West Seattle, Washington
20 Tuesday
Whether you’re a renter or a homeowner, a landlord or a developer, a car user or a bicycle rider, The city’s “neighborhood parking” changes will probably affect you. They continue making their way through the City Council, after more than two months. Tomorrow night, the Southwest District Council will get a briefing from a city rep, and everyone is invited to bring questions, whatever your housing status or interest in the issue. The full bill is here. Wednesday night’s SWDC agenda also includes School Board president Leslie Harris, who represents our area on the board, and a Seattle Public Utilities rep talking about graffiti, illegal dumping, and needle disposal. SWDC looks forward to seeing everyone upstairs at the Senior Center/Sisson Building in The Junction starting at 6:30 pm Wednesday.
Thanks to Stephen Bergenholtz for the photo. After a couple of people asked us about that yacht while it was hanging around off Alki for a couple hours at midday, we finally got a chance to go look – just in time to see it vanish into the mouth of the Duwamish River, headed back to the yacht-building yard Delta Marine, south of South Park. On MarineTraffic.com, the yacht was identified only as “Delta 45”; we inquired with Delta but haven’t heard back. (MarineTraffic gave its length as 63 meters and that would seem to match this listing.)
Elvis would love the opening-day samples at Brass Knuckle Bistro, the White Center restaurant just opened by a West Seattle family (we first introduced you to them back in August). As noted here a week and a half ago, today is indeed the first official day for the sandwiches/salads/sides eatery at 9602 16th SW, open until 8 pm. See more photos on our partner site White Center Now.
Five weeks ago, when we reported on SDOT rebuilding the stairway at Fauntleroy/Director, we included information about other stairway projects in the works for West Seattle. Today, we have updates from SDOT‘s Greg Funk, as peak walking season approaches:
-The Fauntleroy/Director stairway rebuild is finished
-California/Willow is done, except for permanent rail to be installed by month’s end
-Soil analysis is planned at a stairway that’s been closed since 1998 between Atlas Place SW and 50th SW; Funk says, “There has been some interest from the public in rebuilding the stairway.”
-Repairs have been done “to mitigate some drainage issues at SW Graham stairway that runs from 21st Ave SW & 18th Ave SW”
-SW Hill St between 42nd Ave SW & California Ave SW (SDOT photo at right) will be rebuilt, with work expected to start in late April
-SW Holly St & Beveridge Pl SW stairway renovations are planned to start in June
Stairway projects citywide are listed on this SDOT webpage. When we published our January update, Funk mentioned two other stairways for which “design options” are being considered this year, for future work – the long SW Thistle stairway east of Lincoln Park, and Bonair SW.
(Red-flowered currant, photographed by Mark Ahlness, shared via the WSB Flickr group)
Here are a half-dozen ways to spend part of your Tuesday night – and you can find more for today AND tonight on our full calendar:
TALK ABOUT IT: 5:30-7:30 pm, the next community conversation about choosing a new Seattle Police Chief is set for South Park. There’s one in West Seattle tomorrow night. Both are listed here. (8201 10th Ave. S.)
WESTWOOD-ROXHILL-ARBOR HEIGHTS COMMUNITY COALITION: 6 pm at Southwest Library, regular monthly meeting. Live and/or work and/or go to school in any of these communities? Be there! Agenda includes a crime/safety update from Southwest Precinct Lt. Ron Smith and ongoing topics/issues including Roxhill Park, Roxhill Bog, and HALA. (9010 35th SW)
WEST SEATTLE BIKE CONNECTIONS: 6:30 pm at HomeStreet Bank (WSB sponsor). This month’s agenda includes:
– Delridge corridor planning
– Fauntleroy Boulevard Project response to delay
– Planning for Bike Month and bike buddies
All welcome. (41st SW/SW Alaska)
THE WHALE TRAIL: As announced at its last gathering (WSB coverage here), The Whale Trail is now hosting monthly meetings for updates on orcas and discussion of how to help them. Everyone’s invited tonight at 7 pm at C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor) – free but please pre-register if you can! (5612 California SW)
FLY-TYING AND BEER: It’s “Tie One On Tuesday” at Emerald Water Anglers (WSB sponsor) in The Junction, 7 pm. Details here, including how to reserve your spot. (4502 42nd SW)
FAMILY STORY TIME: Bring the kid(s) to Delridge Library at 7 pm. Free and fun. (5423 Delridge Way SW)
Two months have gone by since we brought you first word of Sub Pop Records‘ plan for a huge 30th-birthday party at Alki Beach. The August 11th bash is still five months out, but it’s time to talk about it – if you have questions, Sub Pop wants to hear them, and will be at two community groups’ regular March meetings next week for exactly that purpose. The announcement:
Sub Pop Records is celebrating its 30th Anniversary of putting out somewhat well-regarded records, CDs, and tapes. In honor of that, we are hosting an entirely FREE music festival at Alki Beach on August 11th, 2018.
