West Seattle, Washington
18 Wednesday
10:21 PM: Thanks for the tips about the police search in Delridge – we’ve just gone to the area where police with K9 are searching, the 26th/Brandon vicinity, to find out more. They tell us they are looking for a suspected thief, after recovering a stolen bicycle. The Guardian One helicopter is joining them. The man they’re looking for is described as in his 50s, white, 6′ tall, with a white beard. More as we get it.
11:13 PM: Helicopter has moved on after exhausting the possibilities in the area. No report of an arrest so far.
ADDED 11:03 AM: As promised, we contacted SPD’s media office this morning for more details. From Det. Mark Jamieson:
A victim called 911 to report seeing his recently (unreported) stolen bicycle being pushed past his location in the 7100 block of Delridge Way SW. He called out to the suspect, who fled the scene riding the bicycle northbound. Officers conducted an area check and located the suspect in the 5400 block Delridge Way SW. The suspect observed officers in the area and, again, fled the scene. He was observed in the 5400 block of 26 Ave SW before losing sight of him. Containment was set up and a K9 track was established. K9 observed the suspect in the nearby wooded area, but due to the terrain and natural obstacles, the suspect managed to elude the officers. K9 located the stolen bicycle, which was returned to the owner. The suspect was not located after an extensive area check with assistance of Guardian One.
With Christmas now three weeks away, it’s time to start our nightly look at Christmas lights around West Seattle. We want to hear from you about bright and beautiful holiday displays! Tonight, the folks at Quail Park Memory Care Residences (WSB sponsor), which opened this year in The Junction, invited us to take a look at their first display.
Photos seldom do justice to light displays, so you’ll just have to go see for yourself – 4515 41st SW. Two other Quail Park holiday notes – as noted in the WSB West Seattle Holiday Guide, they’re offering gift-wrapping to Junction shoppers, 10 am-4 pm the next three Saturdays (December 8th, 15th, 22nd), free (but they’re accepting donations for the Alzheimer’s Association if you are so moved). Quail Park is also sponsoring the Hometown Holidays Santa Bus in The Junction the next two Sundays, 10 am-2 pm, leaving from California/Alaska.
Suggestions for lights to spotlight? E-mail us at westseattleblog@gmail.com – photos welcome too!
A request for you, from Friends of Lincoln Park:
The Friends of Lincoln Park (FLiP) would like to ask for some help from the community. The 300+ trees and plants species that were carefully planted and flagged on Green Seattle Day (Nov 3), will need continued monitoring and care over their first years of life in the park.
The flagging (colored flag tape) helps us locate the newly planted trees and plants for watering during summer droughts and track their survival. Removing the flagging often damages the plants and limits our ability to help them survive. Please help the trees and plants at Lincoln Park live long and healthy lives. REMEMBER: If you see a flagged tree, please leave it be!
For more info on forest restoration efforts with FLiP, please (go here).
The latest West Seattle Crime Watch reports:
BUS INCIDENT: One man was arrested after an incident that moved from the street to this RapidRide bus at California/Findlay this afternoon:
Police and fire had left the scene before we got there but we followed up with SPD, SFD, and Metro, to add to what we had heard via police radio: It started with two men reported fighting in the area. One then tried to board a northbound RapidRide bus. The driver tried to keep him from doing that. Some sort of substance was sprayed. This left some passengers coughing. A 31-year-old man was treated by SFD medics but didn’t need to go to the hospital. Another man was arrested and taken to King County Jail. The bus was taken out of service to be cleaned.
(Thursday night update: 34-year-old Yonas T. Berhane spent one day in jail. He has pleaded not guilty to a misdemeanor assault charge.)
STOLEN HONDAS: Two auto-theft reports – Nicole e-mailed to say, “My car was stolen from my home (5000 block California Ave SW), 2012 black Honda Accord. License AHB7813.” And Deedee reports that her son’s girlfriend, a Chief Sealth International High School student, was the victim of auto theft at her home in Burien and hoping for help in finding her car, a 2000 silver Honda Civic, plates AAV1769. She needs it for getting to school and to work. If you see either car, please call 911.
PACKAGE-THEFT ALERT: Joanie in Gatewood wants to warn you that package thieves have struck again:
We’ve had several packages stolen off our doorstep (37th at Elmgrove) including one this past Saturday. It was a box of children’s Christmas gifts from their grandparents. There is a special place in hell for anyone that would steal a kid’s gift.
Pending a permanent incident #, this one is under SPD #T18015276.
