West Seattle, Washington
21 Wednesday
(Westside School photo from 72-70 victory over Holy Rosary)
Congratulations and good luck to the 8th-grade boys-varsity basketball team at Westside School (WSB sponsor), which is playing for the CYO championship tomorrow – a historic milestone for the school, says Westside’s Ted Holmes:
This was the first time a Westside School basketball team has played a varsity schedule, the first time a Westside School sports team has won a playoff game, and now the first time a Westside School team has advanced to the championship game.
Westside School defeated St Francis in the quarterfinals last Saturday 44-32, and then beat arch rival Holy Rosary for the second time this season last Sunday, 55-46. Westside School trailed to Holy Rosary at half 27-18, but scored 19 points in the third quarter and 17 more in the fourth, to come back and secure the win. Westside School will face St Edward in the championship.
The game is at 4:30 pm Saturday at Bishop Blanchet (8200 Wallingford Ave. N.).
(Click any view for a close-up)
6:55 AM: Happy Friday! No incidents in or from West Seattle so far. One alert, for tomorrow:
CRANE REMOVAL AT 35TH/AVALON: Here’s the alert we published Thursday. The contractor says four lanes adjacent to the Aura mixed-use project on 35th south of Avalon will be closed for most of Saturday as they remove the tower crane. Avoid the area. No bus rerouting announced.
7:24 AM: SDOT reports a crash blocking the left lane of the eastbound bridge at 4th Avenue South.
7:56 AM: SDOT says that’s cleared.
8:16 AM: Crash reported at 14th/Henderson is not affecting traffic. SPD tells us a drowsy driver hit a parked car; 2 people hurt.
8:59 AM: Added a photo from 14th/Henderson scene. SPD says the truck at left was headed west on Henderson when the driver veered out of his lane and into the parked pickup.
1:10 PM: Added – another weekend traffic advisory, this one for the south side of downtown, but you might be interested:
The Seattle Department of Transportation advises travelers of weekend closure of 4th Avenue South (northbound one-way) between South Jackson and South Main streets. 4th Avenue South will be closed from Saturday February 6th at 1 a.m. to Sunday, February 7th at 11:59 p.m. for removal of a tower crane by a private construction company. Metro transit will be able to pass thru on the west side of the bus island, not general traffic.
(WSB photos)
2:18 AM: If you heard the sirens: A Seattle Fire “heavy rescue” response went out a few minutes ago for a crash at 36th and Morgan. It’s already been scaled back to some degree; we’re on our way to find out more.
2:40 AM: One woman has been taken to the hospital, police tell us. A car is on its side in the planting strip on the east side of 36th south of Morgan; what appears to have been a parked pickup (now pointed uphill, southbound) has major rear-end damage.
2:52 AM: Morgan is open again after more SFD units left. Tow truck is arriving.
(Rendering from meeting “packet,” by GGLO)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
The Aegis Living assisted-living/memory-care complex planned for 4700 SW Admiral Way has won Southwest Design Review Board approval in the minimum number of meetings – two.
Giving unanimous approval were the three board members present for the second review tonight – Matt Zinski, T. Frick McNamara, and Alexandra Moravec. Joining them was the city’s assigned planner for the project, Holly Godard. The board members agreed that Aegis had listened and responded to the feedback given at the first review last July (here’s the official city report from that meeting).
This is a major milestone for the project set to replace the former Life Care Center of America, two years after we first reported that Aegis Living was buying this site.
Here’s what the project team, board, and community members said before the board made its decision:
Two more West Seattle Crime Watch notes:
SEAVIEW PROWLERS: Just got a call on our 24/7 line (206-293-6302) from a Seaview resident who says two prowlers were in and around his neighbors’ garage, between 47th and 48th and Raymond and Graham, about an hour ago, and took off running when they saw him – descriptive information included white males, beards, hoodies, dark clothing, flashlights. (His neighbors weren’t home at the time but are back now and have been informed, as have police, who he said were in the area looking around.)
MAIL THEFT: Via text, a Westwood-area resident reported: “At 6:45 am on my way to work I noticed mail along 26th SW and 25th SW by SW Thistle. Looks like someone made a spree in opening mailboxes and getting mail and I even saw a few packages open.” The texter was planning to file a police report, last we heard.
(Photo courtesy @webcami)
9:31 PM: Thanks for the tips – we’re at 61st and Alki, where a double-digit turnout of Seattle Police cars has converged along the businesses on both sides of the intersection. A private (AMR) ambulance is here now too, and we’re waiting to talk to police to find out what’s going on.
