West Seattle, Washington
14 Wednesday
FIRST REPORT, 8:50 PM: It’s not yet on the City Light map, but there’s a power outage in eastern West Seattle. We’ve heard from Highland Park and High Point so far. More info to come.
8:52 PM: In the time it took us to type that, the map updated – more than 4,100 customers out.
8:57 PM: No word yet on the cause. Even if you didn’t lose power, you might have noticed a flicker about the time the outage started at 8:46 pm – we did, here on the Upper Fauntleroy/Gatewood line. (And thanks to everyone whose texts immediately afterward tipped us to the outage!)
9:06 PM: As you can see on the map (screengrab above), a pocket of South Park is out too. In case this lasts a while, City Light has some helpful advice toward the end of this page.
9:11 PM: The map now has a restoration guesstimate of 1:33 am – we call it that because even the utility acknowledges it’s something of a guess. Could be sooner, could be later.
9:31 PM: If you are out or have to go out, remember that when a stoplight’s out, it’s an all-way stop. For one, as mentioned by Harvey on Twitter, Delridge/Henderson is out.
9:35 PM: Some High Point residents report via comments and texts that they’re back on. Anywhere else?
9:40 PM: The map has updated, now showing 2,700+ customers still out, so the restoration reduced the original outage by about a third. (Adding the new map above.)
9:48 PM: The cause is now described on the map as “equipment failure.”
9:54 PM: More report via comments and texts that the power’s back. And SCL elaborates on the cause via Twitter, “Breaker tripped at substation.”
9:57 PM: Map shows that everyone’s back on, and SCL confirms. If yours is NOT, be sure to call 206-684-3000 and be sure they know.
That photo from September is an example of just part of what the organization VIEWS – Visualize Increased Engagement in West Seattle – does, supporting other community organizations with proceeds from the annual Delridge Day festival. Want to help magnify that kind of good – while being involved with events that bring joy to so many West Seattle neighbors? Pete Spalding of VIEWS shares an invitation:
Visualizing Increased Engagement in West Seattle (VIEWS) is a nonpartisan community organization comprised of local citizens creating programming to educate, engage, & mobilize West Seattle citizens to sustain & improve the quality of life & services available across the peninsula.
VIEWS is best known for two big ongoing events: Gathering of Neighbors and the annual Delridge Day festival. The 2018 Delridge Day Festival will be held on Saturday, August 11th.
We are beginning the planning process for the 2018 festival. In light of this, we are reaching out to the West Seattle community, seeking community-minded individuals who are interested in volunteering to help VIEWS make our West Seattle community a more-welcoming community for all. We are seeking community members who have graphic design skills, creating marketing material skills, want to help organize the Kids Zone area of the festival, want to help with the skate park activities, are interested in helping to coordinate our volunteers for the festival, want to assist in the acquisition of sponsors and/or vendors, or just want to pitch in and help VIEWS with the overall coordination and implementation of the Delridge Day festival logistics.
If you are intrigued by the prospect of becoming more actively involved in our West Seattle community on a local level please reach out to VIEWS by contacting bayouwonder@comcast.net.
In West Seattle (and vicinity) Crime Watch:
HIT-AND-RUN DRIVER SOUGHT: In case you missed this in morning traffic coverage, a hit-run driver killed a bicyclist on northbound 1st Avenue South just south of the West Seattle Bridge early today, and SPD’s most recent update has a description of the vehicle:
Detectives are looking for a white or silver colored 4 door compact hatchback, very similar to a Toyota Prius. The vehicle will have obvious right front headlight area damage. Anyone with information on this vehicle is urged to contact SPD’s Traffic Collision Investigation Squad at (206) 684-8923 and ask for Det. Sanders.
SPD says the man who was hit and killed was 61 years old.
Reader reports:
PACKAGE THEFT: Latest one we’ve heard about was reported by Michelle – an Amazon package stolen from her porch near 47th SW and SW Holgate between 3:45 and 5:30 pm on Monday.
