West Seattle, Washington
25 Thursday
Six reports in West Seattle Crime Watch:
PHONE ROBBERY: If you noticed the police search this past hour in the 5400 block of Delridge Way SW, that was the initial dispatch – a strong-arm robbery near the library, with at least two people taking a phone and hat from the victim. This type of robbery is happening on average twice a week since the start of the year, police said at this week’s West Seattle Crime Prevention Council meeting, and we’re working on that story for publication this weekend.
Reader reports from the WSB inbox:
CAR PROWLS: Blair reports, “FYI, a few car break-ins and stolen stuff off porches on Seola Beach Drive. This happened over the last week and again last night.”
ATTEMPTED CAR PROWL ON VIDEO: From Christopher:
This happened in the 3200 block of California SW early Monday: “White male in a camouflage jacket, olive trousers, and boots with red laces. Driving a silver car with yellow (possibly Alaska) plates and squeaky brakes (which one would think would be a hardship whilst prowling cars in the wee hours).”
TWO DUMPED-AND-PROBABLY-STOLEN BICYCLES: Both sighting reports were accompanied by photos:
The one above was seen in the 1500 block of Alki Avenue SW; the one below, a gray Columbia bicycle, was at the 36th SW/SW Alaska bus stop:
PACKAGE THIEF ON VIDEO: Sarah shares the video:
This happened around 5 am Monday near 36th SW/SW Charlestown: “Unfortunately we didn’t realize the package had been delivered the night before. We filed a police report and gave them the attached video but thought it might be good to warn the neighbors.”
Need a break? Next weekend, here’s a chance to help West Seattle High School students and let them help you! The announcement:
PARENTS’ NIGHT OUT 3/30/2019
Let WSHS sophomore-class students watch your kids while you enjoy an evening out!
What: This event is for child care for kids ages 3 (potty trained) to 11 years old and includes pizza, drinks, snacks, games, movies, and crafts.
When: Saturday, March 30, 2019 from 5:30-10:30 pm.
Where: West Seattle High School, 3000 California Avenue SW. Check in at the historical entrance on the left side of the building.
Cost: $35 per child or $30 with 2 cans of food donations for the West Seattle Food Bank.
For more information and to RSVP, contact email: wshsco2021@gmail.com
Thank you so much for your support!
Just as Metro gets ready for tomorrow’s service change – with West Seattle-related specifics here and here – three north West Seattle routes were hit with 12 announced cancellations these past two days. The alerts, as sent on Twitter (which replicates the texts you can sign up for):
Transit Alert – Route 55 to downtown Seattle due to leave the Admiral District at 7:05 AM will not operate this morning.
— King County Metro 🚏🚌🚎⛴🚐 (@kcmetrobus) March 21, 2019
Transit Alert – Route 55 to downtown Seattle due to leave the Admiral District at 7:30 AM will not operate this morning.
— King County Metro 🚏🚌🚎⛴🚐 (@kcmetrobus) March 21, 2019
Transit Alert – Rt 55 to the Admiral District due to leave 3rd Av & Pike St at 5:11 PM will not operate this evening.
— King County Metro 🚏🚌🚎⛴🚐 (@kcmetrobus) March 21, 2019
Transit Alert – Rt 55 to the Admiral District due to leave 3rd Av & Pike St at 5:19 PM will not operate this evening.
— King County Metro 🚏🚌🚎⛴🚐 (@kcmetrobus) March 22, 2019
Transit Alert – The last trip on Rt 55 to the Admiral District due to leave 3rd Av & Pike St at 6:37 PM will not operate this evening.
— King County Metro 🚏🚌🚎⛴🚐 (@kcmetrobus) March 22, 2019
Transit Alert – Route 55 to downtown Seattle due to leave the Admiral District at 7:05 AM will not operate this morning.
— King County Metro 🚏🚌🚎⛴🚐 (@kcmetrobus) March 22, 2019
Transit Alert – Route 55 to downtown Seattle due to leave the Admiral District at 7:30 AM will not operate this morning.
— King County Metro 🚏🚌🚎⛴🚐 (@kcmetrobus) March 22, 2019
Transit Alert – Route 56 to Seattle due to leave Alki at 7:16 AM will not operate this morning.
— King County Metro 🚏🚌🚎⛴🚐 (@kcmetrobus) March 21, 2019
Transit Alert – Route 56 to downtown Seattle due to leave Alki at 6:43 AM will not operate this morning.
— King County Metro 🚏🚌🚎⛴🚐 (@kcmetrobus) March 22, 2019
Transit Alert – Route 56 to downtown Seattle due to leave Alki at 8:11 AM will not operate this morning.
— King County Metro 🚏🚌🚎⛴🚐 (@kcmetrobus) March 22, 2019
Transit Alert – Route 57 to downtown Seattle due to leave the Alaska Junction at 7:20 AM will not operate this morning.
