West Seattle, Washington

26 Monday

64℉

year : 2018 3707 results

Car fire in Chief Sealth IHS parking lot
February 7, 2018 9:21 am
|      3 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle fires | West Seattle news

Thanks for the tip – Seattle Fire was called to the parking lot at Chief Sealth International High School (2600 SW Thistle) for a car fire. The fire is out, no injuries, no other cars damaged. They called for police to respond because they initially couldn’t find the car’s owner – who our crew has learned has just been found, and is a student.

Share This

TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: Wednesday watch
February 7, 2018 6:55 am
|    Comments Off on TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: Wednesday watch
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

(SDOT MAP with travel times/video links; is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE)

6:55 AM: Good morning. No incidents reported so far today in/from West Seattle.

Two notes:

FAUNTLEROY/WILDWOOD CLOSURE: This project continues south of the Fauntleroy ferry dock, with C Line/Route 116 reroutes continuing too.

SCHOOL-BUS STRIKE: Day 5.

Share This

WEST SEATTLE WILDLIFE: Seal Sitters update, plus bonus underwater video from “Diver Laura”
February 6, 2018 11:45 pm
|      18 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle beaches | West Seattle news | Wildlife

(Uno the harbor seal, photographed last week by David Hutchinson)

Have you seen a seal lately? Many have, and Seal Sitters Marine Mammal Stranding Network is busy. Here’s an update from volunteer David Hutchinson:

While Seal Sitters’ “Blubberblog” site has not been updated recently, due to ongoing technical difficulties, our volunteers have been on duty responding to vulnerable young harbor seals hauled out on West Seattle beaches. Our normal busy season (September – November) was slower than usual but 2018 has started off with a flurry of calls to our Hotline (206-905-7325).

One seal, “Uno,” has accounted for the majority of responses this year. After first coming ashore on January 4th near Colman Pool, Uno has decided that the shoreline of Elliott Bay is her preferred location (you can tell it’s the same harbor seal by comparing the spots on the faces). She has become a familiar sight to passersby who frequently ask our volunteers how Uno is doing that day. Monday, volunteers were stretched thin when two additional young seals came ashore at separate locations in West Seattle.

Responses to these live seals is a positive experience compared to the one-week period in January when we had to deal with three near the north end of Lincoln Park that weren’t as fortunate. One was reported as deceased on the raft at that location, and another dead animal was recovered from Lowman Beach. The third arrived onshore with respiratory distress. After being examined by a NOAA consulting vet, that seal was transported to PAWS, where it later died. All three animals will be necropsied by WDFW.

We have received a number of inquiries about becoming a volunteer. These people will be receiving an email notice when a final date is set. As of now, Seal Sitters plans on holding its next training session in the late spring. Look for an announcement at sealsitters.org.

P.S. Bonus underwater seal video! This is from “Diver Laura” James – not Uno, she says, but another harbor seal, and a very curious one at that:

That’s some of her 360-degree-video equipment; she promises to share its video soon.

Share This

SCHOOL-BUS STRIKE: Day 5 on Wednesday; union asks district to fine First Student
February 6, 2018 8:57 pm
|      9 COMMENTS
 |   Transportation | West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

(Tuesday morning photo courtesy of striking driver Al)

Tomorrow (Wednesday, February 7) will be the fifth day of the strike against First Student, which is contracted to provide yellow-bus service for Seattle Public Schools. Some drivers continue to cross the picket lines, and some local families are getting district notifications that their routes will be served – the district said in its Monday night update that about 70 of the almost 400 drivers had gone to work that day. Today, the drivers’ union Teamsters Local 174 published a call for the district to fine First Student, pointing to the text of a letter it said a district official sent the bus company three months ago, warning that it faced a fine of up to $1.2 million a day.

We asked district spokesperson Kim Schmanke about the contract; she confirmed that it “requires uninterrupted service, with liquidated damages as an option for the district,” which she added “is continuing to track and calculate” those potential damages, and “will address collection of those damages in conjunction with legal counsel as this situation unfolds.” (If you’re interested in contract details, here’s what went to the School Board for approval a year ago.)