With less than a month and a half to go until the Alaskan Way Viaduct is permanently closed (starting the evening of Friday, January 11th), WSDOT went public today with demolition details. The video above shows the sequence and methodology that’s planned (in short – starting in the middle, moving north, then moving south). Starting tonight, primarily for those who work/live downtown (though all are welcome), WSDOT is hosting three downtown info sessions (listed here) about the demolition of the Viaduct and Battery Street Tunnel; here are the info-boards they’ll be using, with specifics about street effects too:
(Go here [PDF] if the embed window above doesn’t work for you.) By the time the Viaduct demolition is done, 10 years will have passed since then-Gov. Christine Gregoire declared, when signing the tunnel bill, that its era was “over.” The southern mile of the elevated structure was taken down two years after that.
(Photo by Trileigh Tucker, from last Friday’s orca visit, with local researchers observing)
Missed getting this into our calendar! It’s also happening tonight – 7 pm at C & P Coffee Company (5612 California SW; WSB sponsor) – and with the intense interest in the fate of Puget Sound’s Southern Resident Killer Whales, this relates to the frequent questions about how what we do on land affects their health in the water. The announcement:
Pesticides and Orcas: Making the Connection
New evidence suggests that orcas are more sensitive to pesticides than we thought.
Lisa Hayward and Clement Furlong of the University of Washington Superfund Research Program (UW SRP) will present the story of a surprise discovery in genomics that suggests marine mammals may be much more vulnerable to organophosphates like chlorpyrifos than previously recognized.Their talk will cover evidence both of orcas’ vulnerability and also of their exposure in Puget Sound. Chlorpyrifos is a common pesticide recently in the news after the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reversed a 2016 ban on it in a move later deemed illegal by a federal court. EPA appealed that decision in September and chlorpyrifos continues to be used widely on crops like wheat and apples.
About the speakers:
Lisa Hayward manages research translation for the UW SRP and has a background in endocrinology and science policy.
Clement Furlong is a principal investigator with the UW SRP and a world-renowned expert on the genetic and physiological basis of vulnerability to pesticides.
About The Whale Trail
The Whale Trail is a series of sites to view orcas and other marine mammals from shore. Our mission is to inspire appreciation and stewardship of whales and our marine environment.
Through our current sites and signs, including two on every Washington State ferry, we reach more than 50 million people each year. The Whale Trail is currently adding new sites along the North American west coast, from California to British Columbia.
The Whale Trail is led by a core team of partners including NOAA Fisheries, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, the Seattle Aquarium, the Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary, the Whale Museum. Donna Sandstrom is the Founder and Executive Director. Many members of the team first met on the successful effort to return Springer, the orphaned orca, to her pod.
Admission is $5 donation (TWT is a nonprofit) for adults – advance tickets are available online – no charge for kids.
(WSB photo)
Congratulations and good luck to two teams from the West Seattle Road Runners – they are headed to the USATF National Junior Olympic Cross Country Championships! Last night at Hiawatha, the girls (grouped as 7/8 year-olds and 9/10 year-olds) had their last practice before the trip to Reno. The 13 girls heading to the championships are coached by James Powell (pictured with the girls who were at last night’s practice) and Brandee Paisano.
(Photo by Lynn Hall)
From the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar and Holiday Guide:
PLAY CHESS! 4:30-5:30 pm, kids and teens are invited to High Point Library for drop-in chess games. (3411 SW Raymond)
WSCO DEBUT ORCHESTRA: The entry-level West Seattle Community Orchestras group invites you to their concert tonight at Chief Sealth International High School! Here are the musicians, practicing:
Conducted by Rachel Nesvig, this entry-level orchestra with a big heart will perform a selection of orchestral and holiday classics. Student musician Job Alberg will sing the traditional Hebrew melody, “Shalom Chaverim,” prior to the orchestra’s rendition of that same melody. The program will end with an invitation for the audience to sing along with “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town” and “Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer.” Here’s the program:
Russian Chorale and Overture, Tchaikovsky
Elizabethan Suite, by John David Lamb
Russian Sailor’s Dance, by Gliere
Shalom Chavarim, Hebrew melody, arranged by Elliot del Borgo; vocal soloist, Job Alberg
Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town
Rudolph the Red-Nosed ReindeerAs always, there is no charge for any of WSCO’s concerts, though donations to support free participation by students are always appreciated. A reception will follow in the commons.
(2600 SW Thistle)
WESTWOOD-ROXHILL-ARBOR HEIGHTS COMMUNITY COALITION: Got a concern or idea? Bring it! Tonight’s agenda, 6:15 pm, upstairs at Southwest Library:
Community Introductions
Lt Steve Strand, SPD: Crime stats, discussion of community concerns
Community Announcements
WWRHAH’s focus & goals for 2019?
Community Speakers for 2019?
