West Seattle, Washington
26 Friday
Four reader reports tonight:
ABANDONED BICYCLE: Usually stolen and dumped – do you recognize this one?
The reader who sent the photo found it at 22nd SW/SW Thistle.
ARE THESE YOUR LICENSE PLATES? Brittany found them in an Avalon/Genesee-area alley last week:
License-plate theft sometimes goes undetected, as we’ve mentioned before – thieves might swap someone else’s plate(s) for yours, to put on a stolen car so that a police plate check won’t come up as stolen … unless you’ve promptly spotted and reported your missing plates.
EGG VANDALISM: Scott reports from Admiral, “I’ve been hit multiple times over the weekend. The first was early Friday morning around 12:50 am. They came back again that morning a half hour later around 1:20 am. Yesterday evening I was hit again at 8:10 pm. I made a police report last night and they encouraged me to let others know to make reports as well if I hear of it happening in other parts of Admiral.”
ALSO IN ADMIRAL: Another reader reports:
As I drove down my street in the 5 am hour, there were two men in all black, hoodies, wearing black face masks… they tried to scare me as I drove. They threw their hands up at my passenger window like a “boo!” motion. Right ahead of me was a woman who was jogging with her dog, I yelled out my window “Did they just spook you?” And she said yes, so I called 911. This was on 41st near Metropolitan Market. They were walking Northbound. From the little I could see, they looked like they were white, maybe teenagers. What the heck were they doing? At 5am? On a Monday morning?
She did call police.
Thanks again to everyone sharing Crime Watch reports so your neighbors all around the peninsula know more about what’s happening – we hope crime will NOT happen to you, but if it does, once you’ve reported it to police (911 if it’s happening now or just happened), let us know … 206-293-6302 if breaking, editor@westseattleblog.com if not — thank you.
Another update tonight as peak season for school open houses and tours continues, at Seattle Public Schools as well as local independent schools. The WSB West Seattle Event Calendar is one place to find tour dates – we add all the ones we receive (if you haven’t sent yours, editor@westseattleblog.com – thanks!). Here’s what we have for the next week:
*PATHFINDER K-8 (1901 SW Genesee) – Dates are listed here, including two evening open houses this week, 6:30 pm tomorrow (January 31st) for elementary, 6:30 pm Thursday (February 2nd) for middle school, and tours this Thursday for middle school, next Monday for elementary, both 8:30-10 am.
*LOUISA BOREN K-8 STEM (5950 Delridge Way SW) – Tours are planned tomorrow and Friday, 9:35-11 am
*LAFAYETTE ELEMENTARY – Kindergarten tour Thursday, 8-9:30 am
*SHOREWOOD CHRISTIAN SCHOOL – 7 pm Thursday (February 2nd), elementary open house.
*ALKI ELEMENTARY: Morning tours, Friday, 8:30 am-10 am
*DENNY INTERNATIONAL MIDDLE SCHOOL: Daytime tour next Monday (February 6th), 8:15-9:20 am
SPS open enrollment starts February 13th, and school-choice info is here. But if you have a kindergartener-to-be, you can register **now** – the sooner the better, so schools can plan. Here’s how.
If you have tours/open houses to add to our calendar, editor@westseattleblog.com ASAP – thanks!
Elite Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu of Seattle (WSB sponsor) invites you to a free self-defense seminar this Sunday – one session for women/girls, one coed session. From coach/proprietor Sonia Sillan:
When you think of self-defense, what’s the first thing you think of?
For us at Elite BJJ of Seattle, it’s about awareness, empowerment, setting boundaries, having confidence. It’s about finding your voice and believing in yourself. Join us on February 5th for a two-hour clinic, where our goal is to leave you with more knowledge, feeling more empowered, and understanding of what self-defense really means (both mentally and physically).
We’re going to show you a wide range of practical techniques and more importantly, the concepts that are critical to learning how to avoid becoming a victim of violence. We’ll be going over basic, EFFECTIVE, self-defense movements and techniques, capitalizing on leverage and momentum.