ADDED 11:02 PM: One more note – the teachers’ union, the Seattle Education Association, plans a show of support for the striking drivers on Wednesday, after classes end for the day (Wednesdays have been early-release days all year), and are planning to wear red as part of it.

Share This

FOLLOWUP: Child-rape charge filed against former Seattle Public Schools employee, subject of notification letter
February 6, 2018 7:26 pm
|      3 COMMENTS
 |   Crime | West Seattle news

We first reported last Friday night that a former Seattle Public Schools employee had been arrested and jailed for investigation of child rape. While the accusations involved incidents at a school outside West Seattle, Denny International Middle School parents received a letter because the suspect, 40-year-old Albert Virachismith, had worked at that school at some point, and we found out about the situation when a parent forwarded us that letter. Today, the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office charged Virachismith with one count of child rape and one count of child molestation, alleging that he raped a child multiple times while working as an instructional assistant at John Muir Elementary School in southeast Seattle last school year. The suspect remains in jail, bail set at half a million dollars. We asked Seattle Public Schools for additional information about Virachismith’s district employment but they say Seattle Police have asked them not to release anything more while they continue to investigate.

Share This

PEDESTRIAN SAFETY: See what the city has scheduled for West Seattle in next 5 years
February 6, 2018 4:14 pm
|      18 COMMENTS
 |   Safety | Transportation | West Seattle news | West Seattle politics

Often, city projects that seem to appear out of the blue were actually in the works for years, contained in voluminous city Master Plans. So we thought you might be interested in a plan that was presented to a City Council committee this afternoon – the Implementation Plan for the recently updated Pedestrian Master Plan. It contains lists of specific evaluations and projects planned for specific intersections and streets around the city, so we broke out what’s on the lists for West Seattle, and when (for the full citywide lists, see the document, embedded above or here in PDF):

UNSIGNALIZED CROSSINGS & CROSSING EVALUATIONS

*2019
35th Ave SW & SW Graham St – New Signal
SW Roxbury St & 32nd Ave SW – Pedestrian Refuge Island
SW Roxbury St & 28th Ave SW – Pedestrian Refuge Island
SW Roxbury St & 23rd Ave SW – Pedestrian Refuge Island
SW Roxbury St & 21st Ave SW – Pedestrian Refuge Island
35th Ave SW & SW Snoqualmie St – Evaluate for Signal
29th Ave SW & SW Barton St – Evaluate for Crossing Upgrade
62nd Ave SW & SW Admiral Way – Evaluate for Crossing Upgrade
Delridge Way SW & SW Webster St – Evaluate for Crossing Upgrade

*2020
California Ave SW & SW Brandon St – Evaluate for Crossing Upgrade
24th Ave SW & Delridge Way SW – Evaluate for Crossing Upgrade
28th Ave SW & SW Thistle St – Evaluate for Crossing Upgrade
23rd Ave SW & Delridge Way SW – Evaluate for Crossing Upgrade
Delridge Way SW & SW Cambridge St – Evaluate for Crossing Upgrade
26th Ave SW & SW Cambridge St – Evaluate for Crossing Upgrade
8th Ave SW & SW Cambridge St – Evaluate for Crossing Upgrade

*2021
Olson Pl SW & SW Cambridge St – Evaluate for Signal
18th Ave SW & Delridge Way SW – Evaluate for Crossing Upgrade
21st Ave SW Turn Road & Delridge Way SW – Evaluate for Crossing Upgrade
60th Ave SW & Alki Ave SW – Evaluate for Crossing Upgrade
9th Ave SW & SW Cloverdale St = Evaluate for Crossing Upgrade
Garlough Ave SW & SW Admiral Way – Evaluate for Crossing Upgrade
16th Ave SW & SW Orchard St – Evaluate for Crossing Upgrade
48th Ave SW & SW Admiral Way – Evaluate for Crossing Upgrade
9th Ave SW & SW Trenton St – Evaluate for Crossing Upgrade