We are expecting a large, fun-loving, and respectable crowd of 30,000 music lovers. Our event will include: 4 stages of live music, beer gardens, merch booths and non-profit tables, and a family-friendly area complete with inflatables, food trucks, and live music for, and perhaps by, kids. This festival will take place from noon to 10 pm along Alki Avenue SW.
Sub Pop will be answering questions regarding all of this at two upcoming neighborhood-association meetings:
Admiral Neighborhood Association:
March 13th, 7 pm at the Sanctuary at Admiral – 2656 42nd Ave SW.Alki Community Council:
March 15th, 7 pm at Alki UCC – 6115 SW Hinds St.
One question we can answer … no, the band lineup hasn’t been announced. Yet.
(SDOT MAP with travel times/video links; is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE)
6:58 AM: Good morning! Getting ever brighter at this hour … but remember that’ll change for a while after Daylight Saving Time arrives at 2 am next Sunday (when we “spring forward” an hour).
So far, no transit alerts or incidents reported.
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
The monthly meeting of city-sanctioned encampment Camp Second Chance‘s Community Advisory Committee was complaint- and controversy-free this time around, though there was one big headline, as noted here earlier: The city has announced a March 20th community meeting as part of the process of renewing C2C’s permit to stay for a second year.
Present for the meeting at Arrowhead Gardens on Sunday afternoon (and L to R in our photo above) were Tom Van Bronkhorst from the Department of Neighborhoods, Josh Castle and Amy Friedman from camp operator LIHI, camp manager/co-founder Eric Davis, committee members Aaron Garcia and Cinda Stenger, and committee chair Willow Fulton. (One more committee member, Judi Carr, was there but not in the photo.)
In Crime Watch tonight:
DOUBLE-MURDER SUSPECT CHARGED: We reported Saturday night on the arrest of 26-year-old Merle Buchanan, more than a month after he was identified as the suspect in the January 6th deadly double shooting in downtown White Center.
(White Center Now/WSB photo, January 6th)
Today, the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office charged Buchanan with two counts of second-degree murder and one count of second-degree unlawful firearm possession. Charging documents say the victims, Paul Tapia and Jose Garcia, were co-workers who arrived together at the Taradise Café just after midnight. Buchanan, a White Center resident, is described as a semi-regular who had been there about an hour by then. Surveillance video showed him talking with Tapia outside the bar, by his car, with Garcia nearby, and then showed the shooting around 1 am. The charging documents do not suggest a motive. They do say Buchanan was identified via a trail that started with a retail receipt found at the scene. He remains in jail in lieu of $1.1 million bail, including $100,000 related to a domestic-violence protection order violation charge involving an incident with a former girlfriend hours before the shootings.
Also in Crime Watch, two reader reports:
BIKES STOLEN FROM GARAGE: Leah reports: “Last night, the City Watch apartment underground parking garage was vandalized and several bikes were stolen, including my women’s Specialized and my partner’s Huffy mountain bike. The person cut through the fence, and cut bike locks.” The building is in The Junction, at 4744 41st SW. We’ve asked for the police-report number and will add it when we get it.
STOLEN SILVER TRAVEL TRAILER: Posted in the WSB Forums by MorningStar, a “1950 Silver Streak Clipper 22’ Aluminum travel trailer, attached to a white Ford van” was stolen from 21st SW on Puget Ridge February 25th or 26th. This is an Airstream prototype, MS explains, so should be recognizable, and had plastic over the windows because it was undergoing renovation. Plate TLE1941. Call 911 if you see it.
Something for Crime Watch? E-mail editor@westseattleblog.com – or, if it’s happening now, once you’ve called 911, text/call us at 206-293-6302, any time.