Open Floor for other items
All welcome. (9010 35th SW)
WEST SEATTLE BIKE CONNECTIONS: Instead of the monthly meeting, you’re invited to WSBC’s casual gathering, 6:30 pm at Great American Diner and Bar. (4752 California SW)
CHOCOLATE-MAKING: 6:30 pm at White Center Library, for ages 10-adult, “Make Handmade Chocolates: Chef Laurie Pfalzer of Pastry Craft will demonstrate and then you will make chocolate truffles in cocoa powder, dark chocolate peppermint bark, caramel corn with dark chocolate drizzle and white chocolate popcorn. Seating is limited.” (1409 SW 107th)
(added) THE WHALE TRAIL: Learn about the connection between pesticides and orcas, as previewed here. At C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor), 7 pm. (5612 California SW)
WEST SEATTLE BOOSTER CLUB: 7 pm at West Seattle High School, all welcome. (3000 California SW)
Got something for our calendar or Holiday Guide? Send info to westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!
Family and friends will gather on December 15 in memory of KayLynn Mayhew. Here’s the remembrance being shared with the community:
KayLynn (Edgren) Mayhew was born April 23, 1961 in Colfax, Washington to Roger and June Edgren. She passed away November 24, 2018 at her home in Greenbank on Whidbey Island to her heavenly eternal home. She was 57 years old. Memorial services will be held at Hillside Evangelical Free Church, Greenbank, Washington on Saturday, December 15, 2018 at 3 PM.
KayLynn spent her childhood in Colfax, grew up on Prune Orchard Road, and worked at the Elk Drug Store, her family’s pharmacy. She graduated from Colfax High School in 1979. KayLynn continued her education at Washington State University, graduating with a degree in pharmacy. She met her sweetheart, Bill Mayhew, during her college years at WSU and they married soon after she graduated in 1984. They were married 34 happy years.
KayLynn and Bill lived and worked in West Seattle for 32 years. They bought property on Whidbey Island and spent 10 years building their retirement home and gardens. One of KayLynn’s many joys was her involvement in the design and building of their home on Whidbey Island. Upon their retirements in 2015 they moved to the island full-time.
KayLynn was a lady with many talents. She enjoyed gardening, cooking, sewing, quilting, photography, reading, camping and hiking. She cherished her many adventures with Bill and times spent with her family, friends, and church community. She was always willing to help with weddings, parties, and church events with her many creative talents. KayLynn was a kind, gracious, patient, gentle and loving person to all that knew her.
KayLynn is survived by her husband, Bill Mayhew; sister Jana (Jeff) Daily, of Coeur d’Alene, ID, Jenna and Hayden; sister Shari (Darin) Griff of Hayden, ID, Shayla and Dylan; sister-in-law Sally (Jim) Pillers; sister-in-law Suzanne (Dean) Walker; sister-in-law Julie (Sid) Sever; brother-in-law John (Bev) Mayhew; 17 nieces and nephews, and 20 grandnieces and grandnephews. KayLynn was preceded in death by her parents, Roger and June Edgren, and nephew Daniel Walker.
Memorial contributions may be made to:
Ryan’s House for Youth on Whidbey Island, 19777 SR 20, Coupeville, WA 98239, www.ryanshouseforyouth.org
Young Life Whidbey Island, PO Box 1075, Freeland, WA 98249-1075, www.whidbey.younglife.org
(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/ Is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE/ West Seattle-relevant traffic cams HERE)
7:02 AM: Good morning! No traffic incidents or transit alerts outbound from our area so far.
11:11 AM: A crash has been blocking northbound California at Hanford but WSB’s Christopher Boffoli reports, no major injuries. Two vehicles involved:
Police have been awaiting tow crews to clear the scene.
11:55 AM: Christopher reports NB California is open again.
That’s Seattle Channel video of the City Council’s first meeting to discuss HALA Mandatory Housing Affordability upzoning since the pre-Thanksgiving ruling on a citywide coalition’s challenge to it.
The council met Monday morning as the Select Committee on Citywide MHA. They got a briefing on the ruling, plus this potential timeline for what happens next:
Council staff cautioned that the timeline is a “best-case scenario.” (Among other potential complications, the coalition hasn’t yet announced whether it will pursue a court challenge to the city Hearing Examiner’s ruling. Its leader said during the meeting’s public-comment period that the coalition remained open to talking with the city.)
West Seattle/South Park Councilmember Lisa Herbold noted that she had asked for urban-village-specific resolutions regarding planning, and didn’t see that reflected in the timeline. Committee chair Councilmember Rob Johnson said he intends for that to happen and it was an “oversight” that it wasn’t shown on the timeline. Herbold said that she felt specific resolutions would address some of the concerns that led to the appeal. Later in the meeting, she repeatedly stressed concerns about displacement that could result from the upzoning, including that city staff has underestimated how much of it could happen.
| 72 COMMENTS