*2022
3rd Ave SW & Olson Pl SW – Evaluate for Signal
California Ave SW & SW Findlay St – Evaluate for Crossing Upgrade
25th Ave SW & SW Barton St – Evaluate for Crossing Upgrade
10th Ave SW & SW Henderson St – Evaluate for Crossing Upgrade
51st Ave SW & SW Admiral Way – Evaluate for Crossing Upgrade

ARTERIAL SIDEWALKS

*2018
35th Ave SW between SW 100th St and SW 106th St – 6 blocks

NON-ARTERIAL SIDEWALKS

*2018
SW Orchard St between SW Myrtle St and Dumar Way SW – half-block

*2019
24th Ave SW between SW Thistle St and SW Barton St – 4 blocks

STAIRS/WALKWAYS

*2021
SW Edmunds St between Cottage Pl SW and 23rd Ave SW – stairs

*2022
SW Kenyon St between Delridge Way SW and 24th Ave SW – walkway

The implementation plan also mentions the new RapidRide corridors around the city – including the scheduled-for-2020 H Line on Delridge – as providing “potential crossing improvements and curb ramps,” and mentions Delridge, Fauntleroy, and 35th SW as “Vision Zero corridors.” No specifics on what’s next for 35th SW, which is running behind previously announced timelines for Phase 1 updates and Phase 2 plans. As for the Implementation Plan itself, SDOT says it will be updated each year. Committee members voted in favor of the resolution that formally adopts this plan, though that doesn’t mean everything in it will become reality – scheduling, funding, and other details would be separate.

ADDED TUESDAY NIGHT: Seattle Channel video from today’s meeting:

Share This

FOLLOWUP: State Patrol identifies driver killed in Myers Way exit crash
February 6, 2018 2:38 pm
|      2 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news

In this morning’s traffic/transit coverage, we mentioned a fatal crash at the southbound Highway 509 exit to Myers Way. This afternoon the Washington State Patrol says the driver’s next of kin has been notified and so they are identifying him as 42-year-old Felix Alvarado-Rodriguez of Seattle. The WSP “media memo” about the crash says he was driving a 2017 Jeep Renegade which, for reasons still under investigation, “left (the) roadway to (the) right, struck a tree.” The original emergency callout was just after 6 am.

Share This

WEST SEATTLE CRIME WATCH: High Point man charged with buying sex from 16-year-old
February 6, 2018 12:31 pm
|      42 COMMENTS
 |   Crime | High Point | West Seattle news

Charges are now filed in a case that’s attracted some national attention because of the defendant’s profession. 36-year-old High Point resident Jess Cliffe is charged with one count of commercial sexual abuse of a minor for allegedly buying sex from a 16-year-old he met online. Cliffe is described as the co-creator of the popular online game Counter-Strike. He’s been mentioned before here on WSB for his work on the website Vintage Seattle, noted when he moved to West Seattle in 2008, as well as volunteer work at what was then Kitty Harbor, mentioned here in 2010.

Charging papers say Cliffe’s arrest follows an investigation dating back to last June, when detectives interviewed a 16-year-old girl who said she “began to use (an online dating site) to meet with men who offered to pay her money to have sex with her.” She identified two men, and one, police say, turned out to be Cliffe. When detectives first met with her, she told them she had discontinued her contacts with him at some point between April and June. She said they made arrangements mostly via texting and that he picked her up at an intersection near her Beacon Hill residence and drove her to his house in High Point. She said they had at least three encounters in which he paid her $300 for an hour, including one in which she said he recorded video without her consent. She said she wasn’t sure he knew her age; he told detectives he thought she was in her early 20s, and they say her profile on the website said she was 18.

After five months of investigation, the documents say, police went to Cliffe’s house last Wednesday; he agreed to meet them an hour later at the Southwest Precinct, where he is reported to have told them he was a user of multiple dating websites, but when shown a photo of his accuser, he initially said he didn’t recognize her. That changed, the charging documents say, after detectives showed him call and text logs they obtained via a search warrant – he said he only had one meeting with her; she mentioned three. When told she was 16, the documents say, he “acted as though he was surprised to learn that before saying that a person has to be 18 years old” to join the dating website, and “immediately began questioning the legal responsibilities of the website for not incorporating an effective system to prevent minors from creating (an) account.” Police subsequently arrested him, and he was booked into King County Jail early Thursday, with his bail set at $150,000 on Friday; he got out Friday night after posting bond. Next step in the case will be arraignment in about two weeks.

