West Seattle, Washington
12 Monday
Just in case you haven’t already heard: West Seattle High School is inviting everyone in the community to a film screening they’re hosting next Tuesday night (January 31st). The film is “Most Likely to Succeed,” and you can watch the trailer above. Assistant WSHS principal Garth Reeves tells WSB it “profiles a particularly innovative school, High Tech High, in San Diego, and their parent/student community, in re-imagining what high school could and should be in preparing students for the 21st century.” According to the announcement on the WSHS website, the film will be followed by a chance to talk with “a panel of local and state education innovators.” Reeves adds, “These conversations and ideas have resonance and impact for all of us.” You’re invited to RSVP via this page, which has the schedule for the night – come early for coffee/dessert at 6:30, see the film at 7, talk at 8:30.
(SDOT MAP with travel times/video links; is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE)
(Many of SDOT’s cameras in the area aren’t working this morning – above, three of the few that are)
7 AM: Good morning! No incidents, or transit changes, reported in/from West Seattle so far.
7:52 PM Just went by the scene of last night’s crash to be sure it’s open again – it is.
(Photos by Christopher Boffoli for WSB)
10:46 PM: A big Seattle Fire “heavy rescue” response is going to a crash scene reported near Hamilton Viewpoint Park [map]. Two people are trapped, according to scanner discussion, which also indicates that California is blocked from the park to Harbor Avenue SW.
10:53 PM: SFD crews are working to get the two people out of the vehicle. The vehicle is reported to have hit a pole, bringing down power lines, and taking out a hydrant.
11:03 PM: First patient has been extricated. Adding a photo from WSB’s Christopher Boffoli at the scene.
He reports, “It is right at the curve. Literally at the intersection of California ave SW and California lane SW. One silver SUV on its side.”
11:20 PM: Christopher reports that the second person has been extricated. Both will be taken to Harborview; one has serious injuries, the other a little less serious.
11:27 PM: Christopher’s now being told at the scene that both people in the vehicle are female and neither has life-threatening injuries.
11:50 PM: Police say California Lane – the hillside road between Hamilton Viewpoint and Harbor Ave – will be closed until City Light can take care of the damaged pole.
8:49 AM: According to the SPD Twitter log, the incident is classified as a DUI investigation.
(@ WSBWCN meeting: Left, Officer Todd Wiebke; right, Capt. Pierre Davis)
From tonight’s West Seattle Block Watch Captains Network meeting – first one since before the holidays:
FIGHTING CRIME: Southwest Precinct commander Capt. Pierre Davis said the new bicycle officers added to the precinct, mentioned at other recent meetings, will help police patrol proactively. They’ll be patroling outside the purview of 911 response, which means they can be deployed in areas that have been hot spots for problems such as car prowling.
Capt. Davis also said SPD is continuing to work with prosecutors and judges to help get repeat offenders sentenced to more time behind bars.
DEALING WITH HOMELESSNESS: Special guest was SW Precinct Community Police Team Officer Todd Wiebke, who is the CPT point person on homelessness-related matters.
City rules only allow SPD to do so much, Officer Wiebke explained – it’s up to nonprofits to deal with directly helping those in need. Police, ultimately, are there for the security of the public. A few minutes into his talk, someone brought up the campers and vehicles along Myers Way. Wiebke stressed that he and other officers do arrest people who are breaking the law, but it’s not illegal to be homeless, and not all unsheltered people are breaking the law. The people at Camp Second Chance, which is slated by the city to become an authorized camp, are overall “clean and sober” as per their rules, Wiebke said, but that’s not necessarily the case for the people living elsewhere along Myers Way. He, by the way, said CSC has about 30 residents, with a similar number of people living on the slope across the street.
RV residents, he continued, are not all law-breakers either. Some are employed and the RV just happens to be the only place they have to live. Some vehicles, meantime, had been associated with crimes, and they had been investigated, with, in some cases, Wiebke said, property seized. Overall, though, the city has a lot of rules on the books to be followed when police and other agencies deal with campers, and the discussion at the meeting veered into some of those details (here’s some of what’s on the books).
Some attendees also wanted to know how to help the people at Camp Second Chance; Officer Wiebke said water is always needed, but that people could visit and talk with camp leaders to see specifically how to help.
The West Seattle Block Watch Captains Network meets on fourth Tuesdays most months, 6:30 pm, Southwest Precinct. Watch the WSBWCN website for updates between meetings.