(Sound Transit file photo, Capitol Hill)
One more reminder: Today is the end of the “early scoping” period that represents the first official phase of feedback/comments about Sound Transit light rail’s extension to West Seattle (and Ballard, though we’re focusing on the former for obvious reasons). That means the “online open house” is scheduled to end tonight. You can go through it in its entirety by starting here, or skip ahead to this section to start with the “early scoping” explanation, or go to the last page to see e-mail and postal-mail addresses for your comment(s). We’ll say it one last time – ST and others have stressed that this early period is THE time to say whatever you’re thinking – not just a yay or nay on the “representative alignment” draft plan. Where should the stations be? Could/should part of the proposed-as-all-elevated route be underground? Time to talk about it.
WHAT’S NEXT: The Stakeholder Advisory Group‘s second meeting March 14th (time/place still being finalized, ST told us today) will include a briefing on how the feedback’s gone so far. And then a few weeks later – no dates/times/places set yet – “neighborhood forums” will bring people together to talk about specific sections of the line.
4:35 PM: Thanks to Farrah for the photo. That crash has northbound Harbor SW closed right now, north of the bridge. No serious injuries reported but clearing the wreckage will take a bit.
5:17 PM: All lanes are open again.
Two West Seattle Junction projects totaling more than 360 residential units will go back before the Southwest Design Review Board next month:
(Encore Architects rendering of 4722 Fauntleroy from draft design packet for next review)
4722 FAUNTLEROY & 4721 38TH SW: This two-building project [map] is the biggest West Seattle proposal going through Design Review right now. 6:30 pm April 19th is set for its second and possibly final review meeting; here’s our coverage of the first one last July. The Fauntleroy-fronting building is proposed for 7 stories, 241 apartments, including 24 microstudios, and 15 live-work units, with 241 offstreet parking spaces; the building across the alley behind it is proposed for 4 stories, 50 apartments, 1 live-work unit, and 23 offstreet parking spaces.
4417 42ND SW: 6:30 pm April 5th is set for the third and possibly final design review for the 4-story Junction Landing project [map], with 58 apartments, 4 live-work units, and 26 offstreet parking spaces. Here’s our coverage of the project’s second review back in January.
Both meetings will be at the SWDRB’s usual place, the Senior Center/Sisson Building at 4217 SW Oregon.
Three ways you can get involved with downtown West Seattle – via the Junction Association:
SUMMER FEST COMMUNITY CHAT: After last year’s West Seattle Summer Fest, you might recall, WSJA circulated a survey seeking your feedback. Now, you have a chance to come be part of a community conversation about Summer Fest and share your ideas – 6:30 pm Thursday, March 15th, at Great American Diner and Bar (4752 California SW). Not just what you think about last year or other past festivals – but what you want to see in the future! This year’s Summer Fest is still four 
months away, so it’s a perfect time to talk. Everybody welcome.
ADOPT A FLOWER BASKET: For the second year, the Junction Association is offering you the chance to adopt one (or more!) of its famous flower baskets. They’re growing right now, and going up sometime in May, but about half of the 90+ adoptable baskets are still looking for adopters – sign up and pay online. No, you aren’t expected to maintain “your” basket – but your adoption fee does get you a cool plaque that’ll be displayed with it, all season long. (We’re adopting one again this year.)
WEST SEATTLE WINE WALK: Got your ticket(s) yet? 15 wineries partner with local businesses to pour you a fun night of wandering and sipping. This too is happening for the second year (here’s our coverage of the first one) – date is Friday, May 18th; last year sold out so you will want to get in on it sooner rather than later. Advance tickets are $5 cheaper, too. Buy yours here – 10 tasting tickets, snacks, plus a souvenir glass, all included.
11:52 AM MONDAY: Just out of the WSB inbox, from Rick:
Found Roadmaster Mt. Fury bike on 6000 block California Ave SW.
Can be retrieved from Rick’s Barber Shop, 6016 #B California SW. 206-933-8733
9:40 AM TUESDAY: In a comment below, Rick reports it’s been retrieved.
10:08 AM: Emergency responders are closing northbound Fauntleroy at 36th because of what’s reported to be a collision involving a motorcycle rider.
