West Seattle, Washington
20 Saturday
(Added: State Patrol photo)
2:29 PM: Thanks for the tip about a Highway 509 closure – south of here but just in case you’re headed that way: WSDOT says it’s closed in both directions near Sea-Tac; if you’re headed southbound, you’ll be diverted to S. 160th; if northbound, you’ll be diverted to S. 188th. Per King County Sheriff’s Office scanner traffic, they’re investigating gunfire.
2:33 PM: State Patrol says 4 cars were hit, no injuries.
4:32 PM: The search is currently focused at the south end of 509, at 188th, but the backup on 509 is reported to start much further north, so if you have to head south, we’d advise non-509 routes.
6:25 PM: Via Twitter, the State Patrol has just posted this update: “Reopening NB Sr-509 lanes to normal traffic. The right lane of SB Sr-509 will remain closed while WSP K-9’s search the area for possible evidence.”
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
Key Southwest Precinct leadership outlined the “Alki summer-emphasis plan” to a roomful of residents last night.
Along with precinct commander Capt. Pierre Davis and Lt. Steve Strand (soon to be the precinct’s second-in-command), Community Police Team officers were there, as were the precinct’s crime prevention coordinator Jennifer Danner and City Attorney’s Office precinct liaison Joe Everett.
This was held outside the usual schedule of community meetings, both at the precinct and in neighborhoods where SPD reps often are in attendance to provide crime-trend briefings; City Councilmember Lisa Herbold noted the meeting in her update last weekend on new efforts to facilitate cracking down on vehicle noise, which passed a council vote today (more on that later in this report).
Capt. Davis said the precinct has a comprehensive plan with a “couple components” added this year. “We’ve heard loud and clear from a lot of our community members” about problems including noise and other “quality-of-life issues.”
He said the Alki “summer-emphasis plan” has two main components:
Carol e-mailed us after seeing the Marine Spill Response Corporation‘s bright-blue-hulled W.C. Park Responder off Blake Island all day Tuesday, wondering if it was there to handle an incident. We couldn’t find any indication of that but contacted MSRC to be sure; spokesperson Keely Fitzpatrick replied, “The WC Park Responder is, in fact, participating in training today. As you can imagine, maintaining a competent workforce both, internal and contractor, is paramount to our organization’s success.” Here’s more about the vessel, which is based in Port Angeles. (Sorry, no pic.)
(Tuesday evening photo by David Hutchinson)
Ahead for the rest of your Wednesday:
LOW-LOW TIDE, WITH BEACH NATURALISTS: Seattle Aquarium volunteer beach naturalists are at Constellation Park (Beach Drive SW/63rd SW) and Lincoln Park (8011 Fauntleroy Way SW) until 12:30 pm today to answer your questions during the low-low tide, which bottoms out at 11:11 am, -3.0 feet.
COWORKING GRAND-OPENING PARTY: The Inc.‘s new coworking space at St. John the Baptist Episcopal Church is hosting a family-friendly grand-opening party until 12:30 pm – bring the kid(s)! Details in our calendar listing. (3050 California SW)
PLAYGROUND MEETING: Drop by Seattle Parks’ EC Hughes Playground for a look at the “preferred design” for its renovation project (not related to the EC Hughes school-playground project). 1-3 pm. (2805 SW Holden)
SMASH BATTLE ROYALE TOURNAMENT: 3:30-5:30 pm at Southwest Library, for ages 12-18: “Teens gather in an all-out Super Smash Brothers Brawl Tournament. Only the strong will survive and claim glorious victory! Are you the strongest?” Pizza too! Plus info about summer programs. (9010 35th SW)
LADIES’ NIGHT FOR RUNNERS: 6:15 pm at West Seattle Runner (WSB sponsor):
We will be hosting a Ladies Night after our group run at West Seattle Runner tonight. Kick off the night with a group run at 6:15 pm (or join us after around 7pm for after run festivities). We will have Christa, a Brooks representative, onsite doing bra fittings so you can demo bras to find the perfect fit, finally!! For the run, you will be able to demo a bra and try it on for size and motion control!!! After the run, we will have shopping, bubbly, and jewelry! There will be a photo booth! We will also do a raffle drawing with something from Park Lane, Brooks, and Rodan and Fields. Come check out the full jewelry collection being brought to the NW – Park Lane! The jewelry is gorgeous and there are amazing customer specials along with a sale you won’t want to miss!
