West Seattle, Washington
14 Wednesday
9:28 PM UPDATE: SPD says the missing man is safe and has been returned home.
Earlier: Read More
9 PM: Thanks for the tips. What was described as a boom and a flash is apparently the result of another bird/power line conflict, this time north of Lincoln Park. The Seattle City Light map shows one customer out – though it’s not clear whether that’s a single residence or an entire multifamily building – along Lincoln Park Way.
9:08 PM: The map just updated to 22 customers affected.
One month ago today, Jan’s Beauty Supply in The Junction was burglarized. We didn’t hear about it until a customer mentioned it recently and encouraged them to tell the story, both as a warning and in case it brings in tips. Here’s what we received:
The incident occurred early morning 5/24/2019 between the hours of 3:30 am -5:30 am. (This is an ongoing investigation. Since we are a small business it really hit us hard.)
By use of surveillance cameras we were able to put together that there was a lockbox located in walk-through alcove (if your property management group has one on your building, be aware they can walk right into your building with a key) that was broken into with a rock. They entered the building and kicked in our back door. Proceeded to remove our entire safe.
Overall it was a two-hour process as we feel they knew what they were doing. They left the premises several times to see if a silent alarm was triggered.
Came back and it took them quite a while to remove the entire safe as it weighed over 300 lbs. and was located in an upstairs office which most people don’t even know we have. They used a cart we had in the storage area to wheel the safe out the door. And we ask if anyone who might have heard (because this had to have been very loud going out across the parking lot) to please contact the police if perhaps they saw a vehicle they were loading the entire cart and safe into. The retail portion of the store was untouched. However, with the holiday weekend and having to close bank accounts etc., it really put us behind with business.
We want to say thank you to everyone who was so supportive to us that following week. It took us some time but we are back up and running. We have been here 35 years and never had this happen before. Always a first time. So everyone needs to be aware. A final Thank you to Officer Ross from SPD for being so patient with Maile Hudson as she very slowly pieced together for them step by step what was missing etc. Was disturbing for all of us. All of SPD was great to respond and were so professional. Nice to know they were a phone call away.
If you have any potential tips in the case, refer to incident # 2019-186834.
Again this year, Seattle Parks plans to keep lights on at some playfields on July 3rd-4th to keep fireworks users away. Here’s the announcement:
Seattle Parks and Recreation will turn on field lighting on ballfields throughout the city on the evening of Wednesday, July 3 and Thursday, July 4 to protect the surfaces. The ballfield lights will be turned on at approximately 8:30 p.m. and most will be turned off at either 10 p.m. or 11 p.m., depending on the field.
The lights will be turned on to discourage the use of fireworks. Fireworks are illegal in the city of Seattle and will destroy the artificial turf on the fields or surrounding facilities. The approximate replacement cost for the synthetic surface based on per average full-size field (110,000 square feet) is $1.2 million. All the fields have been renovated in the past several years and benefit field users including players of soccer, football, baseball, Ultimate Frisbee and lacrosse.
The fields will be monitored by security from 9 p.m. to 4 a.m.
You can see the full citywide list here; four city-owned West Seattle fields are involved, and all will be “lights on” until 11 pm those nights:
Delridge Playfield, 4458 Delridge Way SW
Hiawatha Playfield, 2700 California Ave. SW
Walt Hundley Playfield, 6920 34th Avenue SW
West Seattle Stadium, 4432 35th Ave. SW
SDOT promised the final decision on a West Seattle Junction-area Restricted Parking Zone (RPZ) would be made by month’s end, and this afternoon, it’s in:
SDOT will be installing a new Restricted Parking Zone (RPZ) 35 in the West Seattle Junction in fall 2019 along with additional unpaid time limits and individual parking space changes.
RPZ 35 signs will be installed on the orange-lined blocks shown on the map, which will limit vehicles without RPZ 35 permits to 2-hour parking, 7 AM – 6 PM, Monday – Saturday.