10:30 AM: This cleared quickly – police and SFD already gone. We’re checking with SFD on the rider’s condition
(Photo by Jim Borrow)
Welcome to a new week! From the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar, highlights for your Monday:
FREE TAX HELP, DROP-IN: 2-7 pm at Delridge Library, no appointment needed, first-come, first-served. Details in our calendar listing. (5423 Delridge Way SW)
DINE OUT FUNDRAISER: 5-11 pm at Great American Diner and Bar in The Junction, part of the proceeds go to the Seattle Lutheran High School grad-night fundraiser. (4752 California SW)
PUGET RIDGE NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL: 7 pm at Puget Ridge Cohousing, with tonight’s agenda including leadership votes. Reminder from the announcement: “If you are driving, please park on 18th and enter through the pathway entrance by the resident parking lot (by the mailbox). There will be signs directing you to the common house!”
QUIZ NIGHT X 2: Two venues with Monday night quizzes – 7:30 pm at The Skylark (3803 Delridge Way SW), 8 pm at Shadowland (4458 California SW).
CLOSURE REMINDER: The Southwest Pool closure continues this week.
(SDOT MAP with travel times/video links; is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE)
6:51 AM: We start with a transit alert, just in from Metro:
Transit Alert – Route 56 to downtown Seattle due to leave 61 Av SW & Alki Av SW at 7:32 AM will not operate this morning.
— King County Metro🌍🚌 (@kcmetrobus) March 5, 2018
Speaking of Metro, next Saturday – March 10th – the next service changes take effect, as previewed here.
Back to what’s up this morning – no incidents reported in/from West Seattle so far.
One more community-group update from this past week: Highland Park Action Committee, which elected a new chair and co-chair, as well as getting a briefing from Seattle City Light.
But first: Outgoing co-chair Gunner Scott said he’s going to keep Mayor Jenny Durkan to her promise to visit Highland Park. He extended the invitation at her West Seattle “town hall” last weekend:
And she accepted it. Scott says he hopes to have her visit for coffee, donuts, and a look at Highland Park’s infamous traffic trouble (the one for which a roundabout is being sought).
Speaking of city business – City Light’s new meters will be installed in West Seattle soon:
6:10 PM: If you are heading to the east end of the Roxbury corridor, be forewarned that traffic is being diverted off Olson because of a crash investigation. Eastbound is going onto 4th; westbound, onto Myers Way. The crash was more than 2 hours ago and didn’t sound huge at the time, but one person was seriously hurt and the Traffic Collision Investigation Squad was called out.
7:54 PM: SDOT promises a Twitter update when the scene’s clear. We’re monitoring (via scanner too) but if you see that it’s cleared and we haven’t updated yet, please let us know – thank you!
9:11 PM: Still closed.
9:52 PM: Now open again, per SPD via SDOT.
ADDED MONDAY 10:51 AM: We followed up today with SFD and SPD. SFD said a 45-year-old woman was taken to the hospital with serious injuries. And SPD has just posted this:
Detectives from the Traffic Collision Investigation Squad (TCIS) were called out Sunday afternoon to investigate a serious injury vehicular assault hit and run incident in West Seattle.
On Sunday, March 4th, at about 3:30 pm, a Nissan Pathfinder, occupied by a 54-year-old male driver and a 45-year-old female passenger, was traveling westbound in the 9400 block of Olson Place Southwest. At about the same time, a utility van towing a large trailer was traveling eastbound on Olson Place Southwest. The Nissan crossed over the center line and collided with the utility van. The collision caused the Nissan to spin around and face eastbound. The driver of the van was not injured. The driver of the Nissan then drove approximately a quarter of a mile away from the scene of the collision, finally stopping on 1st Avenue South, just west of the Highway 509 on-ramp.
The female passenger in the Nissan was seriously injured and transported to Harborview Medical Center (HMC) via Seattle Fire medics. The male driver of the Nissan was also transported to HMC, and evaluated at the hospital by a Drug-Recognition Expert officer and it was determined that he was impaired. After the driver was treated at HMC, he was booked into the King County Jail for investigation of vehicular assault. The female passenger remains in the hospital. TCIS detectives will continue to handle the follow-up investigation.
This announcement is part obituary, part “how you can help.” It was sent on behalf of former Pathfinder K-8 teacher Chris Weaver‘s family, by a longtime friend of his who also was a Pathfinder teacher:
The Weaver Hudson Family Fund
Chris Weaver was a founding teacher of West Seattle’s Pathfinder School, bringing vision, energy, and love to establishing Pathfinder in its fledgling years. Chris deeply loved his community. He gave greatly of himself to his students, their families and the wider Pathfinder family. After teaching at Pathfinder for many years, Chris and his family moved to Asheville, North Carolina.