This seminar isn’t your typical self-defense seminar, so make sure to reserve your spot, bring some friends … and get ready to learn.
Who: No experience necessary, open to all, ages 10+
Women’s only: 10 am-12 pm
Co-ed: 12:30 pm-2:30 pmCost: FREE.
Although our food drive for the West Seattle Food Bank officially ends 1/31,, we are still collecting food and would like to ask for donations as entry.
RSVP by going here. Elite BJJ is at 5050 Delridge Way SW.
(UPDATED TUESDAY with SFD’s summary)
Added – reader photo. Truck at left.
4:01 PM: What SFD describes as “a leak from a truck” has blocked off 2nd and Marion downtown as well as part of 1st including the SB 99 onramp vicinity. More to come.
4:13 PM: To be specific about the “onramp vicinity,” SDOT says 1st/Columbia and 1st/Madison are also blocked off. Metro says via Twitter, “Buses are rerouted off of SB 2nd Av. Use stops on 2nd Av, north of Spring St/south of Columbia St.”
4:27 PM: Update from SFD via Twitter:
Hot zones blocked off while Hazmat team working to secure contents of spill and have semi moved. @seattledot @SeattlePD also on scene. pic.twitter.com/3eYwQ5x2kw
— Seattle Fire Dept (@SeattleFire) January 31, 2017
4:46 PM: Multiple readers are advising that buses are still getting onto the SB 99 ramp at Columbia.
4:52 PM: An SDOT video camera (choose “downtown” on the lower right of this page) is showing the ramp and looks like cars are getting on too – if they come down Columbia, or NB on 1st toward Columbia. Police are blocking 1st on the north side of Columbia and beyond.
4:58 PM: From scanner – crews have stopped the leak and moved the truck to level ground. They’ll be dismissing some crews.
5:07 PM: SDOT says one southbound lane on 1st “from Madison” has reopened.
5:27 PM: All lanes of 1st are now open, says SDOT, but 2nd remains closed.
6:17 PM Metro says SB buses are now getting through on 2nd.
7:42 PM: Not back to normal yet:
UPDATE: Right lane on 2nd Ave between Madison & Columbia St remain blocked. Also, All lanes on Marion St between 1st & 2nd remain closed.
— seattledot (@seattledot) January 31, 2017
ADDED NOON TUESDAY: Here’s the SFD summary of the incident:
On Monday, January 30, 2017, at 3:23 p.m., firefighters were dispatched to the area of 2nd Avenue S and S Marion Street for a battery acid spill from a semi-truck.
The Seattle Fire Department responded to a request to investigate contents leaking out of the back of a semi-truck. SFD’s Hazmat team responded and determined the spilled product to be battery acid. They tested for hazardous materials, applied acid neutralizer and diked the downhill area to contain the spill. Firefighters also stabilized the rear doors of the semi-truck which was damaged by the shifting load.
King County Metro assisted in towing the semi-truck up the street where it was parked on a level surface, preventing further leakage. Firefighters found 11 pallets of batteries and verified that the leaking had stopped.
There were no reported injuries. Seattle Police Department, NRC Environmental Services, Seattle Department of Transportation, and Seattle Public Utilities Spill Response were on-site to assist with this incident.
(Added: Reader photo, banner @ Admiral Way Overlook)
Though the big rallies have been outside West Seattle so far, two citywide events to show support for immigrants and refugees are planned later this week, and you can participate here on the peninsula.
WEDNESDAY NIGHT: At 7 pm Wednesday (February 1st), you’re invited to step outside, wherever you are, and shine a light – “a candle, a smartphone, a lamp, a flashlight” – as per this invitation from the mayor.
FRIDAY MORNING: Before school, at as many local schools that choose to participate, grassroots support rallies are planned. We first heard about it from Louisa Boren STEM K-8 parent Shawna Murphy, who says families “will be out front, participating in the city wide show of support for our diverse families and Immigrant communities this Friday, February 3, from 9:15-9:35.” If your school is planning an event too, please let us know – editor@westseattleblog.com – thanks!
