West Seattle, Washington
25 Thursday
(WSB photos)
The West Seattle High School girls-basketball team got another victory tonight as they start the new year ranked #1 by the Seattle Times.
#10 junior Jenna McPhee and #32 sophomore Meghan Fiso each brought in 16 points as the Wildcats defeated Franklin HS, 77-30.
Friday night, head coach Darnell Taylor‘s team is on the road at Garfield HS. They remain unbeaten in conference games.
(WSB photos)
Victory tonight for the Chief Sealth International High School girls’ basketball team, 58-45 in overtime over visiting Eastside Catholic.
#3 sophomore Celia LaGuardia was top scorer with 31 points; #11 senior Aundra Tuchscherer was next with 12.
#22 junior Camryn Thomas led in rebounds, with 14, and blocked three shots, too. Head coach Cartiea French-Toney‘s Seahawks will be on the road Friday night at Bishop Blanchet. Here’s how they’re doing overall so far this season.
Over the holiday, we reported the passing of Dotty Hughes, known by many for her community service as well as her management of the Washington Federal branch north of The Junction. We promised an update when there’s information on services – and a family member tells us today that they are set for Holy Rosary Church in West Seattle on Saturday, January 13 – rosary at 10 am, Mass at 11 am, and a reception in the gym at noon. Ms. Hughes was 65 years old.
Yes, winter’s only two weeks old, but it’s time to think spring – think baseball! We heard today from West Seattle Baseball, whose new president Zach Jones has announced that registration is under way, noting that the group does not have geographic boundaries. “Kids ages 4-16 from all around the area (West Seattle, Burien, White Center, South Park, etc.) are welcome to join!” he wants you to know. Other notes, for both returnees and new players:
You can now register for the 2018 season! Here are some details:
As you will see, we have a new website moving to Sports Illustrated Play this year. We brought over as much of your previous registration as we could, but it may have some gaps. You will need to create an account with SI Play (it only takes a minute).
As you register, please be careful to check names, dates and email addresses for accuracy.
This year we will also be asking for birth certificates for your players. It is not required to complete your registration, but we will need it uploaded before the season starts.
Register before February 1st and receive a $10 discount! Registration closes February 14th.
You can also register as a volunteer or as a coach in this process.
If you have any issues registering, please contact our website administrator by emailing webmaster@westseattlebaseball.com or click the handy help buttons on the website.
Have questions regarding age, bats and important dates? Please see the Letter from the President FAQ’s on the home page.
Here’s the direct link to the registration page.
City Councilmembers’ first discussion of proposed changes in city parking policy – offstreet parking, especially what will or won’t be required for buildings – began with a primer on who owns cars in Seattle.
You can watch the entire briefing for yourself starting 12 minutes into the Seattle Channel‘s video of the Planning, Land Use, and Zoning Committee‘s meeting. The briefing was presented by council staffer Lish Whitson, who said car ownership is growing as the city’s population grows – though not at the same rate; as the city’s population grew 25 percent in recent years, car ownership grew 20 percent.
Other numbers included: 83 percent of Seattleites own cars; 75 percent of renters, and 95 percent of homeowners. “When people have access to ‘free’ parking, they are more likely to own a car,” Whitson noted.
Another number – $35,000 is the average cost per space to include underground parking in a project.
Whitson also provided a history lesson – saying that parking requirements didn’t make their debut in city zoning until 1957. He also touched on how a Hearing Examiner ruling (in a West Seattle-based case) had required the city to re-evaluate how it determines an area has “frequent transit service”; a new definition of that plays a large part in these new recommendations. West Seattle-residing Councilmembers Lisa Herbold and Lorena González had questions about that part of the plan in today’s discussion. Herbold also said she hoped to hear more about the contention that housing might be cheaper if parking wasn’t required, and was looking for data comparing rents on apartments with and without it.
What today’s 26-minute briefing didn’t do was get into details of the proposed changes, originally released in November by then-Mayor Tim Burgess (WSB coverage here). Committee chair Councilmember Rob Johnson noted that more reviews are coming up, starting at PLUZ’s next meeting (January 17), and a public hearing is planned in February. Johnson also said that on-street parking recommendations are in the pipeline too, pointing out that those would be under the jurisdiction of the Sustainability and Transportation Committee, chaired by Councilmember Mike O’Brien.
SOMETHING TO SAY? Here’s how to contact the council.
Last year was the first time the city tried “participatory budgeting” – under the banner Your Voice, Your Choice – for park and street projects. After ideas were proposed, then vetted, then voted on, each City Council district got a share, and four transportation-related projects were the winners in our area. This year, the city’s starting the process earlier – right now! – with more money to spend, $3 million citywide. So this is your official alert that if you have a “small-scale” park or street improvement idea – something that wouldn’t cost more than $90,000 – you have a month to tell the city about it – either online by going here, or via a paper form you’ll find at Seattle Public Library branches. February 2nd is the deadline; see the full announcement here.
P.S. If you contributed an idea last year but it didn’t make the final cut, it may have been rolled over for reconsideration this year – 400+ of those ideas are on this city-created Google Map and don’t need to be resubmitted.
ORIGINAL 1:32 PM REPORT: Two items in West Seattle Crime Watch today – the first, a reader report; the second, from SPD files.
STOLEN RED HONDA CR-V: The photo above is from Joe; it’s his most-recent photo of the 2001 Honda CR-V someone stole from him very early today near 16th SW and SW Thistle [map]. He says, “Although the actual event wasn’t captured (I don’t know how), my security camera showed my car present at midnight and gone by 1 am.” Washington plates AYU3617. If you see Joe’s CR-V, call 911; police incident # is 2018-002500.