Three years ago, Chris was NC Charter School Teacher of the Year. In the years that followed what was a peak of his remarkable career, Chris struggled with depression and mental illness that culminated in his death on 9-20-2017. In spite of his own efforts and the profound efforts of others, this tragedy occurred. For his family, his students, his dear friends, and many, many others across the state, country, and world, Chris’s loss is felt deeply.
Chris’s warmth, intelligence, and boundless energy were renowned and he was beloved by all who knew him. His family meant the world to him and he to them. With his passing, Chris leaves behind his wife Rhett and their two sons, ages 15 and 20.
Their oldest son, who has made many films already with support from Chris over the years, is now in his junior year at the NC School of the Arts for film making. He has ongoing educational expenses including a need for equipment necessary for his burgeoning film career.
Their youngest son is a beautiful musician. Chris fostered in him a love of music, over the years helping with piano, guitar, and drum lessons. For their youngest son, these music lessons continue as will college expenses in the future.
To honor Chris’s love for both family and education in a future where he can no longer offer support, The Weaver Hudson Family Fund has been established to support his sons’ education and to facilitate their well-being over time. Their mother, Rhett, and a trusted friend will manage the funds and be responsible for monitoring expenses.
Chris’ family deeply appreciates any and all assistance to help ensure they have the resources they need. You can give through these avenues:
1. Go online to https://igg.me/at/FH5IwfnouGc to donate at our generosity.com website, or
2. Send a check made payable to “The Weaver Hudson Family Fund” and mail to: Weaver, PO Box 18344, Asheville, NC 28814
Please know what a difference this will make for the Weaver Hudson family. Thank you for your kindness and generosity.
We’re covering the Camp Second Chance Community Advisory Committee meeting right now, as we do each month, and there’s one bulletin so far: The city is reviewing whether to renew the permit for the sanctioned encampment to remain at its site on the city-owned Myers Way Parcels for a second year, and as part of the renewal process, a community meeting has just been announced for 6:30 pm Tuesday, March 20th, at the Joint Training Facility (which is near the camp, 9401 Myers Way S.) If you can’t make it to the meeting, you can e-mail comments to homelessness@seattle.gov (you’re asked to write “Myers Way” in the subject line) and/or call 206-727-8496. The notice says comments will be accepted through April 5th. Though the camp actually has been at the site for a year and a half already, its status as a city-sanctioned encampment didn’t officially start until March of last year. We haven’t found the meeting announcement online yet but we photographed the flyer’s two pages – see them here and here. Our report on the rest of the meeting will be up later today/tonight.
11:59 AM: Thanks for the tip about a flipped-car crash on the westbound West Seattle Bridge. SDOT – which tweeted the image above (from this camera) – says it’s just west of the Highway 99 overpass and that it’s currently blocking all westbound lanes. Per scanner, one person is hurt.
12:33 PM: SDOT says all lanes are now open.
1:14 PM: Via comment and e-mail, we heard that a dog was loose on the roadway after the crash. Just got a call from someone who says the dog was rescued by a man in a Southwest Plumbing truck. So if anyone’s looking for it – that might be a place (the company is based in North Delridge) to start.
1:26 PM: This commenter says they have the dog. We’re crossposting to the Lost/Found Pets page in case someone looks there.
8:56 PM: As also noted in this comment, Max the dog is back home, and reunited with owner Christa!
Back in December 2016, a poster for the white-supremacist group Identity Evropa appeared, briefly, beneath the West Seattle Bridge; we reported on it after a reader tip. This morning, we’ve received messages about the group’s posters showing up in the Admiral area, near West Seattle High School and Hiawatha Community Center, and also along California SW south of Admiral; the person who sent the photo says they “lost count at 7” in the WSHS area. According to a U.S. News report, this organization often targets campuses with its campaigns, but more often colleges. A recent one at Eastern Washington University inspired a counter-protest; the group’s Twitter feed shows postering labeled as happening at other campuses including UW in Seattle and Tacoma. Their current focus appears to be on ending immigration, though their online self-description acknowledges their immigrant roots by calling themselves “Europeans.”
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