Even if you don’t have kid(s) in local schools – they need your help, now more than ever. We heard today from the Gatewood Elementary Auction Committee, with this community request, well in advance of the need:
The Auction Committee is seeking dedicated parents, grandparents, siblings, high-school students, and/or West Seattle neighbors to VOLUNTEER their time on Friday, March 17. The majority of openings happen during the actual auction, but we have spots throughout the day. The auction is the most important fundraiser at Gatewood – help ensure we can continue to have ARTS EDUCATION for our kids & more. Email mereruth@gmail.com if interested in volunteering.
A 33-year-old man is in jail tonight, under investigation for the December holdup of a man using an ATM in South Delridge. Southwest Precinct police arrested the suspect yesterday afternoon near 15th and Barton. He was supposed to have a bail hearing today but he refused to go, so the judge had a probable-cause hearing without his presence and ordered another bail hearing tomorrow. The robbery happened the afternoon of December 18th at the Wells Fargo ATM at 15th and Roxbury. A man making a cash deposit was robbed at gunpoint; probable-cause documents say that after the robber left with the cash, the victim tried to use his phone to call for help, but the robber returned to grab the phone away. An investigation led to the identification of a suspect; police have been looking for him, spotted him, and arrested him. The same man was arrested in West Seattle in November after police spotted a package theft in process; it doesn’t appear he was charged in that case.
Thanks for the tip – what was already a bumpy-to-say-the-least stretch of road in the 4100 block of Beach Drive SW [map] is worse this afternoon, with what first responders were calling a “sinkhole,” possibly involving a water break. It’s on the southbound side of the street, and police are directing traffic around it. The Seattle Public Utilities crew that is there now checking it out says a larger crew is on the way to dig into it, so you’ll want to avoid this area for at least a few hours.
Thanks to the texter who called our attention to the passing of West Seattle resident Bob Walsh, reported last night by The Seattle Times.
You might remember Mr. Walsh, 76, best for the 1990 Goodwill Games in Seattle. (The Municipal Archives photo above shows Mr. Walsh at right, with Rev. Jesse Jackson at the podium.) It was the second staging of the international competition hatched by cable-TV entrepreneur Ted Turner as an alternative to the Olympic Games, which had gone through multiple superpower boycotts by then. Before then, as noted in The Times’ report (and this 1990 profile), Mr. Walsh was known for basketball involvement including three years as an executive with the Sonics and promotion of big NCAA, WNBA, and NBA playoff events, and he since has had extensive nonprofit involvement. Sportspress Northwest has an extensive obituary, reporting that Mr. Walsh became ill while visiting the former Soviet republic of Georgia and died in a hospital in Turkey.
New in the city Department of Construction and Inspections (SDCI) files: An early-stage proposal for a 14-unit development at 5242 California SW [map]. The building had been anchored by John L. Scott Real Estate headquarters until they moved north to the former JF Henry building at 4445 California SW. According to the SDCI docket item, the proposal is for six live-work units, four townhouses, and four single-family houses. The site-plan outline on file shows four of the live-works fronting California, with two behind them, the four townhouses behind that, and the four houses behind that. Eight offstreet-parking spaces are shown along the alley. The site is 15,000 square feet, according to county records, zoned NC2-30. The formal application hasn’t been filed yet, so the official comment period isn’t open yet, but according to the docket, this will go through Design Review (dates TBA).
SIDE NOTE: In case you’re wondering … since the current proposal for Mandatory Housing Affordability under the Housing Affordability and Livability Agenda would upzone all commercial/multifamily property, whether in an urban village or not, the draft map shows this site with a potential future height limit of 40′ instead of 30′.
Ever seen a squirrel resting? Trileigh Tucker has not one resting squirrel but two in the photo above – after they “remodeled” the box she says was intended for an owl.
As for the lineup of potential activities for people today/tonight:
‘TRY IT TUESDAY’: Until 10 pm, nonmembers are invited to visit the newly expanded West Seattle YMCA (WSB sponsor) in The Triangle and give it a try. (36th SW/SW Snoqualmie)
BABY STORY TIME X 2: 10:30 am at the Southwest Library (35th SW/SW Henderson) and at the West Seattle (Admiral) Library (2306 42nd SW).
