 1-4 pm at Metropolitan Market-Admiral (WSB sponsor): “Taste our delicious fully-cooked Thanksgiving meal from our deli, with a variety of sides and desserts.” (41st/42nd/Admiral)
SURVIVING THE HOLIDAYS: Grief-support program at Grace Church, 2-4 pm; details in our calendar listing. (10323 28th SW)
BRAZILIAN MUSIC … with Choro Tocando at C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor), 3-5 pm. (5612 California SW)
POLISH PIANO FESTIVAL: Three pianists perform Polish piano music, 3 pm in Olympic Hall at the south end of South Seattle College (WSB sponsor), presented by Music Northwest. (6000 16th SW)
CLASSICAL CONCERT: Free concert by the Ladies’ Musical Club, music for flute, soprano, and piano, 3-4 pm at West Seattle (Admiral) Library. (2306 42nd SW)
AND MORE … on our complete calendar page.
Photos by Leda Costa for West Seattle Blog
(Sampling James Elliott’s fragrances at Twilight Gallery)
From smellable art to wearable art …
(Frances Smersh’s earrings at Click! Design That Fits)
… this month’s West Seattle Art Walk offered variety. And gift ideas! Even if you missed the Art Walk on Thursday night, you can still check out (and buy) the artists’ work at most of the venues, so read on for a sampling of what’s out there … Read More
Every Sunday, the Kiwanis Club of West Seattle is at the south end of the WS Farmers’ Market, with a tent on California SW just before the “road closed” sign at SW Alaska. That’s where you can drop off books tomorrow (and the following two Sundays) to support this Chief Sealth International High School Key Club project, explained by club VP Alan Cao:
The African Library Project is a non-profit organization who’s main goal is to create libraries in Africa specifically, our club is trying to create a library in Kenya. We are in the need of used but in good condition books. We are mainly looking for books that are reading levels Kindergarten through 4th Grade. We will be collecting books at the Kiwanis Tent in front of Cupcake Royale at the Farmers Market in the Junction every Sunday from 10-2 until the end of November. Donations are also accepted. Please stop by if you have any books to donate!
We start with a situation that’s been unfolding over the past hour or so:
ARREST: A big police response in the PCC Natural Markets (WSB sponsor) parking lot was related to what police would only describe as “an altercation” somewhere else. A man involved in it left the original scene and turned up near the store, where he was taken into custody. If we get any further information, we’ll update.
Now, three reader reports:
STOLEN CAR: Jonathan says this happened in the 2600 block of 44th SW:
Our green 1996 Honda Accord LX wagon was stolen between Thursday night & Friday morning; license plate AGM6929.
The windows are tinted, except the front passenger’s side window which is untinted.
The paint is a little more worn than in this photo from a couple years ago.
FOUND BICYCLE #1: From Susan:
This bike was abandoned by our house in the Genesee Hill area. The police have come to pick it and it is now in their possession. Please contact the SW precinct if you are the owner or have questions about the bike.
FOUND BICYCLE #2: No photo, but: “We found an older red mountain bike on Fauntleroy near Morgan Junction. We’d like to get it back to the owner, please email us at l_c_turner (at) hotmail (dot) com with make and model if you’re missing a bike. We’re also going to try to find the serial number and report the find to the police.”
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