(WSB photo)
9:37 PM: Here’s what police tell us happened: An officer in the area was flagged down by someone reporting a belligerent bar patron at Celtic Swell. The officer came into contact with that person, who got even more belligerent, and the officer called for backup – that’s why the big showing. The situation is now under control, and most of the police have left. The suspect, we’re told, left in the ambulance.
FRIDAY MORNING NOTE: See the comment section for details from someone who was there as it happened.
(WSB photos)
For the fourth year, West Seattle Elementary School invited students and their families to a Family Health Carnival – “to increase families’ knowledge of and participation in physical activity and healthy eating,” explains school nurse Terri Helm-Remund, who got the grant that enabled the first one in the 2012-2013 school year. Since then, “the school has duplicated the event each year using volunteers (many from AmeriCorps) and grant funding from different sources.”
About 120 people participated, The evening began with a round of Zumba, then dinner sponsored by the United Way, followed by games, activities, and informational tables featuring organizations including the American Lung Association, Cheer Seattle (top photo), First Tee, Girls on the Run, Seattle Fire Department (photo below), Seattle Parks Aquatic Program, Seattle Parks Scholarship Program, Camp Long (which brought the owl in the photo above this paragraph), Within Reach, WSE Parent Booster Club, High Point Neighborcare, and High Point Neighborhood House.
About 120 people were there to enjoy the evening, Helm-Remund tells WSB.
(WSB photo)
5:26 PM: It’s been the question of the day: What’s going on at the former Feedback Lounge space (6451 California SW in Morgan Junction)?
While plywood’s up now, the facade was all but removed earlier today. Building permits and other documents show a renovation plan that’s been in the works for a few months to add more glass – “reconfigure storefront glazing” – to the front of the building.
We went by late this afternoon to check on its status and found someone who identified himself as a prospective tenant there to take a look. The landlords had told WSB recently that the building remains available for lease – as this listing indicates – and that the “Sound Bar” plan with nearby restaurateur Dan Austin hadn’t gone through after all.
The Feedback Lounge closed six months ago, after more than six years as a rock-‘n’-roll bar and restaurant.
ADDED 5:46 PM: A representative of the building’s ownership tells WSB regarding the renovations, “The building is going to look beautiful … bigger windows and a skylight. More natural light will show off the original cedar beams inside,” and confirms no tenant finalized yet. If you look at the photo in this 2008 WSB story, you’ll note the building’s corner space, home to Zeeks Pizza (WSB sponsor), used to be short on windows, too.
Neighbors of the Pecos Pit Barbecue project at 4400 35th SW are asking for a meeting with city reps to show their concerns about its drive-thru exiting onto SW Genesee.
The concerns aren’t new – they’ve come up since the proposal (first reported here a year ago) was shown to include a drive-through, which will be the fourth in the 35th/Avalon vicinity (after KFC, Taco Time, and Starbucks). But as neighbors point out, they’re unique because the drive-through on the restaurant’s east side will have vehicles exiting onto residential SW Genesee to the north, where parking overflow from the apartments and condos along Avalon tends to result in one travel lane.
The city has approved the plan and said it didn’t require a wider review because it wasn’t a change in use for the building, owned by City Light and formerly a teriyaki restaurant. But that restaurant didn’t have a drive-through. Neighbors say they’re not opposed to the new restaurant but they think the city has underestimated its likely popularity and that will result in not just more traffic to Genesee but also a backup on the entrance to the drive-thru, which is from an alley to the south.
In an e-mail loop about the continuing concerns, city rep Bryan Stevens said that if there’s a “long-term problem” once the restaurant’s been open, the city can take another look:
When our staff reviewed the proposal, it was for the purpose of using an existing restaurant building for a new restaurant with the addition of a drive-in function. Based on the size of the new restaurant space and that it was a small local business (not a high-volume chain), staff did not see the need to require any additional queuing space beyond what was shown. While there are prescriptive queuing requirements for high-volume drive-in businesses such as banks and gas stations, restaurant businesses require staff to use their discretion based on what is known about the business and its operations.
While it’s possible upon first opening that there may be a pent up demand leading to queuing challenges, staff determined that for normal average operations, that the spaces shown on the plans would accommodate the demand and traffic flow. If queuing volume presents a long term problem after the business is in operation, then SDOT will have the business develop and implement an approved revision to better manage the vehicle queues.