(Terminal 5, photographed recently from the bridge)
11:57 AM: Just wrapped up at the still-underway Seattle Council morning-briefing meeting, a Q/A with John Wolfe, CEO of the Northwest Seaport Alliance (the joint enterprise of the Ports of Seattle and Tacoma). The planned modernization of Terminal 5 in West Seattle came up several times. First, after Wolfe talked about the shipping industry currently being in a “crisis mode,” he was asked why the port/NWSA is proceeding with a nine-digit investment in T-5 when its prospective customers are in so much trouble. He replied that the shipping industry is cyclical and they’re expecting it to recover. He also mentioned the current predominance of alliances, and how what are currently four industry alliances are morphing to three. Questions included when the T-5 project is expected to be done – “mid-2020.” What about shore power? “The good news is that the industry is wanting to do the right thing – cleaner fuels and the ability to plug into shore power,” Wolfe replied. He added that they believe allowing shippers to voluntarily pursue such initiatives is better than “requirements.” Monitoring environmental factors is crucial, City Councilmember Lisa Herbold interjected at that point.
Eventually, Wolfe said, they expect container traffic to be split 50-50 between Seattle and Tacoma. And in discussing competition with British Columbia ports, he talked about the federal Harbor Maintenance Tax adding $125 to each container’s cost for shippers here, and how the absence of that is an advantage for north-of-the-border shippers.
1:17 PM: Just added the meeting video from Seattle Channel, above this line. The NWSA briefing starts at 1 hour, 38 minutes into the meeting.
(Cooper’s Hawk, photographed by Mark Wangerin)
Looking ahead to what’s up tonight:
PLAYGROUND BRAINSTORMING: Highland Park Elementary‘s playground-project committee invites everyone to help them brainstorm:
We are looking for in-the-box and out-of-the-box ideas, large and small. We won’t turn away any ideas in this session. We hope that by engaging the larger community of Highland Park influencers, we will get great ideas that we couldn’t come up with ourselves. Kids are welcome. We plan on showing a movie during our brainstorming activity.
5-7 pm at the school library. (1012 SW Trenton)
FERRY TASK FORCE MEETING: 7 pm at Fauntleroy Church Fellowship Hall, all are welcome at the first meeting of the citizens’ advisory committee set up to help fix problems related to the Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth ferry route. (9140 California SW)
ALL-AGES TRIVIA: 7:30 pm at The Skylark in North Delridge. Prizes! (3803 Delridge Way SW)
PUB QUIZ: 8 pm at Shadowland in The Junction. 21+. (California SW/SW Oregon)
LIVE MUSIC: Cracker Factory at West Seattle Brewing in The Triangle, 8 pm. (4415 Fauntleroy Way SW)
PREVIEW THE REST OF THE WEEK … via our complete calendar.
The annual Camp Fire candy-sale fundraiser has just begun, and you can support Camp Fire without leaving West Seattle. The organization’s regional headquarters are in North Delridge (2414 SW Andover, D105), and candy is available there starting today, 10 am-4 pm weekdays (you can even order online and pick up there). They also will be updating the map on this page soon with the next round of sale dates/times at three other locations in West Seattle (the Fauntleroy ferry dock and both QFC stores). Nicole Collin from Camp Fire Central Puget Sound explains, “This is a huge fundraiser that we look forward to every year as it raises funds for kids in need (who normally couldn’t afford camp) and Candy Sellers can earn their own way to camp by reaching their selling goals. The sale also teaches youth valuable skills including goal setting, public speaking and engaging with their local community.” Candy is $5 per box. If you’re a business and would like to support Camp Fire, Collin adds, you can be a Merchant of Merit: “For $75 they can get 15 boxes of Camp Fire Mints and will receive special recognition in Camp Fire publications and a certificate of appreciation!”
(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! No incidents in/from West Seattle so far.
One note for later this week: No classes Wednesday (February 1st) for Seattle Public Schools.
7:41 Azm: A crash is reported to be blocking the right lane of NB 99 at Royal Brougham.
8:19 AM: If the eastbound bridge seems more sluggish than usual, SDOT says there’ve been 2 stalls, but both have cleared.
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