WHEELS STOLEN? OR? Shelley sent this photo:
She says the car, a blue Subaru with Alaska plates, has been on 41st SW just south of SW Edmunds since Sunday, “just sitting there on the rims.” She has been a victim of auto theft herself and in case this is a missing car or something else not yet reported, she thought someone out there might like to know.
HOLIDAY SCAM/FRAUD ALERT: Just in from Southwest Precinct Crime Prevention Coordinator Jennifer Burbridge:
Around this time of year, around the Holiday season, we often see an increase in scam and fraud incidents. Crooks use clever schemes to defraud millions of people each year- for money and/or personal information. These crooks often combine new technology with old tricks to get what they are looking for. Subsets of the population are more vulnerable to these types of scams- but everyone can help protect themselves by keeping the following ten practical suggestions in mind, provided by the Federal Trade Commission:
Spot imposters – scammers will often try to disguise themselves as someone you trust (such as a government official, family member or charitable organization). Never send money or give our personal information in response to an unexpected request.
Do online searches – try typing in the company or product name into a search engine with key words like ‘review’, ‘complaint’ or ‘scam’. You can also look up phone numbers to check on their validity.
Do not believe caller ID – technology makes it simple for scammers to fake a caller ID. If you receive a call asking for personal information or money, hang up. If you feel the caller is legitimate- try calling back a number, you know is genuine for that person or company.
Do not pay upfront for a promise – scammers may try to ask you to pay up front for debt relief, loan offers, mortgage assistance or a job (such as handy work or lawn maintenance).
Consider how you pay- most credit cards have significant fraud protection built in, while other payment methods (such as wiring money through services like Western Union or MoneyGram) do not have these protections. Government offices and honest companies will not require you to use a risky payment method, keep this in mind when paying.
Talk to someone – scammers will often want you to make decisions in a hurry and may even threaten you. Before you give money or personal information, slow down, check out the story, do an online search and maybe even talk to an expert or friend about the request.
Hang up on robocalls – if you answer the phone and hear a recorded sales pitch, hang up and report this to the Federal Trade Commission and/or to local police. These calls are illegal and are often fake. Do not follow prompts, just hang up.
Be skeptical about free trials online- some companies will use free trials to sign you up for products and bill you each month until you cancel. Before you agree to a free trial, review the company’s cancelation policy and always check your monthly statements to review charges.
Don’t deposit a check and wire money back- banks must make funds from deposited checks available within days, but discovering a fraudulent check can take weeks. If a check you deposit turns out to be fake, you are responsible for repaying the bank.
Sign up for free scam alerts from the Federal Trade Commission at (updated link) consumer.ftc.gov/scam-alerts– get the latest tips and advice about scams directly to your email.
For more information, or to access tips and suggestions in other languages, please visit the Federal Trade Commission’s consumer website – consumer.ftc.gov/topics/money-credit
And one more reminder if you see this close to when we are publishing it – the West Seattle Crime Prevention Council meets at 7 pm tonight at the precinct – your chance to bring neighborhood crime concerns/questions directly to local police leadership.
3:37 PM: Thanks for the texts – another crash on the eastbound West Seattle Bridge. From the cameras, it appears to be right before the exit to 99 – that’s where SFD crews are arriving. So if you have to head outbound, wait a bit – we’ll update.
4:16 PM: SDOT says it’s now cleared.
4:32 PM: And now there’s a dispatch for a crash on the westbound west end of the bridge. Out of camera range, it appears.
4:43 PM: SFD says no one is hurt so it’s clearing this scene, and that the vehicles involved have cleared to the side of the bridge “by the zone 5 sign.”
(WSB file photo from West Duwamish Greenbelt)
Thanks to Craig for the heads-up: If you enjoy using trails in Seattle Parks, you should know that the city’s asking for feedback on its Draft Soft Surface Trails Maintenance Plan. When finalized, the plan will be, Seattle Parks says, “a guiding document to guide the department and the community when addressing the overall maintenance of our nearly 100 miles of trail within the City. Trail Types, Levels of Service, Standards, and Best Management Practices are just some of the areas covered in the plan as we work to provide safe and equitable access to our green spaces.” Once you’ve checked out the draft plan, you have two ways to comment – via e-mail or postal mail, as explained here, and/or come to a meeting set for Wednesday, December 13th, 7 pm, at West Seattle’s Camp Long (5200 35th SW)
As always, we are continuing to update the WSB West Seattle Holiday Guide at least once a day, and the latest addition is another free community dinner on Thursday, at the West Seattle Eagles.