Councilmember Lisa Herbold, also in the e-mail conversation, says she has already looked into “what types of streets a drive through service can utilize. The response from DCI was that only Pedestrian Zones (which begins at SW Alaska) limit curb cuts along certain streets and prohibit businesses which are car-centric.” Neighbors are now asking for her and city and project reps to meet at the site for a firsthand look.
During the next West Seattle Art Walk – one week from tonight – it’s your chance to offer your thoughts about the public art installation that’s on its way to The Junction. We reported last year about the plan for art in Junction Plaza Park, 
the greenspace at 42nd/Alaska where the community gathers for events including the annual Christmas-tree lighting and special features during West Seattle Summer Fest. As mentioned briefly in our report on last night’s Southwest District Council meeting – with a promise of this followup – the artist chosen for the project, Troy Pillow, will be at Cupcake Royale from 6-8 pm on Thursday, February 4th, showing proposed designs for the art installation, which is partly funded by a grant from the Department of Neighborhoods and partly with “public benefit” funding from the nearby Spruce development. So drop in while you’re visiting for Art Walk, evening shopping, dinner, etc. – here’s more info from the West Seattle Junction Association.
11:59 AM: Just announced: The tower crane for the mixed-use project Aura on 35th SW just south of SW Avalon is coming down on Saturday, and that means lane closures on 35th. Also note work on Avalon to follow next week. From contractor Compass:
This Saturday (February 6th, 2016) we will be closing down the 4 lanes on 35th Ave SW adjacent our site to dismantle our tower crane (all of which has been approved by the City of Seattle). The road will be signed accordingly and a police officer will be present to direct traffic (see attached traffic control plan for reference). The plan is to roll on site at 5:00 am Saturday with a mobile crane so we can start work by 7:00 am.
Weather permitting, we’ll have the crane completely dismantled and hauled off by 9:00pm. Though we are permitted to work until 10 PM with the lane closures, we are confident (weather permitting) we will be out of there before then. However, if we run into complications, we will wrap up Sunday morning. We apologize for any inconveniences this may cause to your weekend commutes.
Lastly, we will begin work an Avalon St. next week as we connect our underground utilities. This work will take almost 2 weeks, and will be performed between 8:00am and 4:00pm. The lanes will be modified as we trench across the street, however, they will be signed accordingly and hopefully will not impede the daily commuters significantly.
Aura’s crane went up 14 months ago. When it’s down, two will remain in West Seattle for now, both at The Whittaker‘s site (4755 Fauntleroy Way SW).
1:10 PM: We’ve added a photo and corrected the project’s name – it’s Aura, as previously reported here.
(January 2012 WSB photo by Christopher Boffoli)
The re-replacement of more than 600 earthquake-safety cushions under the west end of the West Seattle Bridge could start as soon as late March.
That update today from a spokesperson for SDOT‘s Fauntleroy Expressway Bearing Pad Replacement Project.
We first reported last month that the re-replacement is finally about to get under way, a year later than first announced, and two years after the city revealed the new cushions installed in 2012 would need to be replaced because of a design-process problem.
Since this work is expected to require dozens of bridge closures – mostly late at night – we had asked last month how SDOT would take into account the Alaskan Way Viaduct closure for the tunneling project that at the time was also expected in March. Since the tunneling’s been on hold again for three weeks now, SDOT says today:
We have been hoping to get a firm (or relatively firm) range of dates for the likely AWV closure. However, the Governor’s directive to stop any additional drilling until he is satisfied with the answers provided to him about the sinkhole leaves the closure schedule very much in the air.
Given this situation, along with our belief that our project’s nighttime closures will generally add no more than a couple of minutes of travel time for detoured motorists, we are going to move ahead. We expect to begin construction sometime between late March and mid-April (and hope to have a firmer schedule in hand from the contractor by the end of February).
While we’d prefer to not have our weeknight closures of the Expressway overlap with the AWV closure, we don’t believe there is enough of a linkage between the two to cause us to delay the project.
A briefing is planned at next month’s Southwest District Council meeting (6:30 pm Wednesday, March 3rd, Sisson Building), and SDOT says it would be happy to meet with any other interested groups. The city has reiterated that the bridge is safe; tougher cushions extend its lifespan.