All residents living within the orange-shaded area shown on the map will be eligible to purchase RPZ 35 permits. Vehicles displaying an RPZ 35 permit will be exempt from the 2-hour time limit on RPZ-signed blocks.
We will send residents in the orange-shaded area information on purchasing permits prior to RPZ sign installation. Permits are currently $65 per vehicle for a two-year cycle. One hang-tag guest permit is available per household. A $10 low-income permit is available.
Thank you to all who participated in this process.
Residents and businesses in the area will get this mailer (PDF) soon, too.
BACKSTORY ADDED: The decision follows March’s public hearing on the proposal (WSB coverage here). The final decision comes two and a half years after a Junction resident initiated the request – which in turn was seven years after the city had rejected the previous community request for one.
P.S. This will be West Seattle’s second RPZ; the first has been in place in Fauntleroy for more than a quarter-century.
Seattle Parks confirms that West Seattle’s only city-run indoor pool, Southwest Pool, reopened today. It was originally scheduled to reopen right after Memorial Day after a monthlong closure to replace the pool liner, but the work took an extra month. Here’s the swimming schedule.
Got stuff to recycle and/or shred? Another big opportunity is just days away – the West Seattle Junction Association sends the reminder of Saturday’s event in the parking lot off 42nd south of SW Oregon. From WSJA executive director Lora Radford:
Reuse and Recycle in the Junction this Saturday from 9 AM to 1 PM. We’ll have two shredding trucks this year, supported by Windermere. Plus we’ll have the usual array of recyclers ready to take items from Styrofoam to the usual array of electronics.
We’ll offer drive up and walk-up areas on the 42nd Ave parking lot. We are giving a reminder, the items for the Goodwill should be in good working order and be ready for resale.
In other words – if something’s in really bad shape and not recyclable, this isn’t the place to dump it. This is all FREE to thanks to the sponsors and partners, listed on the webpage where you’ll find more about what they will and won’t take.
One week from tonight, the Seattle Chamber Music Society‘s “Music Under the Stars” series of free outdoor events returns to West Seattle for a third summer. This year, though, a new location, as SCMS spokesperson Alexander Hawker explains:
Music Under the Stars is a free community event that takes place in parks throughout Seattle. It features classical chamber music performances and live broadcasts of our concerts in Benaroya Hall. It is family friendly, and a great opportunity to bring a picnic, enjoy beautiful Seattle weather, and listen to some great chamber music.
In previous years we have held the West Seattle events at Delridge Playfield. We had an exciting opportunity this year to partner with the Chinese Garden so we are moving from Delridge Playfield to the new location at Seattle Chinese Garden for these performances.
The details for the event are the same as previous years, with the exception of the change in location. Music Under the Stars in West Seattle takes place on the first four Monday evenings in July, beginning July 1st at 7:30 pm, and takes place in Seattle Chinese Garden. The event begins with a live student performance of classical chamber music, which is followed by an HD radio broadcast of chamber music from Benaroya Hall.
The Chinese Garden is on the north end of the South Seattle College (WSB sponsor) campus on Puget Ridge, 6000 16th SW.
10:31 AM: Thanks for the tips. West Seattle High School sheltered in place for a while this morning, less than an hour. Seattle Public Schools spokesperson Tim Robinson says it was because of a threat via social media. Seattle Police spokesperson Det. Mark Jamieson says police were initially called around 9 am and are investigating. No other details so far.
1:11 PM: WSHS principal Brian Vance sent this message to families:
I know that there have been a few incidents and media attention the past couple of weeks that have prompted communications home. Unfortunately, we had an incident this morning that I want to share information about. We are sending you this letter to update you on the facts and to assure you that we are doing everything we can to support our students.
This morning, it was reported that one of our students created a social media post with threatening content directed toward our school security team.
We quickly determined that the student who allegedly made the post was not in school at the time.
We worked with SPS security and the Seattle Police and decided to put the school in the shelter-in-place protocol. This happened just after first period began.
The student who allegedly made the threat was contacted by police and was taken into custody.
The shelter-in-place was lifted before the end of first period.
I continue to ask for your partnership in reminding students about safe and appropriate use of social media. Social media can take on a life of its own and comments that are perceived as threats or dangerous are taken seriously and investigated. The outcome and consequence of posts and comments can be unpredictable and has the potential to follow students for years.
Thanks to the parents who forwarded the note.
(Great Blue Heron, photographed by Mark Wangerin)
Here’s what’s ahead for summer’s first Monday:
SOUND STEPS WALK: Join the weekly walk in Lincoln Park. Meet at 10 am at the center of the north parking lot. More info in our calendar listing. (8011 Fauntleroy Way SW)
GIVE THE GIFT OF LIFE: If you can donate blood, consider doing it today during the 1-7 pm mobile blood drive at Peace Lutheran Church – closed 3-4 pm for a break. (39th SW/SW Thistle)
5051 FAUNTLEROY EARLY OUTREACH MEETING: 5:30-6:30 pm at High Point Library, drop in for your chance to get information about the proposal for townhouse/rowhouse units at 5051 Fauntleroy Way SW, before they submit a design plan to the city. (3411 SW Raymond)
TRIVIA: Monday night trivia at The Skylark, 7:30 pm, all ages, no cover, prizes! (3803 Delridge Way SW)
SING IT! Open mic at Parliament Tavern. 7:30 pm signups, 8 pm music. 21+. (4210 SW Admiral Way)
(SDOT MAP with travel times/ Is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE/ West Seattle-relevant traffic cams HERE)
7:06 AM: Good morning! The first morning commute of summer 2019 is on. The big news so far is the aftermath of the response to an apartment fire on the east side of Avalon just north of Genesee. The road has been reopened to traffic and buses but be aware of possible residual delays.
Other notes:
STATE FERRIES’ SUMMER SCHEDULE: Now in effect. Doublecheck times here.
NEW WATER TAXI BICYCLE POLICY: Scheduled to start today – limits on size and number. Here’s the announcement.
LAST WEEK OF SCHOOL: The year ends for Highline Public Schools, just south of Seattle, with a half-day Tuesday. For Seattle Public Schools, Thursday is the last day of classes, with one-hour-early dismissal.
7:20 AM: Metro messaging confirms that the buses that were routed off Avalon are all back on their normal routes.
6:03 AM: SFD has just arrived at an apartment building in the 3100 block of SW Avalon Way [map] on a “full response” dispatch.
6:06 AM: The fire is on the building’s first floor. So far they’re saying it does not appear to have spread. The big response, however, is further complicating Avalon/Genesee traffic, so you’ll want to entirely avoid the area.
6:13 AM: The fire is reported to be under control. No report of any injuries.
6:17 AM: The fire has just been declared “tapped,” which means (mostly) out. But SFD’s likely to have crews on scene quite a while, so expect bus/traffic impacts TFN.
6:22 AM: Metro has messaged, ” Routes 21, 50, 55, DART 773 & the RapidRide C Line are currently rerouted … Use stops on 35th Av SW south of SW Avalon Way.” Meantime, per radio communication, SFD is evaluating one person for a “possible respiratory” problem.
6:35 AM: The Red Cross is being summoned to help two people.
6:58 AM: Per scanner, police are reopening Avalon/Genesee traffic “all ways.”
7:07 AM: Bus riders are reporting that bus service has resumed too. The incident log shows the response is down to three units including a supervisor.
7:13 AM: Firsthand report by nearby resident Tomasz Biernacki, with his video, starting even before firefighters arrived, as someone shouted FIRE! FIRE! to wake people up:
I got up to make coffee and saw white smoke across the street from our condo. 30 seconds later the fire alarm goes off and people are running out of their apartments. A woman was carried because of disabilities. One gentleman was heroically trying to use a fire extinguisher but it was too late for that. Everyone worked together to get folks out. For sure there are some folks homeless today because of this. Last I looked they were letting people back into their apartments as they clean up.
We’ll be following up with SFD regarding how it started.
ADDED TUESDAY: The fire was ruled accidental, sparked by a cigarette.
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