(2743 California SW)
POEMS AND STORIES: Pamela Carter, Samanthe Sheffer, and Stacey Panek Danner are the featured readers at Poetrybridge‘s monthly event tonight at C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor), 7 pm. (5612 California SW)
34TH DISTRICT DEMOCRATS: Tonight’s 7 pm meeting at The Hall at Fauntleroy is scheduled to include endorsements for the August primary.
TRIANGULAR JAZZTET: Live at Whisky West (WSB sponsor)! 7 pm, no cover, 21+. (6451 California SW)
LOTS MORE! See it all on our complete-calendar page.
Before we get to today’s highlight list – one to put on your calendar for tomorrow: A festival of short films created by 10th graders at Chief Sealth International High School. The photos shared with us show some of the students collaborating as they edit their films in the project’s final week.
Their work will be shown during the school day tomorrow and then at three evening showings to which you’re invited: 5 pm, 6:30 pm, and 8 pm at the CSIHS Auditorium (2600 SW Thistle). Some of the filmmakers will participate in panel discussions – it’s all detailed on the festival’s website. That’s also where you can see what the films are about – as described in the announcement we received, “local issues that are most important to students of this generation.” From the evening screenings’ schedules, just a few examples:
-“Humanizing the Homeless”
-“Immigration: Our Story”
-“Hip Hop/Rap Shows the Message of the Time”
-“Fishing for Clues”
-“Lockdown”
-“Perceptions of Body Image”
There’s even a short about “Juice the God,” the local rapper murdered downtown for whom a memorial is still in place barely a block northeast of the campus. See the world through the eyes of the up-and-coming generation, tomorrow night at Chief Sealth.
(WSB photo, June 2nd)
The playground is built – now, if you can spare a little time this Saturday, the students of Roxhill Elementary – getting ready to move into their new home – will be forever grateful. The reminder/request from Friends of Roxhill:
Friends of Roxhill Elementary needs your help to move wood chips at the new playground at E.C. Hughes, where Roxhill is relocating in the fall. We need as many volunteers as possible. Right now, we only have about 20 people signed up! Bring your whole family down to 7700 34th Ave SW on Saturday, June 16, from 9 to 11 a.m or from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sign up here: signup.com/go/QixMZHL
This project has been made possible by a Seattle Department of Neighborhoods Neighborhood Matching Fund grant and a partnership between Friends of Roxhill Elementary and Seattle Public Schools. The Roxhill Elementary at E.C. Hughes playground will be open to the public in September.
(SDOT MAP with travel times/video links; is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE)
7:06 AM: Good morning. So far, no incidents reported in/from West Seattle on this rainy Wednesday.
STADIUM ZONE: Day game for the Mariners, hosting the Angels again, 1:10 pm.
7:57 AM: Two after-the-fact transit alerts just in from Metro via Twitter and text:
Transit Alert – Route 56 to downtown Seattle due to leave 61 Av SW & Alki Av SW at 7:49 AM will not operate this morning.
— King County Metro🚏🚎🌈🏳️🌈 (@kcmetrobus) June 13, 2018
Transit Alert – Route 55 to downtown Seattle due to leave SW Atlantic St & 44 Av SW at 7:15 AM will not operate this morning.
