day : 18/01/2017 13 results

Toplines from last night’s West Seattle Crime Prevention Council meeting: The Southwest Precinct has new bicycle officers who, among other things, are tasked with patroling for car prowlers. That’s still the biggest crime problem in our area, so the precinct is hopeful this is a new way of making a dent in it.

As always, the heart of the meeting was the opportunity for attendees to discuss neighborhood crime/safety concerns. Most of the three dozen or so attendees were there because of concerns related to last Thursday’s stabbing (WSB coverage here) at a house in the 6700 block of 18th SW on Puget Ridge.

(WSB photo, last Thursday)

The suspect is still at large, confirmed precinct commander Capt. Pierre Davis, and the investigation continues. Some attendees who identified themselves as parents and PTA members at nearby Sanislo Elementary wanted to know why the school hadn’t been in lockdown while police were searching that afternoon. Capt. Davis said he and Operations Lt. Ron Smith would see what they could find out about how that decision was made.

Others pointed out that this wasn’t the first trouble at the house in question, reminding police that it had been brought up at a Crime Prevention Council meeting about a year and a half ago. Taking action against “nuisance houses” is not a fast process, Lt. Smith noted, saying the precinct is aware this is a trouble spot. Community Police Team Officer Jon Flores will be out to talk to neighbors, he promised, to figure out what steps can be taken next.

The scheduled guest for the meeting, scheduled to talk about “active shooter” situations, was a no-show. So that made extra time for the community-concerns discussion. Next WSCPC meeting is set for February 21st, 7 pm, at the precinct (2300 SW Webster).

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THINK SUMMER: Help make Delridge Day 2017 a reality

January 18, 2017 9:17 pm

| Comments Off on THINK SUMMER: Help make Delridge Day 2017 a reality

| Delridge | How to help | West Seattle festivals | West Seattle news

(Dance Brazil performers – WSB photo from 2016 Delridge Day)

Do something different this year … delight your West Seattle neighbors by helping make a festival happen! The community members who have been making Delridge Day happen each summer are looking for a new planning coordinator:

2017 could be the twelfth Delridge Day celebration, but it needs you! Yes, YOU!

Do you have a passion for the neighborhoods along the Delridge corridor? Have you enjoyed the Delridge Day celebrations in the past? Can you step up to take on the leadership needed to help this growing festival continue?

It is expected that a new leader will bring their own vision of what Delridge Day can be … but there is help, too. For example, the music coordinator has committed to continuing this year. Past organizers have built a network of contacts and action item lists for organizing Delridge Day, so a blueprint is in place.

A new leader should have commitment; great organizational skills; time to contact and follow up with participants to organize music, food, booths, and equipment; and the ability to build a team of volunteers to assist with the event. You will work with Parks and the city for permitting. Planning begins in January for the August event.

We’ve been fortunate over the years to have dedicated people step up to make this fun and growing event happen. Community doesn’t happen by accident … it takes people willing to build. We are only as strong as our relationships to each other.

First step – contact Nancy, even if you just have a question. She’s at n_folsom@msn.com.

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WHOSE ART? Young West Seattleite has a question for you

January 18, 2017 8:14 pm

| 12 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | WS culture/arts

That photo of A-board artwork was sent by Natalie W., 12 years old, with this question:

I have been seeing these paintings around West Seattle and I have been wondering what they are for. What’s the scoop? It would be awesome if you could put this on the West Seattle Blog with the question, why are these around West Seattle. Thank you!

We have to admit, we’ve wondered too. We’ve seen them along Fauntleroy now and then. If you know the backstory – please comment (or e-mail editor@westseattleblog.com) – thanks!

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STORM AFTERMATH: Overflow south of Alki Point

January 18, 2017 5:08 pm

| 1 COMMENT

| Environment | West Seattle news

(Added: Texted photo – thank you!)

5:08 PM: If you’re out for a walk tonight and notice signs south of Alki Point – the King County Wastewater Treatment Division now says its overflow during the storm was from the Alki Point treatment facility across from Constellation Park, not a pump station. No word yet how much of an overflow, but KCWTD says “the wastewater is disinfected between 63rd and Alki, so we aren’t expecting anything from the water quality samples.” They posted signage just to be on the safe side. Meantime, Seattle Public Utilities says one of its new gauges, at High Point, measured the most rain during the 24-hour peak of the storm – 2.57 inches.