‘GUIDE TO WASHINGTON WINES’ CLASS: Starts tonight, 6-9 pm at South Seattle College (WSB sponsor) – full details here, including how to check if there’s still room. (6000 16th SW)
WEST SEATTLE BLOCK WATCH CAPTAINS NETWORK: 6:30 pm at the Southwest Precinct, come network with your West Seattle neighbors to talk about safety and crime-prevention issues. Tentatively scheduled guest, Community Police Team Officer Todd Wiebke, the precinct’s point person on homelessness-related matters. (2300 SW Webster)
WHITE CENTER SHELTER MEETING: 6:30 pm at Seola Gardens, it’s the second community meeting about a new shelter planned at 8th/108th in White Center. Since the contentious first meeting in September, as we’ve been reporting on partner site White Center Now, the plan has changed dramatically; a 24/7 family shelter is planned now. (11215 5th SW)
MADS JACOBSEN: 8 pm at Parliament Tavern. 21+. (4210 SW Admiral Way)
BABY KETTEN KARAOKE: 9 pm at The Skylark. (3803 Delridge Way SW)
Before we get to highlights for today/tonight … Every year in the first quarter, we get questions about whether there’ll be a free shredding event any time soon. This year, thanks to West Seattle Junction Association executive director Lora Swift, we have VERY early word, so you can get it in your calendar and make your tax-season (or whatever your motivation) plans: Saturday, April 29th, 10 am-1 pm. Full details here. (And if anyone else is having one sooner, please let us know! editor@westseattleblog.com – thanks!)
(SDOT MAP with travel times/video links; is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE)
(Top left, looking west over the high bridge; top right, looking west over the Spokane Street Viaduct; below, looking SW toward the low bridge. Click any view for a close-up; more cameras on the WSB Traffic page)
6:39 AM: Below freezing this morning, so be alert for icy spots.
No incidents in/from West Seattle right now. One transit note: If you ride Route 120 to or from Burien, Metro has sent an alert that it’s rerouted off Ambaum between SW 136 and SW 143 in Burien “due to a blockage.”
9 AM: That situation has cleared and Route 120’s back to normal, Metro says.
Now that we’re in the second half of the school year, many families are looking ahead to fall, and it’s peak season for open houses and tours, 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!). For example, the dates are in for both of the SPS K-8 “option schools” in West Seattle:
*PATHFINDER K-8 (1901 SW Genesee) – Dates are listed here, including tours and two evening open houses, 6:30 pm January 31st for elementary, 6:30 pm February 2nd for middle school.
*LOUISA BOREN K-8 STEM (5950 Delridge Way SW) – Dates are listed here, including tours and the February 9th open house for all grades, in two sessions – 6-7 pm for elementary, 7:30-8:30 pm for middle school.
SPS open enrollment starts February 13th, and school-choice info is here.
Some of what else you’ll find on our calendar this week:
*Alki Elementary morning tours (Tuesday and Thursday)
*Seattle Lutheran High School evening open house (Thursday)
(added) *Genesee Hill Elementary morning kindergarten tours (Friday)
*West Seattle Montessori School & Academy (WSB sponsor) afternoon open house (Saturday)
*Our Lady of Guadalupe open house (Sunday)
*Holy Family Bilingual Catholic School open house (Sunday)
(added) *Holy Rosary School open house (Sunday)
Again, if you have tours/open houses to add to our calendar, editor@westseattleblog.com ASAP – thanks!
(WSB photo from Sunday)
We have full details now on the arrest of two men in connection with the theft of the West Seattle Junction US Bank’s drive-up ATM early Sunday.
After we reported the theft on Sunday, a commenter from Lake City mentioned the arrest of two men and recovery of a vehicle – but we didn’t have the official information connecting it all until just now.
Bail was set at $200,000 for a 28-year-old Shoreline man and $75,000 for a 35-year-old Sammamish man.
Probable-cause documents say the theft happened just after 5 am, when a citizen called 911 to say a nearby building shook and that they saw a forklift being used to steal the ATM from the bank on SW Edmunds.
It was reported as stolen from a “nearby hardware store” – reportedly Junction TrueValue, a block away. We photographed it after a reader tip about police activity turned out to be the impounding of the forklift post-theft:
(WSB photo from Sunday)
The police report says that video shows three people stealing the forklift by using wire cutters to get into a secure area at the store. The ATM was torn away from its spot in the drive-thru and loaded into “a stolen cargo van,” police say.
Just after 1:30 pm, the stolen van was spotted in Issaquah by state troopers. As our commenter wrote, a significant pursuit followed – with the van going the wrong way on one-way streets along the way – and eventually it was located in Lake City, with the ATM still inside. The suspects tried to run, “stripping off clothing” as they bolted, according to the report, but officers eventually caught them. Here’s the photo the commenter says shows the stolen van:
(Reader photo from Sunday)
The probable-cause documents say the two suspects both confessed to at least some parts of what happened, including stealing the ATM. The 28-year-old man is reported to have told police that this was the 8th time he has stolen an ATM, and the report describes him as “an extremely active ATM thief”; the 35-year-old man claimed it was his first, and, the report says, “seemed proud he didn’t hit any other vehicles during the pursuit.” Both are reported to have confessed to trying to get into the ATM safe with a saw – but being unable to.