— King County Metro🚏🚎🌈🏳️🌈 (@kcmetrobus) June 13, 2018
(June 2nd WSB photo by Christopher Boffoli)
Southwest Precinct commander Capt. Pierre Davis offered an update on the June 2nd Alki Avenue murder toward the end of tonight’s precinct meeting about beach noise enforcement (separate report to come). “This was an altercation between two individuals and their conflict resolution … slipped to the point where it got physical,” and a deadly stabbing resulted. “It could have happened anywhere,” he stressed, adding that SPD emphasis teams were in the beach area and got there quickly, though not quickly enough for an arrest. Detectives continue working the case. The victim, 22-year-old Jonathan C. Pecina, was remembered at a memorial service in Everett last Friday.
(Sound Transit slide deck from Pigeon Point meeting)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
Sound Transit‘s West Seattle light-rail line is either going to skirt Pigeon Point or tunnel through it, so the PP Neighborhood Council invited ST in for a briefing.
The briefing and ensuing Q&A took up most of last night’s semimonthly PPNC meeting, with about 50 people in the Pathfinder K-8 cafeteria to get an abridged version of what’s been unfolding over the past 5+ months.
ST’s Andrea Burnett and Stephen Mak, both working on the West Seattle line plan, were invited. He presented the backstory first on the Sound Transit 3 vote setting up a draft plan for a 4.7-mile extension to West Seattle, to open in 2030, with a new rail-only bridge over the Duwamish River, and three stations in WS.
New construction/detour info for the Harbor/Spokane safety project from SDOT:
>As soon as tomorrow, Wednesday, June 13, crews will begin construction of the Harbor Ave SW and SW Spokane St Intersection Improvements project. This Neighborhood Street Fund project will increase the visibility and safety for people walking and biking across Harbor Ave SW and SW Spokane St. We expect construction to last about 6 weeks.
Nighttime and weekend work
One of the first construction activities will be pavement breaking at the intersection of Harbor Ave SW and SW Spokane St in preparation for safety improvement work on the Alki Trail. This work will be done at night and over the weekend to reduce impacts to people driving. For details about what to expect, please see below.
Traffic impacts:
Westbound SW Spokane St will be reduced to one lane of traffic at Harbor Ave SW, except during peak hours (3 PM to 7 PM, Monday through Friday), when it will remain fully open
A uniformed police officer will direct right turns onto northbound Harbor Ave SW from SW Spokane St during work hours
Crews plan to work continuously from 7 PM on Friday, June 15, to 5 AM on Monday, June 18
Sidewalks will be maintained for people walking and bikingConstruction impacts:
Noise, dust, and vibration from breakers and heavy equipment
Increased truck activity, back-up alarms, and workers communicating in the field
Additional nighttime and weekend work may be required at this intersection
Crews have a noise variance for this workLooking ahead:
Starting as soon as Monday, June 18, crews will begin safety improvement work on the Alki Trail. Crews will begin by replacing segments of the jersey barrier along the trail. Please note: This work may require a partial closure of the Alki Trail at the intersection of Harbor Ave SW and SW Spokane St. We’ll share more information on detour routes for people walking and biking as the work approaches.
What you need to know during construction:
Typical construction hours are Monday – Friday, 7 AM – 5 PM
Occasional night and weekend work
Temporary lane, crosswalk, and sidewalk closures
Detours for people walking and biking
Possible parking and loading restrictions
Please expect typical construction impacts such as increased noise, dust, truck activity, and vibration
Impacts and schedule are subject to change
Here’s the official SDOT construction notice (PDF).
(June 2017 tide, out past minus three feet, looking north from Emma Schmitz Memorial Overlook)
The next four days bring a bonus for beachwalkers: Low-low tides of minus 3 feet or lower:
Wednesday, 11:11 am: -3.0
Thursday, 11:55 am: -3.5
Friday, 12:42 pm: -3.7
Saturday, 1:30 pm: -3.4
Here’s our favorite chart. You can also check tides any time on the WSB Weather page.
P.S. Seattle Aquarium volunteer beach naturalists will be out too – here’s the schedule.