ADDED FRIDAY MORNING: The county finally has a total – “250,000 gallons of disinfected flow” in this spill.

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INAUGURATION WEEK: Metro plans extra buses for Womxn’s March on Saturday

January 18, 2017 3:49 pm

| 7 COMMENTS

| Transportation | West Seattle news

We’ve received numerous inquiries about transit plans for Saturday, when tens of thousands of people are expected to participate in the Womxn’s March on Seattle. First: No, the Water Taxi will NOT be running – it doesn’t run on Saturdays this time of year and does not add extra service for special events. But Metro will be running extra buses – here’s the announcement they’re making this afternoon:

Plan ahead and leave early if you’re riding King County Metro Transit Saturday to join the Womxn’s March on Seattle. Tens of thousands of participants are expected to attend the event, which will start at 10 a.m. with a rally at Judkins Park. Transit riders should prepare for significant delays.

Metro will operate on a normal Saturday schedule and will have additional buses assigned to provide extra service on key routes. However, those buses will not have regular schedules, will not appear in the Metro’s online Trip Planner or One Bus Away, and will be dispatched based on demand. Riders should prepare for overcrowding and buses that are too full to accommodate more passengers. Sound Transit plans to operate all three-car Link light rail trains and extra trains to help with expected crowds.

Transit riders should use regularly published timetables, plan ahead, allow plenty of time and prepare for traffic delays. Metro will have extra supervisors to monitor crowds in downtown, the International District, and Pioneer Square, and will adjust to accommodate transit needs when possible.

The march is expected to leave Judkins Park at 11 a.m. and proceed through downtown to Seattle Center. Those planning to ride transit to the march can use Metro’s online Trip Planner to find service to the vicinity of Judkins Park. Service that travels to or near the area includes routes 4, 7, 14, 48, and Sound Transit Express routes 550 and 554. When planning your trip, check Metro’s Service Advisories page to find out about any known revisions to your routes.

Transit users also can follow these tips:

· Plan to arrive early to avoid traffic congestion and full buses.
· Prepare for overcrowding on buses.
· If possible, ride transit to locations near Judkins Park and walk into the park. Judkins Park is about 1.3 miles east of the International District along South Jackson Street.
· Prepare for significant delays – as tens of thousands march through downtown, buses may be stopped up to an hour at some locations.
· Have your transit fare or an ORCA card ready
· Sign up for Transit Alerts on Metro’s website.

Metro spokesperson Scott Gutierrez adds these specifics for our area:

For West Seattle residents planning to take transit – depending where their trip starts — they can take the C Line, 21, 120 or 125 to Third Avenue and catch routes 4 or 14 SB on 3rd Avenue. Route 7 also is a possibility but it will get them a few blocks farther from the park.

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Seattle Police Officer Timothy Brenton’s killer dies in prison

January 18, 2017 1:41 pm

| 12 COMMENTS

| Crime | West Seattle news

The man convicted of murdering Seattle Police Officer Timothy Brenton (right) in 2009 has died in prison, according to multiple regional-media outlets including The Seattle Times. Officer Brenton’s murder hit hard in West Seattle because of his roots here, including graduating from West Seattle High School in 1988. According to The Times, the Department of Corrections says Christopher Monfort, convicted in 2015 of killing Officer Brenton and wounding his partner Officer Britt (Sweeney) Kelly, was found dead in his cell this morning at the State Penitentiary in Walla Walla. He had been serving a life sentence. Monfort was found guilty of another crime that had a West Seattle connection, firebombing the city’s Charles Street yard, destroying vehicles including what was at the time our area’s Mobile Precinct, not replaced until a little over a year ago. According to today’s reports, Monfort’s death did not appear to be suicide. He had been a paraplegic since being shot during his arrest in Tukwila the day of Officer Brenton’s memorial.