Share This

West Seattle Tuesday: Westwood-Roxhill-Arbor Heights Community Coalition; Dine Out for Chief Sealth IHS; more…
February 6, 2018 11:19 am
|      2 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

(Common Merganser, photographed by Mark Wangerin)

From the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar, for the rest of today/tonight:

PEDESTRIAN PLANS: The agenda for this afternoon’s meeting of the City Council’s Sustainability and Transportation Committee – 2 pm at City Hall downtown – includes a discussion of the Seattle Pedestrian Master Plan 2018-2022 Implementation Plan and Progress Report, with planned dates for projects here and citywide. (600 4th Ave.)

BASKETBALL: Chief Sealth International High School‘s varsity teams both have Metro League qualifier games – 4:30 pm, girls at Roosevelt (1410 NE 66th); 7:30 pm, boys at Lakeside (14050 1st Ave NE).

DINE OUT FOR SEALTH: 4-8 pm at Marination ma kai @ Seacrest – part of the proceeds go to Chief Sealth International High School‘s PTSA! (1660 Harbor SW)

CAFE MIA’S FIRST WINE TASTING: 5-8 pm at the new café in The Junction, wine tasting with nibbles. Info in our calendar listing. (4310 SW Oregon)

WESTWOOD-ROXHILL-ARBOR HEIGHTS COMMUNITY COALITION: 6 pm at Southwest Library. Tonight’s agenda includes:

6:00-6:10: Short Community Announcements/Quick Discussion Items

6:15- 6:25 pm: Lt. Ron Smith, Monthly crime stats update, recent incidents discussion.

6:30-7:45 pm: Coalition Committee Planning

Update! Roxhill Park Bog Wetland meeting with SPU – next steps with grant funding
Roxhill Park Community Programs kickoff meeting is Feb 27th – outreach plan.
HALA: FEIS New neighborhoods that have joined appeal, City-wide community meetings have started, fundraising outreach/ City’s Special Committee Hearings.
Design Hearing – 9201 Delridge on Feb 15th @ 6:30 pm
EC Hughes (Roxhill Elementary) playground grant
Neighborhood Matching Fund deadline
SW Crime Prevention Council – January meeting update

(9010 35th SW)

HIGHLAND PARK ELEMENTARY KINDERGARTEN PREVIEW NIGHT AND TOUR: Got a kindergartener going to Highland Park Elementary next school year? Or thinking about it? Be there tonight at 6:30 pm. (1012 SW Trenton)

WEST SEATTLE BIKE CONNECTIONS: 6:30 pm monthly meeting at HomeStreet Bank (WSB sponsor) in The Junction. (4022 SW Alaska)

FREE LEGAL HELP: 7-9 pm, Senior Center of West Seattle – set up an appointment in advance; here’s how. (4217 SW Oregon)

Share This

HAPPY HUNDREDTH BIRTHDAY! Wes Jensen celebrates a century today
February 6, 2018 10:17 am
|      6 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle people

West Seattle has a new centenarian today: Wes Jensen. The announcement is from his family:

Family & friends are celebrating the 100th birthday of Wes Jensen. Born in Montana on February 6, 1918, one of 7 children; his family moved to Medina when he was young. He played football for Bellevue HS and basketball for Garfield HS, where he graduated. Wes served in the Army in World War II; after the war, he met and married his wife Helen, and they raised 3 children in West Seattle.

He worked for and retired from ADT. Wes is a member of the Elks and loved to fish and golf- he played into his 80s and is extremely proud of his hole-in-one! After his wife Helen passed away, Wes moved to Ballard, then to Shoreline – he moved back to West Seattle 3 years ago and now resides at Homecomings.