(WSB photo, June 2017)
If you’re looking forward to marking the change of seasons with Alice Enevoldsen‘s quarterly sunset watch at West Seattle’s Solstice Park – you need to know it’s happening a few days early this time around! Because of a schedule conflict, Alice will be at the park 8:30-9:30 pm this Saturday, June 16th – should be a great way to end a warm, clear day. (This year’s actual solstice moment will be 3:07 am Thursday, June 21st.) All ages welcome and encouraged; if you’ve never been to one of Alice’s sunset watches, it’s informative, fun, low-key, drop-in/drop-out when you want. Solstice Park is upslope of the tennis courts across from the north end of Lincoln Park (7400 Fauntleroy Way SW).
There was anger, chanting, shouting … and public comment on both sides. After a two-plus-hour meeting, seven City Councilmembers voted this afternoon to repeal the head tax they had approved less than a month ago (the “no” votes were Teresa Mosqueda and Kshama Sawant). In case you missed it, the Seattle Channel video is now available. Once public comment ended at about 1:11 into the meeting, West Seattle/South Park Councilmember Lisa Herbold was the first to comment pre-vote, starting at 1:14 in and continuing for seven minutes of near-fury. She refuted the claims that no progress is being made against homelessness, but said that progress is limited because more affordable housing needs to be built. She said the repeal vote “runs counter to my values as a person” but she felt compelled to vote for it because a majority of Seattle citizens believe homelessness has resulted from “government inefficiency.” “People say we are bowing to political pressure, but nothing could be further from the truth,” she insisted, saying a ballot fight between now and November would do more damage. She said she hoped the repeal would be a “temporary setback.” Other councilmembers who commented at length included West Seattle-residing citywide Councilmember Lorena González, who with Herbold co-chaired the task force that came up with the head-tax; starting at 1:38 in the video, saying “all the solutions (to homelessness) require new and additional revenue.” She said, “It gives me no pleasure to have to repeal this law because I think this law was well done” and vowed to “fight for solutions that will not tear this city apart.” She added that this is “a defining moment in the city of Seattle … and not a good one.”
SOUTH ADMIRAL GARAGE THEFT: A reader alarmed by the Ring version of this SPD auto-tweet for an “occupied burglary” last night in the 3200 block of California asked us about it. We checked with SPD today. Det. Mark Jamieson says that the system shows, “Officers responded to a report of a theft from inside a secured parking garage … The theft allegedly happened 5 days ago (possibly a car prowl?) Officers could not locate the reporting party despite several calls back. If victim calls back we’ll respond to take a report.”
GATEWOOD BURGLARY: Via e-mail this morning:
We live a block from (The Kenney) just off of Fauntleroy Way; at some time between 2 AM and 5:30 AM on Thursday (June 7) a thief entered our home through a first floor open window. I’m embarrassed to say it but I know when it must have happened because I was asleep on the couch at the time and must have been in plain sight of the intruder (and I’m the one naive enough to think I could leave that window open.) I suppose in one sense it might be lucky I slept through the whole thing , only discovering what had happened when I awoke and saw the window screen pried off and a number of things stolen.
HANSEN VIEW REPORTS: From the neighborhood near Providence Mount St. Vincent, Block Watch captain Karen Berge (who you also know as co-founder of the West Seattle Block Watch Captains Network) has an update:
Our Hansen View Block Watch area experienced another vehicle theft recently, as well as two detached garage break-ins. The two garage break-ins took place this weekend in the 5000 block of 36th off the alley shared with those on 35th. … another neighbor found “loot” stashed in the alley behind their home… it all eventually came together, and the loot turned out to be a combination of items from both locations. Key point here are that the perp(s) cut through a lock on one of the garages, not padlocks or cables attached to the locks. Also, the car theft a week or so earlier took less than 30 seconds to steal, although it was locked…and the car that was stolen had been stolen in late April, then recovered (’99 Legacy Outback).
(WSB photos. From left, Amir, Arianna, owner Maryam, Kara)
Canna West Seattle (WSB sponsor) is now open in its “new” location at 5440 California SW – which was intended to be its location all along.