— King County Metro 🚏🚌🚎⛴🚐 (@kcmetrobus) March 21, 2019
Transit Alert – Route 57 to downtown Seattle due to leave the Alaska Junction at 7:20 AM will not operate this morning.
— King County Metro 🚏🚌🚎⛴🚐 (@kcmetrobus) March 22, 2019
What’s going on? Here’s how Metro spokesperson Torie Rynning replied:
There were a couple things going on, but we’re hoping that we’re turning a corner and these are temporary (and regrettable) inconveniences for our customers.
We experienced several call-outs due to sickness, including some multi-day sicknesses, which we don’t expect to continue into next week (fingers crossed, as the region is grappling with cold and flu season).
We are in the process of training drivers on service change route updates, which temporarily took drivers out of the field.
We are about to graduate a new class of part-time to full-time operators, which involved removing operators from the field for training in order to increase our staffing capacity once they graduate.
On Thursday, we had 54 cancellations systemwide out of 13,000 daily trips, (4 of which were on 55/56/57 routes during the morning commute.)
On Friday morning, we had 47 cancellations systemwide out of 13,000 daily trips, (5 of which were on 55/56/57 routes in the morning.) 10 of the missed trips were due to no available bus at Bellevue base affecting a couple of Eastside routes.
We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience and are making every effort to provide service, backfill open work with available standby operators, and keep bus service moving for riders.
The north West Seattle routes have had waves of cancellations a few times in recent years, and we’ve followed up before, including this closer look at the system’s workings in 2015.
We’ve received a few questions about why the Washington State Ferries vessel Puyallup is docked at Terminal 5 in West Seattle. No, it’s not waiting for space at nearby Vigor Industrial (where it was built). WSF spokesperson Ian Sterling explained when we inquired, “Puyallup is in for light maintenance for minor wear and tear on the car deck, as well as some work on the electrical systems.” He added that this is being done by Foss Maritime, which, you’ll recall, has had an interim lease for space at T-5 for the past few years: “We’re excited to have more options when it comes to maintenance and repair of the state fleet. Puyallup is expected to be at T-5 until the end of the month.” It’s usually on the Edmonds-Kingston run.
Thanks to Special Olympics Washington for sharing that photo of West Seattle-residing athlete Simon Van Giesen, who is returning home tomorrow with a World Games medal. You’re invited to a rally for him and other returning athletes. Here’s the announcement from SOWA:
Special Olympics Washington soccer and swimming athletes are bringing home hardware from this year’s Special Olympics World Games in Abu Dhabi!
Simon Van Giesen, 25, of West Seattle, won the bronze medal in the 50 meter backstroke.
The US men’s Unified soccer team, which is made up of Washington athletes with and without intellectual disabilities, beat India 5-0 to take the bronze medal. The team is the first soccer team to ever represent the US in a World Games competition.
In all, more than 200 athletes from across the nation represented Special Olympics USA in Abu Dhabi, earning 72 gold, 61 silver and 70 bronze medals over the course of the seven day event.
Special Olympics supporters and media are invited to welcome the team home when they arrive back in Washington this Saturday. The Washington delegation’s flight is expected to land at approximately 1:00 p.m.: Sea-Tac International Airport, baggage claim area for United Airlines
The Special Olympics World Games in Abu Dhabi were the largest sports and social inclusion event in the world. More than 7,500 athletes and 3,000 coaches representing 200 nations competed in 24 Olympic-style sports.
Read more about Simon here.
Story and photos by Tracy Record and Patrick Sand
West Seattle Blog co-publishers
“You are here to be part of the solution.”
That’s how Chief Sealth International High School student Clarissa Perez (who you met here in January) opened the two-day Washington Global Issues Network conference at CSIHS this morning. It’s truly global, with participants from multiple nations as well as multiple schools.
Willard, Justice, and Rose from the Muckleshoot Tribe delivered greetings in the Native language Lushootseed. “As you do this work, we want to raise our hands to you,” he said, before they sang.
Also during the opening gathering in the Sealth auditorium, videos previewed some of the first workshops, including environmental club members from Ingraham HS extolling the virtues of recycling, Nathan Hale HS students discussing the need for more teachers of color, The Evergreen School students talking about visiting a woman-led NGO in Peru called Awamaki, Cleveland HS students previewing their water workshop, and other students with focuses from building tiny houses to climate change to combating infectious diseases.
Keynoter Erin Jones introduced herself as a “quadra-lingual” and greeted the students in a multitude of languages. Her message was about “your power and what you are doing and why what you are doing is so important.” She talked about organizing a major event while attending high school in The Netherlands and moved on to her topic Living On Purpose – addressing the students as “world-changers.” She also spoke about her campaign for state superintendent: “Losing is an incredible gift … I’ve lost a lot in my life … Embrace the losing.”
Being a world-changer, she said, involves three key points:
*Having clear purpose and dreams (“dream a dream that’s bigger than you”)
*Investing in self and others
*Committing to act with courageous love (“are you willing to stand in the gap for people who don’t have a voice?”)