Wes enjoys watching the Mariners and Seahawks and usually has a thing or two to say about current politics! Above all, Wes is a kind & loving family man, and his 3 children, 6 grandchildren, and 8 (#9 is due in April) great-grandchildren are blessed beyond measure to be able to celebrate his wonderful life.

Share This

WEST SEATTLE CRIME WATCH: Stolen red Ford F-150 truck
February 6, 2018 9:51 am
|      2 COMMENTS
 |   Crime | West Seattle news

That’s Kevin‘s truck, a red 2016 Ford F-150 stolen this morning after 6:30 am from in front of his house, 4100 block of 39th SW [map]. License plates WA C90967F. If you see it, call 911.

Share This

TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: Tuesday watch; SB 509 crash
February 6, 2018 6:52 am
|    Comments Off on TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: Tuesday watch; SB 509 crash
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

(SDOT MAP with travel times/video links; is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE)

6:52 AM: One incident to report in the area – Seattle Fire says a man in his 40s has died after his car hit a tree at the SB 509 exit to Myers Way. So if you use SB 509 and usually get it to it from anywhere north of that, investigators will likely be on scene quite a while.

Other alerts and transportation notes:

SCHOOL BUS STRIKE CONTINUES: Fourth day.

FAUNTLEROY/WILDWOOD CLOSURE: Second day of work closing this intersection just south of the Fauntleroy ferry dock, and rerouting the C Line and Route 116.

TRAFFIC-SIGNAL WORK: As announced Monday by SDOT, crews will be working to tweak six West Seattle signals today.

7:06 AM: The State Patrol says the Myers Way ramp from SB 509 has reopened.

Share This

SCHOOL-BUS STRIKE: Tuesday will be Day 4 of First Student drivers’ walkout
February 5, 2018 10:03 pm
|      16 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

(Some buses rolled out of First Student South Park yard today. Photo by striking driver Al, who texted “Tell the kids I miss them!”)

No word of new negotiations in the school-bus drivers’ strike against First Student, so Tuesday will be Day 4. Seattle Public Schools, which contracts with First Student for yellow-bus service, says in its newest update that some drivers have reported to work:

Some First Student drivers have decided not to strike. As they report to work, we are asking First Student to prioritize bus routes that serve students in special education and those in underserved communities (e.g. Title I schools). As of Monday, Feb. 5, about 70 of the 395 regular First Student drivers had completed approximately 260 daily routes (including both bell tiers).

For now, the best course of action is urging both sides to find middle ground.

The drivers’ union, Teamsters Local 174, says in an update today that “adequate, affordable health care” is the main issue. First Student contends it’s offering a “fair, equitable” deal. Strike side effects, meantime, include increased car traffic at schools – we tweeted a photo today taken at Boren STEM K-8 – and improvised after-school transportation, as noted by the West Seattle YMCA (WSB sponsor) on Instagram.

Share This

BASKETBALL: West Seattle High School boys win Metro League tournament opener over O’Dea
February 5, 2018 8:27 pm
|      3 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle schools | WS & Sports

(#2 Elijah Nnanabu, top scorer for WSHS)

FIRST REPORT, 8:27 PM: That was a nailbiter for a few minutes – but the West Seattle High School boys pulled it out and just beat O’Dea on the Fighting Irish home court on First Hill, 59-55. Next up in the Metro League championships, they play Rainier Beach at 8:30 pm Wednesday at Seattle Pacific University. We’ll have photos and more about the game after we get back to HQ.

ADDED 11:56 PM: It was the thriller on First Hill. Though the Wildcats ended the first quarter up 10 points, and had a 12-point lead for a bit in the second quarter, much of the second half was a lot closer. West Seattle outfought the Fighting Irish, but not without some nailbiting moments. And a lot of cheering by the passionate fan base that crossed the bay for the game.

The lead changed hands for the first few minutes, until WSHS started to settle into the upper hand. They had lost to O’Dea by just two points in the regular season, and didn’t seem too mystified by their opponents’ game plan.

The Wildcat defense forced O’Dea to try lots of outside shots – generally without success. West Seattle had better luck getting inside, including a reverse shot by #2 Elijah Nnanabu – the night’s top scorer with 18 – early on. That really energized the crowd.