Highlights of what’s up around West Seattle for the rest of today/tonight:
LAFAYETTE KINDERGARTEN TOURS: 1:15-2:15 pm, prospective parents are invited to tour Lafayette Elementary. (California SW/SW Lander)
IMMIGRANTS’ STORIES @ SWYFS: 5-7 pm, dinner, a tour, and conversations at Southwest Youth and Family Services, featuring Seattle’s Civic Poet Claudia Castro Luna and immigrant families – details in our calendar listing. (4555 Delridge Way SW)
FREE TAX-PREP HELP: You might qualify for the tax-preparation help being offered via United Way of King County at 24 locations including, in our community, the West Seattle Food Bank. 5-9 tonight and other nights – info in our calendar listing. (35th SW/SW Morgan)
WEST SEATTLE LITTLE LEAGUE: 6-8 pm at Uptown Espresso in The Junction, West Seattle Little League (which provided the photo above) is hosting another information/document night: “Join us if you need to turn in your documents OR if you just want more information about WSLL and the upcoming season.” The registration deadline is coming up fast – Monday, February 15th – and you can sign up online at westseattlelittleleague.com. (California/Edmunds/Erskine)
RELAY FOR LIFE OF WEST SEATTLE: The kickoff meeting for this June’s overnight cancer-fighting Relay for Life of West Seattle is 6-7:30 pm at The Hall at Fauntleroy. Come meet organizers and team captains and find out how to be part of it. (9131 California SW)
PATHFINDER SCHOOL ELEMENTARY TOURS: K-5 tours 6-7:30 pm tonight – RSVP required; the school website explains how to do that. (1901 SW Genesee)
DENNY INTERNATIONAL MIDDLE SCHOOL OPEN HOUSE: 6:30 pm, prospective families are invited to an open house to meet Denny teachers and staff. (2601 SW Kenyon)
2ND DESIGN REVIEW FOR 4700 SW ADMIRAL WAY: As previewed here earlier this week, the Aegis Living West Seattle assisted-living/memory-care project at 4700 SW Admiral Way goes back to the Southwest Design Review Board tonight, 6:30 pm at the Sisson Building. (California SW/SW Oregon)
LIVE MUSIC AT PARLIAMENT TAVERN: 8 pm, Sweet Jesus, The Other Matt Clark, Graham MacRae are on tonight’s lineup at Parliament Tavern in The Admiral District. (4210 SW Admiral Way)
LOOK AHEAD … to see what’s coming up on our calendar, especially to get a jump on morning events (like school tours) that happen before we publish this daily reminder list.
(Click any view for a close-up)
6:56 AM: Good morning. So far, no incidents reported in/from West Seattle.
7:43 AM: A crash is reported at 24th/Holden.
7:52 AM: Via Twitter, Michael reports lower Spokane backed up @ Alaskan, possibly by signal issues.
(WSB photos – click images for larger views)
Last regular-season home game for the undefeated West Seattle High School girls-varsity basketball team on Wednesday night – and their season-long win streak continued with a 51-43 win over Seattle Prep. Pre-game honors for seniors included special balls to #32 Lydia Giomi (above) and #30 Lexi Ioane (below) – Giomi scored her 1000th point vs. Eastside Catholic back on January 8th and pulled down her 1000th rebound vs. Garfield on January 29th; Ioane scored her 1000th point vs. Lakeside on December 16th.
Other Wildcat seniors include #21 Gabby Sarver and #15 Sarah DuLong. The team finishes the regular season Friday night at Franklin.
(WSB photo)
At Chief Sealth International High School tonight, the last regular-season home game for the girls-varsity team brought a 60-42 loss to Holy Names. In our photo is the Seahawks’ #2 Allison Hadaway, one of the seniors honored tonight along with #11 Bella Cortez De Bonar, #24 Elliott Snodgrass, and #34 Kali Schroyer. The team plays at Eastside Catholic Friday night, and then the postseason begins.
In West Seattle Crime Watch tonight:
TRUCK STOLEN IN THE JUNCTION: Beau‘s brother just moved back to West Seattle and was staying with their mom when his truck was taken from a street parking space:
The vehicle that was taken is a 1980 black Ford F150 truck with Washington plate # 16650cv it was parked at SW Oregon St and 40th AVE SW and was taken sometime between Monday evening 2/1/16 (after 7pm) and today 2/3/16 (before 3 pm). A police report was filed and it was also confirmed by the police department and their database that the vehicle had not been towed. Please contact Beau at 406-431-6792 or the police with any information.
MORE BROKEN WINDOWS: Following our Sunday and Monday reports on windows (mostly cars) broken out around the peninsula, we heard from two more people today – a caller who said a driver’s-side window was taken out while her car was parked by the tennis courts alongside Whale Tail Park in Alki, and Laurie R., who wrote:
Between 8:30 – 8:45 last night, our driver’s side rear window was smashed. We’re in Sunrise Heights, on the corner of 32nd & Elmgrove. My sister was outside on the porch when it happened and saw a small silver car speed away. She called 911 and the police arrived about 10 minutes later to take a report.