(WSB file photo, Eagles’ Thanksgiving kitchen crew)
Like the other big free community Thanksgiving dinner, at The Hall at Fauntleroy, this one is on a drop-in basis, but the time for the Eagles’ dinner is a little later – 2 pm to 5 pm. (The Fauntleroy dinner runs noon-3.) All the info is in the Thanksgiving section atop the guide, where we’ve also added another chance to get some exercise before your dinner – the West Seattle Ultimate Family Frisbee organizers are having a Thanksgiving morning pickup game. Along with dinners and workouts, we have the open-restaurant list, several places open for coffee, and grocery-store hours. And that’s just the start of the guide, which has everything else you need to know for this most festive of all seasons, through New Year’s, adding the info as we get it (editor@westseattleblog.com – thank you!).
West Seattle is clearly a hotbed of poetry! For the second time in four years, a West Seattleite has been appointed to serve as Washington State Poet Laureate. The just-announced 2018-2020 Poet Laureate is Claudia Castro Luna, who made history previously as Seattle’s first Civic Poet. She succeeds Tod Marshall, whose 2016-2018 appointment followed that of West Seattleite Elizabeth Austen (2014-2016). From the full announcement of Castro Luna’s appointment:
Castro Luna fled war-torn El Salvador for the United States at the age of 14 with her family. She went on to earn an MFA in poetry and an MA in urban planning. After working as a K-12 teacher, she became Seattle’s first Civic Poet, a position appointed by the mayor. In that position, Castro Luna won acclaim for her Seattle Poetic Grid, an online interactive map of showcasing poems about different locations around the city. The grid even landed her an interview on PBS NewsHour. She is also the author of the poetry chapbook This City and the collection Killing Marías.
Her appointment officially begins on February 1st. In February of last year, we covered her speaking in West Seattle at Southwest Youth and Family Services (photo above), telling the story of her “long journey.”
(SDOT camera image from @seattledot tweet)
10:12 AM: Thanks for the texts – SDOT also verifies a crash on the eastbound bridge that is currently blocking three lanes, so if you’re heading that way, find another route. No injuries reported so far, apparently, as SFD has not been dispatched. One texter says their Metro bus stopped to take passengers transferred from another bus because of this.
10:15 AM: Now blocking just the left lane.
11:05 AM: SDOT reports the bridge is now clear.
(Last night’s sun, before the storm – photographed by Don Brubeck)
Two days until Thanksgiving – so our first group of highlights is from the WSB West Seattle Holiday Guide (where you’ll also find Thanksgiving Day-specific info from workouts/runs to coffee to restaurants):
THANKSGIVING MEAL HOLIDAY ORDERING DEADLINE: Today’s your deadline to order a pre-made feast from West Seattle Thriftway (WSB sponsor) – details here. (4201 SW Morgan)
CAN YOU DONATE TURKEYS? Help others have a Thanksgiving dinner – donate turkeys at the White Center Food Bank today, 9 am-5 pm (8th SW/SW 108th) or 9 am-3 pm at the West Seattle Food Bank will take turkeys Monday – Tuesday 9 am – 3 pm or Wednesday until 7 pm (35th/Morgan).