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West Seattle Wednesday: Delridge District Council; Morgan Community Association; WordsWest; more

January 18, 2017 1:01 pm

| 3 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

(Common Goldeneye, photographed by Mark Wangerin)

Quick look at four calendar highlights for the rest of your West Seattle Wednesday:

LABYRINTH WALK: This is the first of four days that Tibbetts United Methodist Church (WSB sponsor) is opening its labyrinth for contemplation during Inauguration Week – details are in our calendar listing. It’s open until 2 pm and then again 6-8 pm. (3940 41st SW)

MORGAN COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION: 3:13 PM UPDATE – The meeting starts at 7 at The Kenney, the REGULAR time. The website info we linked to earlier was inaccurate. Here’s the updated agenda:

7:00 Welcome and Introductions

7:02 Board Elections

Slate of Officers
President – Deb Barker
Vice President – Phillip Tavel
Treasurer – Eldon Olson
Secretary – Natalie Williams
Community Information – Cindi Barker
SW District Council Representative – Tamsen Spengler

7:05 Morgan Minute Updates

· Morgan Junction Mural status
· Morgan Park Expansion Planning Committee Upcoming Meeting on Feb. 20
· High Point Library Upgrades-Community Celebration for reopen: Sun. Jan 29 1- 3
· Lowman Beach Park status

7:10 Old Business

· SW District Council News
· Murray CSO Update
· SW Precinct Advisory Group
· Morgan Junction Festival – June 17, 2017

8:00 Special Presentation Councilmember Herbold’s Office – Update on Homeless Issue

8:30 New Business

· 2035 Comp Plan/MJ Urban Village Housing Targets
· MHA and HALA Next Steps
· New Morgan Development and how to comment

9:00 Adjournment

(7125 Fauntleroy Way SW)

DELRIDGE NEIGHBORHOODS DISTRICT COUNCIL: As with the Southwest District Council, eastern West Seattle’s neighborhood district council is continuing despite the cutoff of city support. You’re invited to be part of it at 7 pm tonight, NEW LOCATION for next three months – Highland Park Improvement Club. (12th SW/SW Holden)

WORDSWEST LITERARY SERIES: 7 pm at C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor), this month’s edition of WordsWest:

Langston Hughes famously asked America, “What happens to a dream deferred?” Tonight, on the Wednesday between Martin Luther King, Jr. Day and Inauguration Day, journalist/memoirist Claudia Rowe and writer/poet/performance artist Anastacia Tolbert join WordsWest to examine the causes and consequences of “Dreams Deferred.”

You may know Claudia from her investigative journalism about education in The Seattle Times, including a recent piece on the Garfield High School principal. Her book The Spider and the Fly, which will be released at the end of this month, examines her complex relationship with a serial killer who killed 8 young women in upstate New York. You may know Anastacia, a super-shero of color, through her poetry, prose, performances of her one-woman show, or her documentary, “Got Breast?”

(5612 California SW)

LOTS MORE … on our complete calendar page.

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Another foot ferry on Elliott Bay today: Kitsap Transit’s Rich Passage 1

January 18, 2017 11:48 am

| 10 COMMENTS

| Seen at sea | West Seattle news

(ADDED: King County video, published day after event)

If you’re noticing a foot ferry in Elliott Bay that didn’t appear to be one of the King County Water Taxi fleet – that’s the Kitsap Transit fast ferry Rich Passage 1. It’s out on the bay right now after an official showcase on the downtown Seattle waterfront this morning, with King County Executive Dow Constantine and County Council Chair Joe McDermott speaking, because the King County Department of Transportation’s Marine Division will be operating the 78-foot Rich Passage 1 for KT. Kitsap voters approved a sales-tax increase to fund the new service; it’s scheduled to start running between Bremerton and Seattle this year, Kingston and Seattle next year, and Southworth and Seattle in 2020. The Rich Passage 1 is to be the first of six boats comprising the Kitsap Transit fleet. It was built by All American Marine in Bellingham, which also built the Doc Maynard and Sally Fox for the KC Water Taxi service.