9 PM UPDATE: Thanks to the reader who spotted Joe’s car about half a mile north on 17th, called 911, let us know too, we made sure Joe knew, and he has the CR-V back – though it needs repairs to the center column to be driveable.
(Back to original report) Next: We didn’t get a reader report about this burglary last week, but the narrative is now available online (as SPD does for some, but not most, reports):
STOLEN ITEMS FOUND AFTER ADMIRAL BURGLARY: This happened last Thursday (December 28th), according to the report we found in SPD’s online files. Police were called to a Walnut Avenue SW address in early afternoon. They were told that someone had broken into a garage overnight, stealing two bicycles and “a saw, leaf blower, wheelbarrow, flat-screen TV, an Airstream battery, and a red backpack with fishing gear.” A neighbor spotted the garage door open early in the morning and alerted the victim – apparently the burglar(s) got in through a window and left via the door. Police learned that someone else in the area had called 911 at 1:15 am after seeing someone near the garage door working on a bicycle that matched the description of one of the two stolen bikes; officers responded at the time but didn’t find anyone or anything.
While investigating the burglary hours later, officers were told about a bicycle spotted near 41st/Lander [map], and discovered it was one of the stolen bikes. Checking the area nearby, they found other items taken in the burglary, dumped or hidden in bushes – the flat-screen TV, leaf blower, saw, and battery. They also found fingerprints on the TV and on the window through which the burglar(s) had been entered, so those were going to be crosschecked with a database.
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
This is not just the first week of 2018. It’s also the first week since the closure of a long-running regionally renowned and respected West Seattle business that might not have been on your radar: Dupré + Scott Apartment Advisors.
A reader note put the closure on our radar. We had certainly heard of Dupre + Scott – much-quoted experts tracking and analyzing trends and other information for and about the apartment industry – but hadn’t realized they were based in West Seattle, with an office in Morgan Junction.
And now, Patty Dupré and Mike Scott – married 35 years, working together for 38 years – have closed up shop.
It’s explained on their website, starting with:
This was a difficult decision to make. We have been doing this research for 38 years thanks to the tremendous support we have received from our subscribers, clients, and participants. We are honored that they have put so much trust in us, and our work.
In return, we have been passionate about providing the best possible research, and have enjoyed knowing so many wonderful people over the years.
So it is with mixed emotions that we are closing our business. But after analyzing sales almost daily for 38 years for the Investment Report, conducting 35 years of semiannual surveys for the Vacancy Report, and… well, you get the idea, it’s time for us to move on.
When we started our research back in 1979 there were just over 80,000 market rate apartment units in the Puget Sound region. Now there are more than 300,000 units. We have tracked them through the development phase, analyzed their sales history, line by line operating expenses, unit mix, amenities, rents, vacancies, and more.
They considered selling, or hiring people to do some of the work they themselves have done for all these years. But they decided there was no way to do either and still maintain the “unique, reliable, insightful, and … useful” product they have provided all these years.
Not to mention humorous, as you can see in their farewell video – which includes, of course, the newest industry info:
(This morning’s almost-moonset view @ Alki, photographed by Don Brubeck)
Second day post-holidays, and life continues to get busier. Here are highlights for the rest of today/tonight, from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:
BABY STORY TIME: 11:30 am at High Point Library. Free and fun. (3411 SW Raymond)
SOUTHWEST DISTRICT COUNCIL: As previewed here, City Councilmember Lisa Herbold is the main guest at tonight’s first SWDC meeting of the year. 6:30 pm at the Sisson Building/Senior Center, all welcome. (4217 SW Oregon)
SCHOOL-BOUNDARY CHANGES: As previewed here last night, the School Board will consider proposed boundary changes for Genesee Hill Elementary and Lafayette Elementary schools during its meeting tonight (the 6:30 pm section) at district HQ in SODO. (3rd & Lander)
(This morning’s moonset high over the Olympics, photographed by James Bratsanos)
‘WEST SEATTLE GET FIT’ INFO NIGHT: 7 pm at January 3rd, come to West Seattle Runner (WSB sponsor) and find out about the soon-to-start free program that will get beginning runners ready for a half-marathon later this year. (2743 California SW)
JIM PAGE: Live at C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor), 7-9 pm. (5612 California SW)
BASKETBALL: Girls-varsity home games tonight: Chief Sealth International High School (2600 SW Thistle) hosts Eastside Catholic, West Seattle High School (3000 California SW) hosts Franklin. Both games are at 7:30 pm.
OPEN MICROPHONE: New open-mic night at Great American Diner and Bar, hosted by Alan Sobel. 7:30 pm, with signups starting at 7. (4752 California SW)
With your help, we’re continuing this year to work to be sure our calendar is the most comprehensive catalog of what’s happening in West Seattle – editor@westseattleblog.com is where to send info about what you are doing/offering/presenting, as soon as you have it – thanks!
This Friday brings 2018’s first Southwest Seattle Historical Society-presented author appearance in the “Words, Writers, West Seattle” series. But you will not find it at the longtime location (Barnes & Noble) – starting this month, the first-Friday events are moving to the library. This time, architectural historian David Hansen talks about his book “Battle Ready,” 5-7 pm Friday (January 5th) at Southwest Library (9010 35th SW). It’s a “scholarly study of the Puget Sound forts” 1894 to 1925, describing “designs, innovations, frustrations over implementation plans, and the experience of serving in the fortifications during their period of greatest importance.” (Read more in our calendar listing.) The format remains a free drop-in event; watch for updates on topics and locations for the months ahead.
(SDOT MAP with travel times/video links; is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE)
7:03 AM: Good morning! We’ve just checked around – no incidents reported so far this morning in, or outbound from, West Seattle.
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