day : 08/10/2019 8 results

Two ferry-dock issues are atop our toplines from tonight’s Fauntleroy Community Association board meeting.

DOCK POLICING CHANGE: Law enforcement at the Fauntleroy dock is transitioning from a contract with Seattle Police back to the Washington State Patrol. This came up in discussion with Southwest Precinct operations commander Lt. Steve Strand. We had heard about it from Councilmember Lisa Herbold, who was inquiring with SPD on behalf of a constituent concerned about ferry-line-rage incidents like this one. SPD’s executive director of strategic initiatives Dr. Christopher Fisher told her, “SPD is turning the contract we hold with WSDOT back to Washington State Patrol for providing sworn officers at the terminal. With the current staffing challenges we have, and since it is a state system, it no longer made sense for SPD to contract for that workload.” At tonight’s FCA meeting, concern was voiced that WSP had in the past used cadets for those positions. Lt. Strand said he’d talked to the dock manager after the recent incident but didn’t have anything further about the transition. Dr. Fisher’s response to Councilmember Herbold had also noted, “Seattle Police Officers will still be responsible for behavior on the city roads/property leading up to the terminal, but the officers who are stationed at the terminal will transition to State Troopers.”

TERMINAL’S FUTURE: This remains a major point of concern for FCA; the board’s ferry subcommittee is hoping to hear more about the terminal project when WSF meets with stakeholders in the next few months. FCA’s WSF point person Frank Immel said he talked with a WSF rep recently and was told that talks with an engineering firm about the potential scope of the project are running behind. Those talks should have concluded by now, but haven’t. Also awaited, results of a UW study about the docks, including Fauntleroy, that WSF wants to upgrade.

FAUNTLEROY FALL FESTIVAL: FCA doesn’t organize the festival but supports it; the festival is now less than 3 weeks away, 2-5 pm Sunday, October 27th, at the venues in the 9100 block of California SW.

The Fauntleroy Community Association‘s business meetings are on secnnd Tuesdays, 7 pm at the schoolhouse, all welcome; watch fauntleroy.net for updates.

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YOU CAN HELP: Buy the basics for Chief Sealth International High School students

October 8, 2019 8:32 pm

| 4 COMMENTS

| How to help | West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

Little things can make a big difference. That’s what Chief Sealth International High School‘s InvestED donation drive is about. Here’s the school’s announcement:

Please consider donating to the CSIHS InvestED fundraising campaign. These funds are used to help our students that are struggling to fund the basic needs for a successful high school experience.

There are a range of basic needs that students have at Chief Sealth International High School. Currently, many students have been requesting basic items such as backpacks, pencils, bedding, emergency gear, socks, underwear, and jackets. There have also been requests for many athletes who wish to participate in sports related activities. This includes fees for art class, ASB stickers, funds for IB tests, certain textbooks and books required for classes and not available at school, etc.

Your donation will go directly into the InvestED Fund at Chief Sealth International High School to help the students in need there. Simply designate your donation to Chief Sealth High School from the drop down list on the donation page … Donate Here!

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SNEAK PEEK: See inside Whole Foods Market’s West Seattle store before it opens Wednesday

October 8, 2019 5:06 pm

| 71 COMMENTS

| 4755 Fauntleroy | West Seattle businesses | West Seattle news

Story by Tracy Record
Photos by Patrick Sand
West Seattle Blog co-publishers

13 1/2 years after Whole Foods Market (WSB sponsor) first announced it was coming to West Seattle, it’s hours from opening.

We toured the new store today for a preview before the doors officially open at 9 am Wednesday.

The store comes with a huge backstory; a lot has changed in those 13 1/2 years. It originally was supposed to be in a development called Fauntleroy Place across SW Alaska; that project stalled post-excavation and Whole Foods eventually pulled out, saying the terms of its lease – to provide a store for it to open – weren’t being fulfilled. Eventually, after a legal fight and auction, a different developer opened the project as Spruce, with LA Fitness in the commercial space. But by the time that opened four years ago, Whole Foods was already signed up as anchor tenant for The Whittaker – a seven-year journey that had more stops and starts, including a mayoral attempt to stop it and a short-lived decision to shelve the project. Then Amazon bought Whole Foods, and two years ago, the store plan was back on.

Now on with the tour: Read More

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WEST SEATTLE CRIME WATCH: Stolen black Pathfinder; package-theft arrest

October 8, 2019 2:47 pm

| 5 COMMENTS

| Crime | West Seattle news

Two West Seattle Crime Watch reports:

STOLEN PATHFINDER: The photo and report are from Paul:

My 2000 Pathfinder was stolen from in front of my house last night and I’m trying to get the word out. Pathfinder is black and the license reads ASL0042.

This happened near 14th/Roxbury. If you see it, call 911.

PACKAGE THIEF NABBED: We heard some of this play out over police radio yesterday. Hadn’t had time today to request the report, but it’s just turned up on SPD Blotter:

Officers arrested a 24-year-old man on Monday moments after he stole a brand-new soccer goal off the porch of a West Seattle home.

Around 2:15 PM, patrol officers spotted a man carrying a strange assortment of items — a sealed cardboard box, a gas can, a baby carrier and a metal chair — near the 2100 block of SW Roxbury Street.

The man disappeared around a corner, and when officers caught up to him he was no longer carrying the cardboard box but had loaded the other items into a shopping cart.

Officers contacted the man, who said he’d tossed the package over a nearby fence. As police were speaking with the man, they received notification from SPD’s 911 center that the resident of a home a few blocks away had just reported a package theft, which was captured on a porch surveillance camera.