O’Dea’s cold-handed shooting was particularly in evidence in the second quarter. The Wildcats had ample rebounding opportunities, and #5 Abdullahi Mohamed excelled. He got the basket that widened West Seattle’s lead to 12 points in the second quarter.

O’Dea started chipping away at that lead for a while. WSHS kicked the defense up a notch, and when they got the ball back, kept powering through:

But the lead was down to five points at halftime, 28-23. Out of the gate in the second half, #23 Anthony Giomi – second-leading Wildcat scorer with 16 – hit the first basket.

They couldn’t pull away, and the Fighting Irish got too close for comfort – narrowing the gap to three points by 5:15 to go in the third quarter. West Seattle stepped up their game again, but O’Dea sensed an opening and tightened up the defense in the waning moments of the third quarter, getting within two in its final minute.

(WSHS head coach Keffrey Fazio)

In the fourth quarter’s early going, O’Dea was suddenly just one point down, 42-41. A pivotal possession for WSHS at 5:34 led to a basket, and the crowd roared. A foul shot widened the lead to four points. But there was no pulling away, despite exciting moments like a steal that led to another Nnanabu bucket. With three minutes to go, the WSHS section in the bleachers was doing some footstomping. At 2:45, the lead was opened to six points, 50-44.

#24 Simon Harris added two points to that with a basket at 2:05. Victory was in view – but still not a sure thing, and two minutes can be forever in basketball. In fact, it almost was – an O’Dea three-pointer with :45 to go turned a five-point WSHS lead into two. But they just wouldn’t let O’Dea get any closer than that, and the final was 59-55.

ONE MORE THING ABOUT WEDNESDAY: It’ll be a WSHS doubleheader at Seattle Pacific University – the girls play Cleveland at 7 pm, before the boys face Rainier Beach at 8:30.

Share This

PROTECT YOURSELF: Southwest Precinct fraud-prevention advice as tax season gets going
February 5, 2018 7:41 pm
|      1 COMMENT
 |   Safety | West Seattle news

Scams and fraud aren’t always as obvious as you might think. Here’s more advice about how to protect yourself, sentby Southwest Precinct crime-prevention coordinator Jennifer Danner:

As we head into tax season, we often see an increase in tax fraud and various forms of scams.

In order to combat this, the SW Precinct would like to provide our community with some helpful prevention information about these scams, as well as the most effective way to report them! Subsets of the population are more vulnerable to these types of scams- but everyone can help protect themselves by keeping the following ten practical suggestions in mind, provided by the Federal Trade Commission:

Read More

Share This

CRIME WATCH FOLLOWUP: Suspect in assault on police officer is awaiting trial in notorious burglary case
February 5, 2018 4:32 pm
|      25 COMMENTS
 |   Crime | West Seattle news

We’ve learned more today about last night’s incident in which a police officer suffered a knife injury to the hand – and the suspect arrested and jailed in the case.

(Sunday night photo by Tim Durkan)

First, SPD spokesperson Det. Mark Jamieson tells us the officer’s injury was not major – he was treated at a hospital and released shortly thereafter. As we reported last night, he says, it started with the officer noticing graffiti vandalism in progress on a fence at Delridge and Henderson; he pulled over and made contact with the suspect, who tried to run – a brief struggle ensued, the officer got the suspect under control, called for backup, and after another officer arrived, the suspect started fighting, and at some point the officer discovered he had a laceration to the hand. A knife was found at the scene.

Today we’ve learned the suspect is 20-year-old Jorge Cruz-Benitez, who was arrested and charged in November of last year for allegedly breaking into a Highland Park house while the people who live there – including three children – were asleep. (One of the adult residents tracked him down and widely shared his first-person story.) While Cruz-Benitez was originally held in lieu of $30,000 bail in that case, court documents show that a judge allowed him into an alternative custody program in early December after two and a half weeks in jail, and it was to include treatment for substance abuse. Along with investigation of assault, he is being held right now for investigation of violating drug laws.