We asked Southwest Precinct Capt. Pierre Davis today if these were considered related; he said detectives hadn’t heard about that many yet, wondering if maybe the reports are in the online queue. So keep reporting them, if they happen.
WAS THIS LOOT? Jovelyn found a “black Eddie Bauer diaper bag filled with supplies and an inhaler” near 29th and Brandon – no ID, dumped in a ditch. The bag also had an invoice book that didn’t belong on the bag but did belong to somebody in the 9700 block of 12th SW whose car had been broken into. Sound familiar? Please comment.
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
Hours after Mayor Murray officially unveiled the $290 million, 7-year Housing Levy renewal/expansion, it was the centerpiece of this month’s Southwest District Council meeting.
First – here’s the overview flyer:
The briefing was led by Office of Housing director Steve Walker, with colleague Maureen Kostyack. 
He first tried to explain where HALA (the Housing Affordability and Livability Agenda) and the levy overlap, and where they don’t.
Voters have elected “to tax themselves for affordability” since 1981, he said, segueing into the levy-specific discussion.
This will cost you about $10/month if you have a home around $480,000 in value – double the $5/month for the housing levy that’s expiring, according to Walker, who added: “In the end, the levy’s about people … How can we create an opportunity for our children to be able to live in Seattle? … At the pace we’re going, that’s not possible. How can we be sure people aren’t displaced by the community and the community connection they have?”
Kostyack summarized the three areas the levy is intended to address (the city team was supposed to have a slide deck but couldn’t get the setup to work, so they improvised without it):
The photo and report are from Joleen Post of the West Seattle & Fauntleroy YMCA (WSB sponsor):
Tonight, more than 100 YMCA volunteers and staff kicked off the Together We Can Build a Better Us campaign at The Hall at Fauntleroy! 2016 is an exciting year at the West Seattle & Fauntleroy YMCA and the goal is to raise $400,000 by March 16.
$350,000 will be designated to the Youth and Family Programs Fund. This enables the Y to offer West Seattle kids the chance to develop their full potential through academic support and enrichment, camps, youth sports, swimming, after-school programs, early learning, and more. Many of the Y’s school-based academic-support programs are free thanks to community donations. For Y programs with a fee, this fund supports families who cannot afford the full cost.
$50,000 will be designated toward the Building Fund, supporting the upcoming West Seattle YMCA facility expansion and renovation. The Y has already raised nearly $3.64 million locally toward an overall goal of $4 million. Construction on the expansion and renovation will start when the Y receives building permits this spring. Learn more at OurNewY.org.
Donors may choose which fund they prefer to support or designate their gift to the Community’s Greatest Need. Since this year is a big one for the Y – the West Seattle & Fauntleroy YMCA Board is diving in and matching every new and increased gift.
You can help by giving to the Y’s just-launched Together We Can Build a Better Us campaign here.
If you see extra equipment at the 63rd Avenue Pump Station in South Alki – King County Wastewater Treatment Division is bringing in a temporary generator truck after the station’s main electrical breaker failed. Spokesperson Annie Kolb-Nelson says this is not related to ongoing upgrade work, but: “Unfortunately, the generator may be noisy to the near neighbors. The good news is that we will be able to minimize its use, because it will only be needed during storms and high flows, and it looks like drier weather is in the forecast starting Saturday.” Repairs could take up to two weeks, she adds. A flyer has been sent to neighbors, with this number for questions: 206-263-9453.
FIRST PM TRAFFIC ALERT, 4:36 PM: Thanks to the texter who reported the 35th/Roxbury stoplight is in flashing-red mode. We just verified it; and via Twitter, SDOT says its engineers have been alerted.
5:10 PM: Just checked. Still flashing.
SECOND PM TRAFFIC ALERT, 5:22 PM: A crash has closed southbound 4th Avenue S. at Spokane:
UPDATE: SB 4th Ave S is closed at S Spokane St. Use alternate routes! Backup growing fast. pic.twitter.com/RdzhH7so53
— seattledot (@seattledot) February 4, 2016
Turns out this too has to do with a flashing traffic signal – resulting from crash damage, and causing big backups.