Both are due back in court on Wednesday afternoon. The third suspect shown stealing the forklift is apparently still on the loose.
This Wednesday’s benefit for Britt Russell – who was on her way to work at Mission Cantina when a driver hit her two months ago – has expanded. In addition to what Mission’s doing – as previewed here – six restaurants elsewhere in West Seattle are also donating a portion of their proceeds that night. Mission co-proprietor Peter Morse sent word, with this poster:
Circa is at 2605 California SW
Peel & Press (WSB sponsor) is at 6503 California SW
The Westy is at 7908 35th SW
The Bridge is at 6301 California SW
Copper Coin is at 2329 California SW
West 5 is at 4539 California SW
And Mission, where the silent auction is planned 6 to 10 pm Wednesday (and where 20 percent of proceeds will be donated), is at 2325 California SW. Britt, meantime, was in the hospital for a month and a half but still has a lot of recovering to do.
For everyone who asked about the Arbor Heights police search early this morning – officers were gone by the time we got there in search of information, but we’ve just obtained details from the report, via SPD media relations. Around 6 am, a call about a car prowl in progress brought officers to the 3500 block of SW 112th. “Two car prowlers were said to have been chased off by one of the two victims,” Det. Mark Jamieson tells us. A K-9 team tracked the suspects to a nearby driveway, hiding “inbetween cars.” One got away; the other, a 28-year-old man, was arrested for investigation of car prowling and trespass.
11:58 AM: Work continues today in the Fauntleroy neighborhood hit by a slide late Thursday night, which crews at the scene said had resulted from a water break, a 2-inch-line break that Seattle Public Utilities was still investigating when last we checked. Meantime, they’re the lead agency on the cleanup; the view above is looking east at the dead end of SW Cambridge, toward California SW (this vicinity).
Among the city departments with which we checked for our Friday followup was the Department of Construction and Inspections. They had sent inspectors to the area to check on houses by the slide, but the results weren’t in until this morning. Spokesperson Wendy Shark says they checked two houses; one in the 4300 block of SW Cambridge was found to have some structural damage, according to the “green tag” city posted to advise “limited access,” while the other, in the 9300 block of California SW, had “no structural damage found.” The specific condition placed on the Cambridge house is “entry limited in garage until slide has been removed.”
ADDED 2:43 PM: We have a cleanup update from SPU’s Andy Ryan: “SPU crews are currently vactoring excess mud from around people’s homes. A contractor is stabilizing the slide area. This should be done by end of the day tomorrow. The length and scope of full cleanup area is still unknown.” Asked about the latest on the investigation, he also says, “The cause of the slide is not known at this time, and may never be known. We know that when the slide was over, there was a broken main. We just don’t know which came first — slide or break.” What does someone with property damage do? “People who have had property damage should contact our Claims Office. … Visit our Claims website, http://www.seattle.gov/filing-a-damage-claim, or call our claims advisor Allison Micheli directly, 206-684-3124.”
City inspectors are checking more apartments today at a Junction building where they ordered one unit vacated for health/safety concerns. Readers asked us Friday night about the posting on the door at the San Juan Apartments at 4840 California SW; we made contact this morning with Department of Construction and Inspections spokesperson Bryan Stevens:
Last week our code compliance inspector responded to a complaint from a tenant related to water damage in their unit. After inspection, it became clear that significant leaks were coming from the flat roof above. That specific unit is no longer habitable or safe to occupy, so our inspector notified the property manager informing them we’ve issued an Emergency Order to Close and Vacate. The tenants had already moved out most of their belongings before inspection, but this formal notice from SDCI now allows the tenant access to financial relocation assistance from the property owner. A low-income household will receive $4133; if not low-income, they will receive the equivalent of two months’ rent for relocation assistance.
Today, we’ve received additional complaints from two other tenants in the top floor and are scheduling inspections. At this point in time, the damage appears to be limited to portions of the top floor. We have not ordered the entire building to be vacated, but could see additional top floor units deemed unsafe to occupy, depending on the scope of the damage. The property owner has scheduled a roofing company to begin making repairs next week.
We asked Stevens for a copy of the full order that’s partly visible on the building’s door; read it here.
P.S. If you have concerns about conditions in any rental unit – here’s what the city says you can do.
10:03 AM: Thanks for all the tips about a police response near 62nd/Admiral. Turns out it’s Bellevue Police, who arrested two people, one in connection with a series of burglaries, one for alleged eluding, officers tell us at the scene. More info as we get it.