Share This

Second lawsuit in West Seattle illegal tree cutting settled for $360,000, city announces
February 5, 2018 3:34 pm
|      67 COMMENTS
 |   Environment | West Seattle news

(City-provided photo accompanying announcement)

3:34 PM: Almost 10 months after the city announced its first settlement in the infamous West Seattle illegal tree-cutting case, another has just been announced. From the city news release:

The City has settled the second of two civil suits against West Seattle homeowners who the City alleged hired people to cut down a swath of a greenbelt in late 2015 or early 2016 to improve the homeowners’ views.

The unpermitted tree cutting near the 3200 block of 35th Ave. SW occurred in environmentally critical areas on a steep slope near the defendants’ homes. In its two lawsuits, the City alleged that two separate groups of people were responsible for cutting two distinct areas of City trees. Between the two cuttings, 153 trees of varying sizes, including many big-leaf maples and Scouler’s willows, were felled and left crisscrossing the area. The first suit settled in 2017 for $440,000. In the second suit the City sought damages from Kostas Kyrimis, Linda Kyrimis, Nancy Despain, Wendy Sweigart, Leroy Bernard, Joyce Bernard, Charles King, Shirley King and Bruce Gross. The defendants have agreed to pay the City a total of $360,000 to resolve the matter.

Parks remediation of the area is already under way, and Parks plans to use the settlement funds to continue its work restoring the site and other greenbelt areas in the City.

Read the full news release here; our area’s City Councilmember Lisa Herbold is quoted as saying, “I expect these clear consequences will make someone think twice before considering arboricide in the future.” You can also read the settlement document here; we’re reading it now and will add any details of note that the city announcement didn’t include.

4:05 PM: A few other notes:

-Before the settlement, the case had been scheduled to go to trial this May.
-City-led restoration work continues at the sites where the trees were cut; volunteers helped out on Green Seattle Day last November.
-If you are new, or need a refresher on where this happened, our March 2016 story included a map.

Share This

TRAFFIC ALERT: SDOT crew to work on 6 West Seattle traffic signals tomorrow
February 5, 2018 3:15 pm
|      4 COMMENTS
 |   Safety | Transportation | West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

Just in from SDOT:

The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) advises travelers that work is being done at six intersections in West Seattle to install new traffic control components so that they are compatible with the latest traffic control operating system. The new equipment will allow improved system operations and updated pedestrian crossing times. This work is a part of collaboration with community feedback over pedestrian crossing times along SW Admiral Way and California Way SW. Work is scheduled for Tuesday, February 6.

What to expect:

Revised signal operation timings and updated pedestrian crossing cycle length during a.m. peak, p.m. peak, and off-peak hours. The locations are as follows:

41st Ave SW and SW Admiral Way
42nd Ave SW and SW Admiral Way
California Ave SW and SW Admiral Way
California Ave SW and SW Lander St
California Ave SW and SW Stevens St
California Ave SW and SW Hanford St

Share This

FIRE STATION OPEN HOUSES: 4 open in West Seattle for Neighbor Day visits
February 5, 2018 2:01 pm
|    Comments Off on FIRE STATION OPEN HOUSES: 4 open in West Seattle for Neighbor Day visits
 |   Neighborhoods | West Seattle news

(WSB photo from Station 32’s open house last November)

This Saturday is Neighbor Day around the city – and one of the most popular aspects is the chance to visit local fire stations during Neighbor Day open houses. They’re not all open for the occasion but here are the ones on the list this time – 11 am-1 pm Saturday (February 10th) – in West Seattle:

-Fire Station 11 in Highland Park (16th/Holden)
-Fire Station 29 in North Admiral (2139 Ferry SW)
-Fire Station 32 in The Triangle (38th/Alaska)
-Fire Station 37 in Sunrise Heights (35th/Holden)

More about Neighbor Day as the week goes on!

P.S. Though the list on the city website does not include Station 32 right now, we doublechecked with SFD and they say the new station WILL have an open house too.

Share This

UPDATE: Crash on West Seattle low bridge; 1 taken to hospital
February 5, 2018 1:11 pm
|      2 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

1:11 PM: That’s an image taken from the SDOT camera on the “low bridge,” where a crash is blocking both directions right now. No other details so far but you’ll want to take alternate routes.