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West Seattle weather: Longfellow Creek running high

January 18, 2017 11:14 am

| 2 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | West Seattle weather

Longfellow Creek bubbling up near WS Health Club. Rain has all but stopped. pic.twitter.com/mTHxH70pSh

— West Seattle Blog (@westseattleblog) January 18, 2017

11:14 AM: During the brief break in the rain – just ending, with more falling now – we went out for a look at the high water of Longfellow Creek. At the SW Yancy street end, just before Longfellow Creek goes back underground (by West Seattle Health Club), it’s been bubbling up through the utility covers, as you can see in our video above. We checked out the creek after Josh shared these photos via Twitter:

@westseattleblog FYI the Longfellow creek trail between delridge and 24th at Kenyon is under 6″ of water today. #soggyfeet pic.twitter.com/B9vFVaoKE9

— Josh (@skwash) January 18, 2017

Thanks to those who also reported road puddling – mostly in recurring trouble spots, like Delridge at Myrtle (Amber posted a photo in a comment on the morning traffic watch). Forecast says the next round of rain could bring another inch. And after a dry start to January – we’re catching up – only half an inch behind the average as of midnight.

ADDED 12:15 PM: King County Wastewater Treatment says its Alki pump station had an overflow during the heavy rain. We’ll publish a separate story when we get details – but if you see warning signs at the beach sooner, that’s what’s up.

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New leader announced for Washington State Ferries: Amy Scarton

January 18, 2017 10:03 am

| 5 COMMENTS

| Transportation | West Seattle news

Still a few things to catch up on from yesterday’s very busy news day – and here’s one. With Lynne Griffith retiring at the end of the month as the head of Washington State Ferries, her successor has been announced. Amy Scarton is WSDOT’s assistant secretary for Community and Economic Development and will become assistant secretary for WSF next month. The news release quotes state Transportation Secretary Roger Millar as saying, “Amy’s national experience managing programs and projects across all transportation modes, combined with the top-notch crews, will help ensure the ferry division remains on course.” That experience includes, WSDOT says:

… senior roles in both the Obama and Bush administrations at U.S. Department of Transportation; legal counsel to former Chairman James Oberstar of the U.S. House of Representatives Highway and Transit Subcommittee; and managing the WSDOT offices that support the agencies’ rail, freight, aviation, local programs, planning, and public transportation activities.

Scarton takes over at a time when major initiatives include figuring out how to solve recurring problems with the Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth route; formation of a task force is one of the next announced steps.

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FRIDAY: Free film festival @ Emerald Water Anglers – RSVP ASAP

January 18, 2017 9:28 am

| Comments Off on FRIDAY: Free film festival @ Emerald Water Anglers – RSVP ASAP

| West Seattle news | WS culture/arts

Not everything this Friday is inauguration-related. Here’s one example: The second annual 5 Minutes or Less Fly Fishing Film Fest at Emerald Water Anglers (42nd SW/SW Oregon; WSB sponsor) in The Junction. It starts at 7 pm Friday and admission is free, but space is limited, so you need to RSVP ASAP – shop@emeraldwateranglers.com or 206-708-7250.

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TRAFFIC, TRANSIT, WEATHER: Wednesday watch

January 18, 2017 6:51 am

| 18 COMMENTS

| 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)

6:51 AM: Good morning! No incidents of note in or from West Seattle so far. Temperature’s in the mid-40s and roads are wet after a rainy night.

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UPDATE: Shooting investigation at 16th/Holden 7-11; clerk hurt

January 18, 2017 2:56 am

| 29 COMMENTS

| Crime | Highland Park | West Seattle news

2:56 AM: Police are looking for a suspect in a shooting at 16th/Holden in Highland Park. According to scanner traffic, the suspect is about 6 feet tall, unknown race, thin build, wearing a red mask, black coat, black shirt, unknown color gloves, carrying a shotgun. The victim is reported to be an employee at the 7-11 – no information on condition so far.

3:28 AM: Police have been searching with a K-9 but no arrest reported so far. Here’s what our crew at the scene has founded out: The man who is hurt is the on-duty clerk; his injuries are not life-threatening so he’s being taken to the hospital by private ambulance (as shown in our top photo). The front door was apparently locked and he refused to let someone in, who then took out a shotgun and shot through the glass – the clerk’s injuries are apparently from broken glass as much as pellets. Detectives are joining the investigation.

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