(WSB photos)
2:19 PM: Chief Sealth International High School and Denny International Middle School are in “shelter in place” right now, the district confirms. – with police investigating, following a report that someone might have been seen with a gun at Sealth. There is NO report of anyone having been injured – this is precautionary right now. More as we get it.
2:25 PM: We’ve just talked to police at the school. They say the person who was reported to have been seen with a gun is believed to have left the building. (According to dispatch description, it’s believed to be a female former student.)
2:30 PM: SPD says five have been “detained” (which doesn’t necessarily mean “arrested”). Our crew says that’s happening on or near the Southwest Athletic Complex fields south of Sealth but it appears police are leaving without anyone in custody. If you’re seeing a helicopter, it’s TV.
2:41 PM: SPS says the “shelter in place” is over and the schools will be dismissed as normal. SPD says officers have found marijuana (where, they haven’t said) but no weapon.
2:55 PM: Per scanner, officers have found the person they were looking for, at Westwood Village.
3:18 PM: Only one police car remains at that scene, at Rite-Aid, and operations inside the store appear to be normal. The suspect was reported in custody a short time ago; we’ll be checking on whether she was arrested. (And if and when we get the messaging that goes home to parents, we’ll add it here.)
3:56 PM: Here’s what police have just reported via SPD Blotter:
Seattle police arrested an 18-year-old woman Wednesday afternoon at Chief Sealth High School in West Seattle after she was reportedly seen with a firearm.
At around 2 PM, a fellow student reported seeing the young woman drop a firearm in bathroom, before picking it up and leaving the school building.
School staff called police and put the Sealth and nearby Denny Middle School campuses in shelter in place.
Officers identified the student alleged to have a firearm and found her at the Westwood Village shopping center. Police were not immediately able to locate the handgun, but arrested the 18-year-old for a firearms violation.
During the investigation, officers also attempted to contact a group of students near the school after they ran from police.
Officers were able to contact the group of students and determine they were not connected to the young woman seen with the firearm. Police, however, did find a bag of marijuana while attempting to contact the group, but it remains unclear whether it belonged to any of the students.
ADDED 6:58 PM: Denny principal Jeff Clark just sent us the letter he and his counterpart at Sealth have e-mailed to families:
Dear Chief Sealth International High School and Denny International Middle School Families,
We want to inform you of an incident that involved both Chief Sealth and Denny today. At around 2:00 PM, a Chief Sealth student reported to her teacher that she saw another student with what looked like a gun. The teacher notified the office. The administration called 911 and both Chief
Sealth and Denny went into a shelter-in-place. The police responded immediately to the Chief Sealth campus. After a police investigation and assessment of potential danger, the shelter-in-place was lifted. Shortly thereafter, Seattle police arrested an 18-year-old Chief Sealth female student at Westwood Village.Please know that we take safety in our buildings very seriously; the well-being of students is our top concern. We are proud of how our students and staff responded to this incident.
We are committed to doing everything we can to keep our students safe. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Sincerely,
Aida Fraser-Hammer
Principal Chief Sealth International High SchoolJeff Clark
Principal, Denny International Middle School
Saturday, a gathering is planned to remember 21-year-old Chad Crooks. This is from his family:
Laura and Todd, along with Corey, Macey, and Grady Crooks, write this to share some profoundly sad news with those that have not yet heard. In the early morning hours of Thursday, 21st our sweet, brilliant, gentle giant,
Chad Crooks lost his battle with mental illness and with that, we lost him. At 21, he was our oldest son and brother and a blessing to everyone that met him along his path. With everyone around us, we grieve and love and, in time, we will heal.
Even through his recent struggles, Chad remained gentle and kind, but in the end, made a choice to control his destiny. Chad battled a disease that threatened to offer little hope of using his gifts, making them just beyond his grasp. His brilliance was a gift that he hoped would advance the knowledge and understanding of the complexities of our existence and lives on Earth and elsewhere. Our loss is the world’s loss.
This mental health tragedy is not unique to the Crooks family. It is a devastating, cruel affliction that destroys beauty. Like cancer or heart disease, schizophrenia and other types of mental illness have the same impact, often killing with an invisible hand.
A service will be held at our Admiral UCC Church here in West Seattle on February 6th at 2PM with stories, love and refreshments following. The Admiral United Congregational Church of West Seattle is located at 4320 SW Hill Street. Donations designated in Chad’s honor will be gratefully accepted to aid research in the field of schizophrenia and depression, with details available at the Saturday service.
(WSB publishes West Seattle obituaries by request, free of charge. Please e-mail the text, and a photo if available, to editor@westseattleblog.com)
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