When we reported back in 2016 that proprietor Maryam Mirnateghi had obtained the first state license for a recreational-marijuana store in WS, she had bought the Craftsman house and expected a relatively quick conversion from its previous incarnation as professional offices.
The city permitting process didn’t work out that way – so she launched Canna West Seattle across the street in a storefront that had been a dispensary in the medical-marijuana-only days.
But now, 5440 California SW is fully remodeled into Canna West Seattle’s permanent home. Mirnateghi says it’s larger than the space across the street, which means more room to display products and information.
There are also now five registers, which means less waiting at busy times. And soon there will be a sixth for people to pick up and pay for orders they place online. There’s also an illuminated menu board for pre-rolls.
While the new location doesn’t have offstreet parking, you can still park across the street in the lot for 5435 California SW, which Mirnateghi plans to reopen soon as Canna West Seattle’s merchandise store – “high-end glass,” T-shirts, etc. Also in the works, some paving along the alley behind the new location so a ramp can be installed for those unable to use the stairs that lead to the front door.
Canna West Seattle is open 9 am-11:30 pm seven days a week; June 23rd is set for a grand-opening party at the new location, so watch for details on that.
(WSB photo from last Friday night(
Many have asked if there’s any update on the man who suffered life-threatening injuries when hit by a driver on 35th north of Avalon last Friday night. We asked Southwest Precinct Operations Lt. Ron Smith at last night’s Pigeon Point Neighborhood Council meeting (separate meeting report to come), and he checked for us this morning. He says the 35-year-old victim remains at Harborview Medical Center, listed in serious condition. The man was trying to cross at mid-block when the driver, northbound, hit him, per SPD’s online update later that night, after the road was reopened following 3-plus hours of investigation. Witnesses rushed in to do CPR even before authorities arrived.
(Pileated Woodpecker, photographed in Fauntleroy Park by Mark Wangerin)
Eight things you should know about the rest of your Tuesday:
LAST DAY OF SCHOOL: Explorer West Middle School (WSB sponsor) students finish their year with a half-day. (10015 28th SW)
INTERESTED IN BECOMING A NURSE? 11 am-1 pm informational session today for the nursing program at South Seattle College (WSB sponsor) – full details in our calendar listing. (6000 16th SW)
DELRIDGE GROCERY FARMSTAND: The Delridge Grocery Coop brings back its weekly farmstand for summer, starting 3-7 pm today by the Shell station. (5441 Delridge Way SW)
ALKI NOISE ENFORCEMENT: As announced by City Councilmember Lisa Herbold in her update on efforts to crack down on excessive vehicle noise, especially on Alki, there’s a meeting at the Southwest Precinct tonight to hear about SPD’s plans. 6:30 pm. (2300 SW Webster)
WSHS SPRING CONCERT #1: West Seattle High School musicians invite you to two spring concerts this week – first one is 7 pm tonight, “A Night of Jazz.” (3000 California SW)
SOUTH DELRIDGE COMMUNITY GROUP: Live/work in South Delridge? Join your neighbors at tonight’s South Delridge Community Group meeting, 7 pm at 2 Fingers Social. Kids welcome until 8 pm. (9211 Delridge Way SW)
FAUNTLEROY COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION: Monthly business meeting, public always welcome – 7 pm at Fauntleroy Schoolhouse. We’ll add the agenda here when we get one. (9131 California SW)
TRIVIA: Tonight and every Tuesday night at 7:30 pm, play trivia with Geeks Who Drink at Whisky West (WSB sponsor) in Morgan Junction. (6451 California SW)
SEE THE FUTURE! Check out our complete calendar here.