Now, for the rest of today/tonight, highlights from our year-round WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:
FAMILY STORY TIME: High Point Library‘s Nathalie will be at Neighborhood House High Point for family story time, 11 am-11:30 am. (6400 Sylvan Way SW)
JUSTIN KAUSAL-HAYES: Performing 5-8 pm at Salty’s on Alki (WSB sponsor), with “acoustic hits of the last 4 decades.” (1936 Harbor SW)
EVENING BOOK GROUP: 6:30 pm at High Point Library – this month’s book is “The Left Hand of Darkness” by Ursula LeGuin. All welcome! Look ahead to next month here. (3411 SW Raymond)
WEST SEATTLE CRIME PREVENTION COUNCIL: Neighborhood crime/safety concern or question? Bring it to the attention of Southwest Precinct police during tonight’s last 2017 meeting of the WSCPC. All welcome. 7 pm at the precinct meeting room, which is just off the parking lot. (2300 SW Webster)
UNPLUGGED – A MUSICAL GATHERING: At C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor), 7-9 pm, for acoustic instrumentalists and singers of all genres. (5612 California SW)
SOUTH SOUND TUG AND BARGE: West Seattle’s own! 8 pm at Parliament Tavern. No cover. 21+. (4210 SW Admiral Way)
Family and friends will gather Friday to remember Elaine S. Breuninger. Here’s the remembrance being shared with the community:
Elaine was born in Minneapolis to Easton and Amelia, both of whose parents immigrated from Norway. They moved to Washington, D.C. when her father became employed by the U.S. Government as an architect. In her mid-twenties, she came “out West,” met and married her husband Dave. She resided in West Seattle for sixty years.
She was 96 and died peacefully at the adult family home where she received tender loving care the past eight years.
Elaine enjoyed being a homemaker and she was very good at it. She was a talented piano player and singer.
A 45-year member of the Fauntleroy Church Choir, she often sang as a soloist. She was an active member of the Seattle Music Study Club for nearly thirty years. She will be remembered as a kind, gentle, and artistically gifted lady as well as a wonderful, giving mother. Her loving presence and quiet grace will be missed by all.
She is survived by four children, three grandchildren, and numerous nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents and brother, Harold, and husband, Dave.
A memorial service will be held at Fauntleroy Church, UCC, 9140 California Avenue SW, on November 24th at 2 pm. Memorial gifts may be made to: Evergreen Health Foundation, 12040 NE 128h St, MS5, Kirkland, WA, 98034-3013; Fauntleroy Church, UCC (music program), 9140 California Ave. SW, Seattle, WA 98136; Children’s Hospital and Research Foundation, P.O. Box 5371, Seattle, WA, 98145-5005.
(WSB publishes West Seattle obituaries by request, free of charge. Please e-mail the text, and a photo if available, to editor@westseattleblog.com)
(SDOT MAP with travel times/video links; is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE)
6:57 AM: One incident in the area so far – 1st Avenue South is closed south of the West Seattle Bridge, to Hudson, because of a crash at 1st/Andover [map] that killed a bicyclist.
7:05 AM: Traffic Collision Investigation Squad detectives are investigating that crash so the closure could last hours.
Further south, there’s also now an emergency response to a 3-vehicle crash toward the north end of the northbound 1st Avenue S. Bridge.
7:29 AM: WSDOT says two lanes on the 1st Ave. S. Bridge have reopened, but the HOV lane remains blocked.
8:06 AM: Per scanner, southbound 1st Avenue S. will be reopening south of the West Seattle Bridge; northbound will remain blocked as the investigation continues.
8:36 AM: Northbound I-5 trouble downtown – a crash response at the Convention Center.
Meantime, one transit note – no Metro alerts about cancellations in this area (so far) today, but we did ask yesterday about the multiple recent Route 56 alerts, and this story published last night is the result.
8:51 AM: A reminder from SDOT:
Reminder: 1st Ave S is closed to NB traffic from S Hudson St to S Spokane St due to a crash investigation. SB is open. pic.twitter.com/Zo4mlYM4AU
— seattledot (@seattledot) November 21, 2017
9:04 AM: 1st Avenue S. is now clear.
9:22 AM: Thanks again for sharing info when you see a problem your West Seattle neighbors should know about – if/when you can safely/legally use your phone, text or call our 24/7 hotline, 206-293-6302 – thank you!
10:20 AM: SPD now has published an SPD Blotter update that says the bicyclist who was killed by a hit-run driver was a 61-year-old man. No description of the vehicle yet.
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