She shared a few highlights of her great life – which started at a hospital where she was left by her white mother, with no knowledge of her black father, adopted by a white family, not all of whom accepted her. She told personal stories of her life, from that point on – as an athlete, a mom, an educator – that evoked laughter and tears. “You have opportunities in your life to hate or to love,” she advised, urging the students to choose love. Another message: “You get to be world-changers right now. … Find something to believe in. … Don’t be average.”
She got a standing ovation.
On stage after her, former Sealth/now Ingraham teacher Noah Zeichner, a co-founder of the conference, which evolved from World Water Week, dating back to 2011. introducing Seattle Public Schools superintendent Denise Juneau, who said she was “mostly here to thank the organizers … of this incredible student-led event.”
Like Jones, Juneau told her story, “from Head Start to Harvard” and on to education. She said she is committed to student involvement, and to equity: “Representation matters. … We’re going to listen to your voices, because you make us better.”
The conference continues with afternoon workshops, dinner tonight keynoted by Lt. Gov Cyrus Habib, and events tomorrow; here’s the schedule.
(Image from community grant application)
One more quick reminder from the Friends of Delridge Triangle:
Tomorrow! – Help Design the Delridge Triangle
We look forward to welcoming our community members tomorrow, Saturday, March 23, from 10 a.m. to noon at the Highland Park Improvement Club (1116 SW Holden). to share ideas how to redesign the Delridge Triangle at 9200 Delridge & SW Barton.
Doors will open at 9:45 a.m. Snacks, professional child care with guided activities, as well as interpreters will be provided.
Survey Time! Please take a few moments to take a survey about the Triangle here.
(WSB photo, Tuesday night)
In discussion following our coverage of the Tuesday night Admiral Way hit-and-run that left a motorcycle rider in critical condition, community members asked how they could help. The family has just announced crowdfunding for 44-year-old Sean Lowry and his daughter Addie. Here’s the link. So far, no new information from police on the investigation; Sean’s family says on the GoFundMe page that he was hit by a driver who “flipped a U-turn.” They also say he is in a coma, with more surgeries ahead.
(Dunlin, photographed by Mark Wangerin)
Happy Friday! Here are just some of the highlights on our WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:
WEST SEATTLE GARDEN CLUB: 10:30 am-2 pm at Daystar Retirement Village (WSB sponsor) – you’re invited to be there for all or part of this month’s meeting, which features a presentation about birds. (2615 SW Barton)
WAGIN CONFERENCE: Students at Chief Sealth International High School are again leading the Washington Global Issues Network conference, today and tomorrow with opening ceremonies at 11 this morning – more info here. (2600 SW Thistle)
POW WOW: 6th annual Niksowaaks Community Pow Wow, 6-10 pm at Highland Park Elementary, with grand entry at 7 pm. All welcome. (1012 SW Trenton)
CHIEF SEALTH IHS MOCK TRIAL: If you can get to Olympia, you’re invited to cheer on the team in state competition, starting at 6:30 pm tonight! Details here. (Thurston County Courthouse, 2000 Lakeridge Dr SW #3, Olympia)
WEST SEATTLE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA: 7 pm at the Chief Sealth IHS auditorium – program info is in our calendar listing, and here’s a video shared by the orchestra from a recent rehearsal:
CONCORD BENEFIT: Party at South Park Hall tonight, starting at 7 pm, on behalf of the students of Concord International Elementary! (1253 S. Cloverdale)
INTERSECTIONS FESTIVAL: Second night at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center, with shows at 7 pm and 9 pm. Tickets and performer info here. (4408 Delridge Way SW)
NORTHERN BALLARD: Live music at C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor), 7-9 pm. No cover. All ages. (5612 California SW)
TAVERN TUNES: “Alterna-country” with Glenn Cannon; Garrett Whitney & The Outlaw Gruntry Band, and Double Cross Committee. 9 pm at Parliament Tavern. $7 cover. 21+. (4210 SW Admiral Way)
SEE THE FULL LINEUP … via our complete calendar!
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
A standing-room-only crowd filled the American Legion Post 160 hall in The Triangle Thursday night for the first forum featuring all five candidates contending for the City Council District 1 seat representing West Seattle and South Park.
Four years ago, when 7 of the 9 councilmembers were elected by district for the first time, Lisa Herbold won the seat by 39 votes. Thursday night she shared the stage with four challengers: Jesse Greene, Brendan Kolding, Phil Tavel (who also ran in 2015, finishing third in the primary), and Isaiah Willoughby.
They answered questions for an hour and 20 minutes, frequently punctuated by applause, in the first of a series of forums planned by the advocacy group Speak Out Seattle. Instead of the originally announced moderator, radio host Mike Lewis asked the questions, some submitted in writing by attendees. Here’s our video:
If you don’t have time to watch, our toplines are ahead:
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