Thanks to longtime local skateboarding advocate Matthew Lee Johnston for sending word that Skate Like a Girl still has room in day camps at Delridge and Roxhill Skateparks this summer:
Come shred, West Seattle! Youth of all genders are welcome to join Skate Like a Girl at the Roxhill and Delridge Skate Parks for amazing weeklong skate camps, learning the basics of pushing, riding, ramps, ollies, and more! Take your skate skills to new heights with the folks at Skate Like a Girl!
To register visit skatelikeagirl.com/seattlecamp2018.html
Generous Financial Aid is available! skatelikeagirl.com/financialaid.html
Here’s the full flyer with dates and locations.
(SDOT MAP with travel times/video links; is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE)
7:06 AM: Good morning. No incidents reported in/from West Seattle so far.
STADIUM ZONE: Mariners play the Angels again, 7:10 pm, and that means another night of extended West Seattle Water Taxi service.
We have updates on the three West Seattle rowers featured here early Sunday for making it to the national championships – but first, we’ve also received a report on a fourth! From Regina Arceo-Schulz:
Reece Schulz (above right), born and raised in West Seattle, did something that not too many people can say they did, he won the Lightweight Junior Men’s 2x three years in a row at the 2018 US Youth National Rowing Championship. He and this year’s partner, Ruben Luthra, finished the 2000 meters in 7:00.669 at Lake Natoma, CA. They were first in time trials and semi-finals over the three-day regatta.
Reece won last year with Cole Graham at Sarasota, Florida and 2016 with Nick Angelillo at Mercer Lake, New Jersey. A little side note, Reece’s older brothers Spencer Schulz and James Teodoro (JT) Schulz had won the same trophy in 2014. Reece and Ruben row at Seattle Rowing Center and thank their coaches, Conal Groom and Derek Deleuw, for all the hard training and support.
Kathy Lower also updated us on Reed Lower, a West Seattle High School senior who rows for Mount Baker:
His team got 16th in the nation for the Men’s Varsity 4+.
And Steve Cameron updated us on the two Fauntleroy residents he had e-mailed about over the weekend – Chief Sealth International High School senior Mackenna Cameron’s Green Lake Crew 8 seat team “made the Grand Final and came in 5th in the nation,” while Rohin Petram, a Vashon HS student, “finished 12th in his single and is only a Junior with another year to make it to the top.”
We’re continuing the countdown to West Seattle’s next major summer event – the Morgan Junction Community Festival on Saturday (June 16th), 10 am-4 pm at Morgan Junction Park [map].
Five unique reasons to go:
*See Desmond (Graves) Hansen paint a mural, live! His signal-box art has rocked West Seattle from Morgan to Luna Park, and now you can watch him in action, starting at 1 pm.
*Bubbleman – the bubbly entertainer performs from 10:45 am to 11:30 am
*Bark of Morgan – show off your dog(s) in a parade and contests, 1:45 pm
*Spatter of Morgan – it’s colorful, it’s deliberately disorganized, it’s fun! 12:30-2 pm
*Sidewalk chalk art with David Toledo, 10 am-12:30 pm
Plus kids’ activities (face-painting, balloon-twisting, crafts), food, live music, more. More in our next festival countdown! We’re among the co-sponsors and we’ll see you in the sunshine Saturday!
Reader report, with photos, from Scott:
West Seattle High School physics class had their trebuchet final in the sunshine today. What a great project for these scholars to work through.
They all were winners.
Last day of school is a week from Friday (June 22nd).
Tomorrow and Thursday, Highline Premier FC has one more round of tryouts for certain birth years. Here’s the announcement:
First round of Tryouts has concluded for the 2018/19 season. A second round of tryouts will commence on June 12 & June 14 for additional players for birth year 2007 through 2011 players & 2005 boys.
When: June 12 & 14th. Please attend both nights
Time: Based on Age Group. We will confirm field/time on Sunday via email to registrants.
Where: Chief Sealth Utility Fields or Walt Hundley based on gender/birth year(email will be sent to confirm field and time)
Existing teams may have limited spots. Email our Tryout Director at tryouts@highlinepremier.com to inquire.
If interested, register here ASAP!
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