West Seattle, Washington
25 Thursday
Back in the first few months of the District 1 Community Network – people from community organizations around West Seattle and South Park – we reported D1CN was crafting a survey to help them help you. Now it’s ready and it’s fairly quick, so if you can spend a few minutes replying, you’ll find it here.
P.S. D1CN is busy already – as featured here earlier, they hosted a “City Budget 101” briefing last night, and the second of the two City Council District 1 candidate debates they’ve organized is Saturday (Sept. 28th), 4:30 pm at Neighborhood House High Point (6400 Sylvan Way SW)
Seen on the north side of SW Barton alongside Westwood Village, a new raised curb extension flanking a crosswalk. This is where a 78-year-old woman was hit and killed by a driver three months ago. Neighborhood advocates had long campaigned for safety improvements there; finally some are being made. SDOT will be talking about the plan at Thursday night’s West Seattle Transportation Coalition meeting, 6:30 pm at Neighborhood House High Point. The new addition alongside Barton was mentioned by an SDOT rep at July’s WSTC meeting.
That’s the result of Night 1 of overnight paving on SW Avalon Way; tonight is scheduled to be Night 2. Meantime, local bicycle riders showed support last night for Luna Park Café (as previewed in the WSB Event Calendar. Don Brubeck from West Seattle Bike Connections sent photos and a repot:
Luna Park Cafe was going to close at 3 pm yesterday due to the impact of the Avalon Paving Project. But they stayed open for a Bike-In. We filled a bunch of tables, some of them twice.
Staging for overnight paving was in full swing, with traffic restrictions, but it was not difficult to bike or take the C-line bus. Stu Hennessey of Alki Bike and Board initiated this, and West Seattle Bike Connections joined in, to support Luna Park businesses during a difficult time for them.
4:26 PM: Two West Seattle Crime Watch cases to report:
PROWLING SUSPECTS ARRESTED: Thanks to everybody who texted about a police/fire response in an alley near 46th and Edmunds this afternoon. We went over to check it out; police told us they responded to a report of two people prowling back yards, and after they found both suspects, learned they both had arrest warrants. No further details available yet, and we’re still trying to find out about the SFD component of the call; a neighbor said someone was taken away by private ambulance.
ANOTHER DRUG RAID: Posted on SPD Blotter this afternoon:
SPD investigators seized a handgun and large amounts of cash, meth, cocaine, pills, and heroin after serving a warrant at a West Seattle home on Saturday.
Around 5:30 PM on Saturday, members of the West Precinct Anti-Crime Team and SPD Narcotics Unit, with the assistance of the Drug Enforcement Administration, served a warrant at the apartment of a 52-year-old man in the 900 block of SW Holden Street.
There, police found 1,455 grams of methamphetamine, 53 grams of cocaine, 41 grams of oxycodone pills and 229 grams of black tar heroin, which was in the suspect’s freezer.
Police also found a 9mm handgun and $39,000 in cash in the home.
Officers seized the gun, cash, and narcotics, and provided food and water for a cat in the apartment before securing the unit and leaving the scene.
The 52-year-old suspect — who was arrested for domestic violence the day before police served a warrant at his apartment and is also on federal probation — is currently being held at the King County Jail.
We’re checking on the suspect’s status.
4:45 PM UPDATE: The suspect, 52-year-old Donald C. Scholoff, remains in jail and is already charged in the domestic-violence case. Charging documents say that last Friday, he tried to strangle his girlfriend, and then she tried to flee on a bicycle, he drove a car after her and smashed it into her bike; she leaped off it just in time. The documents say the “federal probation” is for a drug-dealing conviction in 2016 and also note that he has a record including robbery, theft, and drug convictions.
An unusual note from the court documents: Prosecutors wrote in the charging papers that they disagreed with District Court Judge Pro Tem Catherine McDowell‘s original decision to set bail at $50,000; they wanted it three times higher. No indication if that happened, but the jail register now shows Scholoff is being held without bail.
Thanks to Kay for the tip! Goats are clearing an overgrown slope by MacDonald-Miller in southeast West Seattle. While we were scoping for the photo op, a staffer told us they bring in the goats every year.
Three days after Mayor Jenny Durkan presented her 2020 budget proposal, the City Council’s review and revisions start today. How can you be part of the process? The District 1 Community Network got a briefing from the city budget boss last night. Here’s what you need to know:
CITY COUNCIL REVIEW: The council’s first meeting as the Select Budget Committee starts at 2 pm today; here’s the agenda. They’ll start with an overview – here’s the slide deck for that:
Then they will launch into initial overview presentations, department by department. First up is Seattle Public Utilities (see its budget here), with this slide deck:
Then Seattle City Light (see its budget here), with this slide deck:
All this is just the first round. You can watch live via the Seattle Channel; see future agendas here. (SDOT and SPD, among others, present on Friday.)