Officers located the stolen package and arrested the 24-year-old for package theft. He struggled with officers during his arrest but was eventually taken into custody. Police found he was wanted on several warrants for theft.

Police returned the stolen package — the soccer goal – to the home where it had been taken.

The suspect remains in the King County Jail.

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UPDATE: Another West Seattle Bridge crash: 2 cars, westbound

October 8, 2019 1:32 pm

| 3 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

1:32 PM: Even as crews continue repairing the jersey barrier damaged by this morning’s dump truck crash, there’s a new collision on the WB bridge, a bit east of the earlier crash. Two vehicles reported involved. The dispatch was briefly upgraded to a rescue response but the driver who was believed trapped “got out on her own.”

1:52 PM: SFD has cleared the scene but as this crash also involved a barrier impact, cameras show the inside lane blocked in both directions right now.

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6 for the rest of your West Seattle Tuesday

October 8, 2019 12:13 pm

| 2 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

(Monday night sunset, photographed by James Bratsanos)

Half a dozen highlights for the rest of your Tuesday …

PRESCHOOL OPEN HOUSE: Half-day West Seattle YMCA (WSB sponsor) preschool open house, 1:30-2:30 pm at Hallows Church. (3420 SW Cloverdale)

PLAY ULTIMATE: 6 pm at Fairmount Playfield, all welcome. (5400 Fauntleroy Way SW)

ADMIRAL CHURCH REDEVELOPMENT: 7 pm tonight is the church’s “town hall” for community members to hear about redevelopment plans, as previewed here. All welcome. (4320 SW Hill)

FAUNTLEROY COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION: Board meeting, community members welcome, 7 pm at Fauntleroy Schoolhouse. (9131 California SW)

GET JAZZY: Jazz Open Mic at The Skylark, 8 pm. (3803 Delridge Way SW)

OPEN MIC: 9 pm at Parliament Tavern. 21+. (4210 SW Admiral Way)

LOTS MORE! See for yourself via our complete calendar.

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UPDATE: Dump truck crashes into West Seattle Bridge jersey barrier

October 8, 2019 8:40 am

| 97 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

(SDOT camera image)

8:40 AM: We started coverage of this in the morning traffic roundup but it’ll be a mess for a while so we’re breaking it out: That dump-truck wreck on the West Seattle Bridge has the westbound side closed at Delridge and is blocking lanes on the eastbound side too.

8:43 AM: The westbound bridge closure is now expanding even further, according to scanner traffic.

(Reader photo)

8:55 AM: Thanks for all the photos (and the original tips, too, when this all started half an hour ago).

(Reader photo)

Radio communication indicates SPD is now closing the bridge BOTH WAYS.

9:04 AM: SDOT confirms “West Seattle Bridge is fully closed in both directions between Fauntleroy Way SW and I-5.”

9:17 AM: Per radio communication, the bridge will reopen both ways “up to the scene of the collision.” … But that may be on hold for a bit while they empty the truck’s fuel tanks.

9:36 AM: Here’s the current view looking EB – westbound lanes open but jammed, eastbound still empty.

(SDOT camera image)

Our page with the latest traffic-cam views around the area is here.

9:40 AM: Just heard back from SFD. No injuries reported in this crash.

9:52 AM: Cameras show some eastbound traffic now on the bridge, and cleanup work continuing at scene of crash (which happened about an hour and a half ago).

(SDOT camera image)

Per radio communication, one complicating factor right now is diesel fuel in the eastbound lanes at the scene.

(Reader photo)

10:33 AM: Two lanes are now open eastbound per radio communication; WB is still being detoured off at Delridge.

10:48 AM: To see exactly what’s happening now, east-facing view here, west-facing view here.

NOON: Camera shows westbound now open past Delridge. (SDOT confirms, but not ALL lanes yet.)

12:36 PM: From Metro – “routes 50, 120, 125 and RapidRide C Line have resumed regular service along the West Seattle Bridge.”

1 PM: And now – “a collision on the SW Admiral Way Off Ramp from West Seattle Bridge WB” as tweeted by SDOT.

1:23 PM: Now that’s been upgraded to a “rescue extrication” response so we’re breaking it out (story here).

2:10 PM: The repair crew has finally cleared the dump-truck crash scene but the inside lane remains coned off there – we noted this just before SDOT turned the camera the other way.

4:17 PM: We had asked SPD if anyone was cited. So far, no. That and some other new details just emerged in this SPD Blotter post; contrary to what SFD told us, SPD said the driver did suffer minor injuries, and also says debris from the crash damaged two other vehicles.

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TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: Tuesday watch

October 8, 2019 7:15 am

| 26 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

(SDOT MAP with travel times/ Is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE/ West Seattle-relevant traffic cams HERE)

7:15 AM: Good morning! If you use Airport Way, note that police have shut it down just south of the West Seattle Bridge because of a crash.

TRANSIT NOTE: From Metro:

Beginning Wednesday, October 9 and until further notice, Metro routes 21 Express, 21 Local, 50, 55, 773 West Seattle Water Taxi Shuttle and the RapidRide C Line will not serve stop #22820 northbound on 35th Av SW just south of SW Avalon Way, due to construction.

During this time, riders may board or exit routes 21 Express and Local, 55 and the RapidRide C Line heading toward downtown Seattle, Route 50 to Othello Station and Route 773 Water Taxi Shuttle to Seacrest Marina at the temporary stop eastbound on SW Avalon Way just east of 35th Av SW.

7:28 AM: SPD confirms the Airport Way crash has killed at least one person, so that scene will be closed for quite a while.

8:25 AM: Bridge crash involving a dump truck, multiple lanes blocked. Westbound truck went into the jersey barrier. Photo from Jonathan: