West Seattle, Washington
28 Thursday
The Admiral Neighborhood Association is looking for a new president and will be formally asking for nominations at its next meeting in October.
That’s part of what was discussed at ANA’s summer meeting Tuesday night, after a tour of the Admiral area’s biggest project since the Safeway rebuild seven years ago – Aegis Living of West Seattle (4700 SW Admiral Way; WSB sponsor), which now has its first residents.
ANA attendees were escorted throughout the property, which already has 20 residents. 50 units are assisted living, 33 – on their own specially designed floor – are memory care. Amenities span the floors from a plush-seated movie theater on a lower level to a rooftop deck with a big movie screen. In a courtyard with a walking path, you’ll find the tugboat we mentioned earlier this month (top photo).
The nautical/seacoast theme is carried throughout the building, from decor to art to the color palette. To the point of hosting the neighborhood group, managers said that if nearby residents have any concerns at any time, they want to hear about it. Aegis bought the site that had previously held Life Care Center until 2013.
After the tour, ANA had a short business meeting. As mentioned above, the next meeting will include a call for candidates for the presidency – Larry Wymer‘s term is almost up – and other positions. Wymer, meantime, said he’s been focusing on increasing membership, including talking to local businesses about getting involved. He’s also still hoping to drum up interest in Admiral District holiday decorations..
He also read an update from Stephanie Jordan, organizer of the ANA-presented Summer Concerts at Hiawatha series. Attendance seems to be up from last year; this week (6:30 pm Thursday on the east lawn at Hiawatha Community Center) will feature The Service Providers, and next week’s series finale, starring Caspar Babypants, is expected to be massive as always.
Speaking of concerts, one attendee had big kudos for last Saturday’s SPF30 mega-music festival at Alki, presented by Sub Pop Records, which had sent executives to multiple ANA and Alki Community Council meetings with advance info. She lauded SPF30 as a very well-run event.
NEXT ANA MEETING: Tuesday, October 9th, 6:30 pm, back at the usual site, The Sanctuary at Admiral (42nd/Lander).
Still smoky at sunset, but clearer than it was last night – Bainbridge and other islands were visible from West Seattle’s west-facing shore, though the Olympic Mountains remained hidden by haze. The National Weather Service says “onshore flow” will continue clearing the air through tomorrow. The Washington Smoke Information website, however, says slightly ominously, “It may be short lived, but we expect at least a couple days of cleaner air coming up.” As for the fires themselves – they remain numerous; we note that one just past Hood Canal that we mentioned shortly after it started, when things first started getting smoky here nine days ago, is now past 1,300 acres.
The city has announced the winning projects in this year’s round of “participatory budgeting.” From the announcement:
The results are in! More than 7200 community members voted for their favorite park and street projects and 51 projects have been selected. It’s all part of the city’s Your Voice, Your Choice: Parks & Streets, a participatory budgeting program in which community members democratically decide how to spend a portion of the City’s budget. …
The projects were selected from more than 1,000 ideas submitted in February by community members across Seattle. These ideas were evaluated and honed by more than 500 volunteers who participated on Project Development Teams that met in each Council District. This spring, Seattle Department of Transportation and Seattle Parks and Recreation provided cost estimates for the proposals. Then beginning in June, community members ages 11 and above voted by Council District for their favorite projects online and at in-person polling stations at Seattle libraries.
With $3 million available, a maximum of $285,000 was allocated for each City Council District. The remaining $1 million was designated for funding projects in the City’s Equity and Environment Initiative Focus Areas—geographic areas where communities of color, immigrants, refugees, people with low incomes, Native peoples, and limited-English proficiency individuals tend to live. Overall, 20 projects located in these Focus Areas received awards.
Many communities embraced the voting process, especially Districts 1 and 2 whose residents cast nearly 40% of the total votes received. “Programs like Your Voice, Your Choice are important,” observed Kim Schwarzkopf, District 1 resident and Your Voice Your Choice Steering Committee member. “It is a simple way for people to get involved, connect with their neighbors, and make a positive impact in their community.”
Here are the winning projects in West Seattle and South Park:
DISTRICT 1
Riverview/Puget Ridge: Pedestrian Lighting Improvements at SW Morgan St bus stop near South Seattle College (Cost: $90,000, Total Votes: 287)
South Park: Intersection Improvements at Dallas Ave S, 12th Ave S, and Thistle St (Cost: $3,500, Total Votes: 290)*
South Park: Walkway Improvements on S Cloverdale St under SR-99 overpass (Cost: $90,000, 60% design only, Total Votes: 364)*
South Park: Signage Improvements at S Henderson St and 12th Ave S. (Cost $2,000, Total Votes: 208)*
North Admiral: Crossing Improvements on California Ave SW and SW College St (Cost: $90,000, Total Votes: 277)
North Delridge: Improvements to basketball courts at Delridge Community Center (Cost: $7,000, Total Votes: 367)
North Delridge: Equipment Refurbishment at Puget Boulevard Commons/Cottage Grove Park (Cost: $90,000, Total Votes: 271)
Fauntleroy: Benches in Lincoln Park (Cost: $15,330, Total Votes: 355)
Roxhill/South Delridge: Trail Improvements at Roxhill Park (Cost: $88,800, Total Votes: 305)*
Those 9 projects were among 11 that went up for a vote in our area back in June. (Our June story also linked to individual infosheets on each proposal, if you’re looking for more details on any of them.)
(WSB photo, last Thursday night)
3:37 PM: Just in from the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office: 16-year-old Loyan A. Ahmed has been charged as an adult in the shooting death last Thursday night of 37-year-old Taylor Fehlen. He is charged with second-degree murder and unlawful gun possession. We don’t have the charging documents yet but we have the probable-cause document, from which the following is taken, with all but suspect and victim names redacted. It also reveals what preceded the murder:
On August 09, 2018 at approximately 2309 hours, Seattle Police Officers responded to a shooting at 35 Ave SW and SW Morgan Street. Officers arrived and located a victim down on the ground suffering from gunshot wounds. Witnesses told them that after shooting the victim multiple times the armed male suspect ran northeast across 35 Ave SW. The victim was lying on the sidewalk near the northwest comer of the intersection.
Seattle Fire Medics transported the victim to Harborview Medical Center where he died from his injuries. The victim was identified as 37-year-old Taylor C. Fehlen. Homicide detectives were called to the scene.
Metro Coach #7003 was parked beside where the victim fell. Officers located several shell casings and the Coach appeared to have been struck by gunfire. Officers learned that the victim and the suspect had both been passengers on board the Metro Coach.
Witnesses consistently described the shooter as a young Black male, wearing a dark colored hoodie and long pants. Officers scoured the area immediately but did not find the suspect. An SPD Police Dog (PD) verified witness testimony that the suspect ran to the NE, across 35th Ave SW, through a parking lot of a Walgreens drug store. During the determined PD search, a semi-automatic firearm was discovered in some shrubs on the east side of that store. The gun was out-of-battery as if it had recently been used. A single bullet was “stove-piped” in the firing chamber.
The caliber and brand of ammunition in the gun were the same as those found at the shooting scene. The PD also alerted to on fenced yards east of the alley but the suspect was not located. Detectives determined that the Metro Coach was equipped with security cameras that recorded the incident.
A review of that footage showed the suspect boarded the Coach at 16 Ave SW and SW Roxbury. When he boarded the coach, he paid for his fare by “tapping” his ORCA card. During their investigation, detectives leamed the card had been issued to Loyan A. Ahmed … The victim, and several other passengers were already on board. Ahmed sat directly behind the driver. To the ire of the passengers, Ahmed repeatedly pulled the stop cord on the coach. The driver stopped the coach each time but Ahmed didn’t disembark. The driver and passengers, including the victim, expressed their anger at Ahmed. Ahmed and the victim quarreled … After this occurred the Ahmed appeared to ready himself by deliberately dawning his hood, synching the drawstring to conceal his face and by tucking in his pant legs. As the coach neared the intersection of 35 Ave SW and SW Morgan Street the victim raised from his seat and pulled the stop cord. Ahmed got up and moved to the back door where he manipulated something under his hoodie in his waistband. When the door opened, Ahmed got off, walked a short distance and waited for the victim. Ahmed yelled for the victim to get off the bus. The victim exited the front door and started walking toward Ahmed. Ahmed drew a handgun from his waist, shot the victim multiple times and ran off.
Still images depicting the suspect were disseminated to local media.
Detectives obtained a recent school photo of Ahmed and he matched the suspect depicted in the Metro video. Further, they determined that Ahmed lived with his mother … The residence is blocks from the crime scene and in direct line with the suspect’s direction of travel from the scene.
Detectives were preparing to arrest Ahmed for the murder when his mother unexpectedly called 9ll. She reported that her juvenile soon wanted to talk to police about being a murder suspect. (A detective) called Ahmed’s mother … She informed me that she had seen images of her son on the West Seattle Blog and identified him as being the murder suspect. SPD SWAT responded to their residence where Ahmed was taken into custody without incident.
The suspect’s arraignment – initial hearing for entering a plea – is set for August 29th.
ADDED 3:56 PM: We now also have the charging documents, with the additional details that prosecutors requested $1 million bail and that the suspect has “no known criminal history.”
Tomorrow night’s Summer Concerts at Hiawatha band, The Service Providers, has a serious rock pedigree. Here’s part of the explanation:
The Service Providers is a new project of Brian Naubert, Dave Fox, Mike Musburger, and Arthur Roberts.
How they started: Mike and Arthur played together in The Posies. Arthur left the Posies to play in Sushirobo and Peach. Mike and Dave played together in The Posies. Dave left the Posies to play in Flop. Mike left the Posies to play in the Fastbacks. Brian played in Popsickle. Brian left Popsickle. Mike, Dave and Brian played together in Tube Top. Mike, Dave, and Brian left Tube Top. Mike, Dave and Brian played together in Ruston Mire. Now, Mike, Dave, Arthur, and Brian play together in The Service Providers.
(If you saw the Fastbacks at SPF30 last Saturday, you saw Mike.) The Service Providers describe their sound as “a crackling bonfire of hard guitar rock, rife with unabashed pop hooks and formidable chops. … catchy as hell, treating heartbroken love songs and post-ironic party anthems with equal dexterity. … something like stumbling into a bar fight between Blue Oyster Cult, Devo, and the Kinks — amped on adrenaline and bleeding nostalgia.” They’re releasing a record with help of a crowdfunding campaign – the page for it includes two sample tracks, if you’d like to preview their music before packing up your chair/blanket/picnic dinner and heading to the east lawn at Hiawatha Community Center – along Walnut south of Lander, 6:30 pm Thursday (August 16th) – free! (The series is in its 10th summer and WSB has been a co-sponsor since the start.)
(WSB photo, September 2016)
We’re only three weeks from the first day of 2018-2019 classes at Seattle Public Schools. (Yes, we know, some independent schools start even sooner!) Again this year, West Seattle Elementary in High Point welcomes community members to a unique first-day-of-school event. Here’s the announcement we received today:
The community is invited to attend the third annual Be There Rally at West Seattle Elementary on Wednesday, September 5th, from 7:00 am to 8:00 am. The school, in partnership with Seattle Housing Authority/High Point, is rolling out the red carpet and asking community leaders, school supporters, family, and friends to line up to cheer, clap, and high-five students as they enter into the new school year.
School leaders are calling for 100 men and women to line the red carpet, dressed for success and ready to lead by example and cheer on High Point youth. Research shows that children whose family and community take an active role in their educational lives earn better grades, score higher on tests, enjoy school more and are more likely to graduate from high school and attend college.
Your presence at the school on the first day will support efforts to build valuable partnerships with families and members of the community to support student learning and positive academic outcomes.
Questions? Want to RSVP? Contact Hanna Ory at hsory@seattleschools.org or 206-252-9450. WSE is at 6760 34th SW.
We just stopped by West Seattle Stadium (4432 35th SW), where those local youth are leading a rally this afternoon aimed at stopping sexual assault by raising awareness about it. It’s a project from their six-week summer program at Seattle Parks’ Southwest Teen Life Center in Westwood, titled Youth Participatory Action Research. Their message: “Sexual assault can happen to anyone.” How can adults support youth? we also asked. Parents/guardians “should be more involved in (their kids’) lives,” not just talking with them about sex in general, but also about sexual assault – what it can look like, and what consent means. Whatever your age – “educate yourself.” (You can do that through organizations like RAINN.) And they also have a message of empowerment for their peers: “Youth possess the power to make change, not just adults.” If you see this before 1:30 pm, stop by the stadium and show your support.
Amanda at Pharmaca in The Junction is hoping someone can help identify the shoplifters in that video:
These women have been in our shop and others in the Alaska Junction multiple times stealing. Not only do they hit us, they then turn around and scam other people by selling the items online. … They are normally just two African American women I would say mid twenties, always dressed nice but always with big bags. The one is about 5’4″ and this time had blue braids. The other girl who normally comes with her is about 5’4″-5’6″. They are mostly non-confrontational but when approached become rude and intimidating.
So it’s the two girls who have come before, and this last time they had a pregnant friend with them … The car they left in was an approx 2003 silver Toyota Corolla with (a license plate starting with BIG).
You can call us at 206-932-4225. If you can recognize these women, or know the car, please reach out to me. I also have Officer Daily on the case, who can be reached at 206-733-9800.
(2 photos of juvenile Cooper’s Hawks today. Above, by Jeremiah Holt, who says it was “banded by the folks at urbanraptorconservancy.org in Pigeon Point. They conduct scientific research and monitor raptors and how they respond to human-altered landscapes.”)
From the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar and inbox, highlights for the hours ahead:
WADING POOLS: Wednesday in West Seattle means Lincoln Park until 8 pm (8011 Fauntleroy Way SW), Hiawatha 12 pm-6:30 pm (Walnut/Lander), EC Hughes 12 pm-7 pm (2805 SW Holden).
SEXUAL-ASSAULT AWARENESS RALLY: Noon-1:30 pm at West Seattle Stadium, you are invited to a student-organized rally. It’s the result of an “action project” chosen by students in a city Parks summer program. (4432 35th SW)
LET’S PAINT AN ORCA! High Point Library tells us there’s plenty of room for kids 9 through 12 years old to join in this afternoon’s “Let’s Paint an Orca” program – 2-3:30 pm, so never mind the registration info in our calendar listing – just show up. Free! (3411 SW Raymond)
(Wider view of a juvenile Cooper’s Hawk, by Kersti Muul)
HIGH POINT MARKET GARDEN FARMSTAND: This summer’s sixth weekly farmstand for organic produce that’s grown where it’s sold here in West Seattle, 4 pm-7 pm. (32nd SW & SW Juneau)
STATE FERRY TASK FORCE: The Washington State Ferries Triangle Route Task Force continues to work on issues including a new schedule for the Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth run. Its next meeting is 4:30-7 pm today in the Fauntleroy Church fellowship hall – here’s the agenda (PDF). Public welcome. (9140 California SW)
SEATTLE YARN GOODBYE/HELLO: 6-8 pm at Seattle Yarn, say hello to new owners Destiny Itano and Cheryl Lea, and say goodbye to former owner Ruth Bowen – background in our recent story. (5633 California SW)
YES, THERE’S MORE … just visit our complete calendar.
(Photo courtesy West Seattle YMCA)
The West Seattle YMCA (WSB sponsor) is registering kids for fall outdoor soccer through Friday! Here’s the reminder:
Get in the game this fall with Y soccer. Kids learn the rules of the game, sharpen skills like dribbling, passing, defense and offense while learning teamwork and sportsmanship. YMCA youth sports encourage and promote healthy kids, families, and communities by placing a priority on family involvement, healthy competition rather than rivalry, the value of participation over winning, team-building as well as individual development, a positive self-image and a sense of fair play and mutual respect for others. Parents are encouraged to be more than mere spectators, by contributing their time as volunteer coaches—as well as being their kid’s greatest fan. Learn more and sign up here.
(SDOT MAP with travel times/video links; is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE)
6:58 AM: Good morning. No incidents reported in/from West Seattle so far.
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