1:45 PM: SDOT says the crash has cleared. We’re checking with SFD about injuries.

2:15 PM: SFD spokesperson Kristin Tinsley tells WSB that a woman believed to be in her mid-50s was taken to the hospital in serious condition.

Share This

DEVELOPMENT: Early-stage proposal for 2800 block of SW Yancy
February 5, 2018 12:29 pm
|      8 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle housing | West Seattle news

The latest early-stage proposal from city permit files is for three lots that now hold houses in the 2800 block of SW Yancy – 2811, 2821, and 2827. They would potentially be combined and redeveloped with three 3-story buildings with 43 microapartments and an underground parking garage. The draft “site plan” carries the name of Transitional Resources, the nonprofit that is headquartered nearby, on SW Avalon, with a variety of services for people living with mental-health challenges, including residential units offering “supported housing.” We contacted TR’s CEO Darcell Slovek-Walker to ask for more information on what’s being considered. She replied, “We are in the very early stage of exploring how we can sustain the properties we have rented for years on Yancy Street.” The proposal carries the address of 2821 SW Yancy, though the parcels that would be involved run from 2811 through 2829, according to city files.

Share This

Unity event @ Louisa Boren STEM K-8 as Black Lives Matter at School Week begins
February 5, 2018 11:25 am
|      5 COMMENTS
 |   Delridge | West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

It’s Black Lives Matter At School Week nationwide, with local support from the Seattle School Board, which last week adopted a resolution that declares “that the lives of black students matter, as well as the lives of all of our students of color, and that we encourage participation district-wide in the national Black Lives Matter At School Week from February 5-9, 2018.” We stopped by Louisa Boren STEM K-8 this morning after Shawna Murphy sent word of a before-school unity event planned by the PTA.

Yes, you probably noticed something obvious about the people in that photo. And it’s one of the issues raised by the Social Equity Educators (SEE) group from the teachers’ union, the Seattle Education Association: They want the district to hire more black teachers. (Here’s the SEE website.)

At Boren, meantime, buttons, stickers, signmaking, and books were available before school, and we’re told an assembly was planned for today too.

STEM K-8 is the only school we’ve heard from so far – any other local activities/assemblies? Please let us know – editor@westseattleblog.com or text/voice 206-293-6302 – thanks!

Share This

West Seattle Monday: From cooking to community involvement, and more!
February 5, 2018 9:13 am
|      1 COMMENT
 |   West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

(Steller’s Jay, through a midwinter foliage drapery, photographed by Jeremiah Holt)

From the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar for your Monday:

FREE TAX HELP: 2-7 pm at Delridge Library. No appointment required; details here. (5423 Delridge Way SW)

MEATLESS MONDAY: Cooking-demo class at the West Seattle YMCA (WSB sponsor) with Chef Kim O’Donnel, 4-5 pm. Today: Red Lentil Dal with Wilted Greens. Cost and other details here. (3622 SW Snoqualmie)

IMMIGRATION DISCUSSION: Fauntleroy Church‘s series of discussions on immigration-related issues continues tonight with “Welcoming the Stranger: How Can Religious Institutions Help Those at Risk of Deportation?” All welcome. Dinner (free-will offering) at 6:30 pm, discussion at 7 pm. (9140 California SW)

FAMILY STORY TIME: 6:30 pm, High Point Library. (35th SW/SW Raymond)

BASKETBALL: The West Seattle High School boys play this year’s first postseason game tonight, 7 pm, at O’Dea. (802 Terry Ave.; map)

PUGET RIDGE COMMUNITY COUNCIL: 7 pm at Puget Ridge Cohousing, with topics including the Southwest Precinct Crime Prevention Coordinator talking about Block Watches. (7020 18th SW)

AND THAT’S NOT ALL … see our complete-calendar page. And if you have an event, performance, presentation, etc., open to the public, be sure we have it for West Seattle’s most-comprehensive event calendar – e-mail info (plain text, not an attachment) to editor@westseattleblog.com as early as possible – thank you!

Share This