DISTRICT 1 COMMUNITY NETWORK: The city budget director, Ben Noble, who will brief councilmembers this afternoon, gave a “Budget 101” to D1CN at its meeting last night. We recorded it on video:
City Councilmember Lisa Herbold was there too, as you’ll see in the video, commenting from the gallery (she was not a presenter). The council’s budget review and revision timeline (see it here) stretches over the next two months. If there is something you feel passionately about, speaking at the first major public hearing is an option – it’s on Thursday, October 3rd, 5:30 pm at City Hall downtown. In the meantime, you can email council@seattle.gov, and/or individual councilmembers – as was noted at the D1CN meeting, the more they hear about something in particular, the more it breaks through the noise. And sooner is better than later – while changes will be made throughout the two-month review, there are deadlines and cutoffs (as the timeline shows), especially for additions whose impact/funding has to be studied.
(Kingfisher, photographed at Jack Block Park by Mark Wangerin)
The first Wednesday of fall has a lot going on! Highlights:
HELP FIREFIGHTERS ‘FILL THE BOOT’ FOR MDA: Until 5 pm tonight, and again tomorrow and Friday, West Seattle firefighters are in The Junction, accepting donations for the Muscular Dystrophy Association. (California/Alaska)
JOB FAIR/INTERVIEW DAY: Continuing until 7 pm at Providence Mount St. Vincent. (4831 35th SW)
WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON MOVIE: At the Senior Center of West Seattle, 1 pm: “Backlash.” $1 members, $2 nonmembers, popcorn included. (4217 SW Oregon)
FLU SHOT CLINIC: At Denny International Middle School, 1:30-4:30 pm, all welcome – info here. (2601 SW Kenyon)
FREE ‘WRITE YOUR STORY’ WORKSHOP FOR KIDS: First session, 3:15-4:15 pm at Curious Kidstuff in The Junction, writing workshop for ages 8-12. All sessions are taught by West Seattle residents Julia Douthwaite Viglione, Ph.D., and Greg Estes. Details here. (4740 California SW)
HIGH POINT MARKET GARDEN FARM STAND: Fresh produce sold by the people who grow it next to the stand! 4-7 pm. (32nd SW/SW Juneau)
GROUP RUN + RAFFLE: Tonight at 6:15 pm at West Seattle Runner (WSB sponsor): “Hello Runners! As you know, the rain has started already and as PNW runners, we don’t let that stop us. Gore is a nice answer to lightweight, supreme water resistance and waterproofing. John from Gore will be at the shop for group run, to educate and raffle off a piece of apparel!” (2743 California SW)
HPAC: The neighborhood group for Highland Park, Riverview, and South Delridge meets at 7 pm at Highland Park Improvement Club. The agenda:
7p – Welcome & Introductions
7:10 – Announcements
7:15 – HPAC Executive Committee Updates
– SDOT at our Oct meeting
– Your Voice Your Choice projects
– Trails & Greenbelt
– Westcrest Park Off Leash Area
– Neighborhood Greenway Program – Highland Park Elementary School neighborhood greenway connection
7:30 – Discussion: Who do you want to hear from? What topics should HPAC be covering?
8:00p – Close
All welcome. (1116 SW Holden)
‘SUNSET BABY’: The new production at ArtsWest (WSB sponsor) opens with a “pay what you can” preview. 7:30 pm curtain. (4711 California SW)
THE BILLY JOE SHOW: Live at Parliament Tavern, 8 pm. No cover. 21+. (4210 SW Admiral Way)
SEE EVERYTHING THAT’S UP … via our complete calendar.
Before we get to our belated list of today/tonight’s highlight – advance word of a big meeting tomorrow. Transportation is one of the hottest topics we cover, so perhaps you’ll be interested in being there:
The West Seattle Transportation Coalition hopes you had a wonderful August. Now that summer is over, it’s time to roll up our sleeves and get back to work. Our September meeting is this Thursday, September 26, 2019 at 6:30 p.m. at Neighborhood House High Point Center (6400 Sylvan Way SW Seattle 98126) and it’s a biggie!
A representative of the Vision Zero program from the Seattle Department Of Transportation will be on hand to follow up the discussion at our July meeting regarding SW Barton Street adjacent to Westwood Village where a person crossing the street in the crosswalk was recently hit and killed by a driver.
We are also very excited to welcome Sam Zimbabwe, Director of SDOT back for a conversation about what he has learned about West Seattle transportation issues since his last visit in April.
And as if that wasn’t enough, Sound Transit is coming to talk about their recent Draft EIS alternatives report for the West Seattle ST3 line.
Up for some early-morning whale-watching before work? Just heard from Kersti Muul, who says Southern Resident Killer Whales are again visible off west-facing West Seattle, southbound, seen from Constellation Park south of Alki Point.
(SDOT MAP with travel times/ Is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE/ West Seattle-relevant traffic cams HERE)
6:52 AM: Good morning!
AVALON PAVING TONIGHT: If weather permits, SDOT plans a second night of overnight paving on Avalon.
STADIUM ZONE: Another Mariners home game vs. Houston, 7:10 tonight, so the West Seattle Water Taxi runs into the late evening.
7:46 AM: WSDOT reports a crash blocking the right lane on NB 509 at West Marginal Way.
A back-to-school concert greeted students at midday Tuesday on the South Seattle College (WSB sponsor) campus, where the fall quarter started Monday, so it’s Welcome Week. While Young-Chhaylee played, students were getting questions answered at the “Ask Me” table:
Today (Wednesday), the Welcome Week highlight is a Resource Fair and free barbecue lunch, 10:30 am-1 pm at Clock Tower Plaza.
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