10:48 AM: The house where this happened is in the 3200 block of 62nd SW. Neighbors report hearing a loud noise as the police operation got under way – likely a “flashbang” or similar type of device. No injuries reported. We have a message out to BPD’s public-information officer seeking more info on the related case.
11:27 AM: BPD spokesperson Officer Seth Tyler says a news release is forthcoming but in the meantime, “I can confirm that Bellevue Police Detectives, assisted by the Bellevue Police SWAT team, were in West Seattle this morning and did arrest two individuals. The suspects are suspected in a series of home burglaries throughout the Seattle area, and were considered armed and dangerous. One vehicle was also impounded as a part of the investigation.”
Thanks for the photos from the show the Olympic Mountains are putting on so far today! Above, Mark Dale‘s photo of Mount Constance. Below, a panorama from James Bratsanos:
Besides mountain-gazing, here are your other options for today/tonight:
COWORKING DEAL: West Seattle’s only coworking center, WS Office Junction (WSB sponsor), is celebrating its fourth anniversary this week by offering you a gift – a whole week of coworking for $99. Just grab your laptop/tablet/notebook/whatever and go! More in our preview. (6040 California SW)
MOBILE BLOOD DRIVE: Can you give the gift of life? 1-7 pm, a mobile blood drive is happening today at Our Lady of Guadalupe – walk-ins welcome but not 3-4 pm, when they’ll be on break. (34th SW/SW Myrtle)
RENTERS’ WORKSHOP: 6:30-8 pm at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center, free workshop for current and future renters and tenant advocates – details in our calendar listing. (4408 Delridge Way SW)
COTTAGE FOOD ENTREPRENEURSHIP CIRCLE: “Do you want to start a small food business at home? Are you interested in discussing how small food businesses can aid in food security for individuals and families?” This is for you. 6-7:30 pm, help get this launched, with a gathering at Delridge Library. (5423 Delridge Way SW)
BALORICO: 8 pm, new series of Afro Latin Jazz dance classes starts at Kenyon Hall – details in our calendar listing. (7904 35th SW)
CRACKER FACTORY: 8-11 pm at West Seattle Brewing Company in The Triangle, live music. No cover. 21+. (4415 Fauntleroy Way SW)
THERE’S MORE TO DO! See our complete calendar. And send your event/meeting/show/etc. listing as early as you can … with info in plain text, in the body of your e-mail … editor@westseattleblog.com – thanks!
(SDOT MAP with travel times/video links; is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE)
(Top left, looking west over the high bridge; top right, looking west over the Spokane Street Viaduct; below, looking SW toward the low bridge. Click any view for a close-up; more cameras on the WSB Traffic page)
6:48 AM: Good morning. No incidents in/from West Seattle right now. If you use Sound Transit light rail, though, note that delays are expected as emergency crews handle what ST calls a “pedestrian injury” on the tracks at MLK/Othello.
7:43 AM SPD says the light-rail-track incident has turned fatal, so the investigation closure will last a while.
10:52 AM: Here’s the SPD Blotter update on the light-rail-track death.
Tuesday night at the Southwest Precinct, 
the West Seattle Block Watch Captains Network meets for the first time since before the holidays. You don’t have to be a captain – or even part of a block watch – to be there. Tentatively scheduled guest is the SW Precinct’s Community Police Team officer who focuses on homelessness-related situations, Ofcr. Todd Wiebke. The WSBWCN announcement explains there’s a chance he might be diverted – in which case, that will extend the meeting’s time for participants to talk with other SWP police and with each other. The meeting’s at 6:30 pm Tuesday (January 24th) in the meeting room off the precinct’s public parking lot at 2300 SW Webster.
(Direct link to draft West Seattle Junction rezoning map)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
This Thursday (January 26th), people living and working in the West Seattle Junction Urban Village have their first official city-organized meeting entirely focused on the proposed rezoning for the Housing Affordability and Livability Agenda component called Mandatory Housing Affordability.
(The city-organized Morgan Junction workshop previously announced for tomorrow, we should note, has been postponed TFN, but the February 11th Admiral workshop is on.)
In the same room where next Thursday’s Junction workshop will happen – upstairs at the Senior Center/Sisson Building – the area’s community council, the Junction Neighborhood Organization, had a briefing and Q/A session to help interested Junction community members get ready.
That briefing/prep session this past Thursday was led by JuNO’s new Land Use Committee, which debuted a rallying cry for the HALA rezoning process:
“Too much … Too fast … Please put us last.”
The Junction already has taken on a lot of density, noted Carl Guess, the committee co-chair who opened the meeting – currently at more than 300 percent above what planners originally expected to be added by now.
From that declaration ensued a detailed, albeit unofficial, primer on Junction growth and HALA: Read More
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