day : 05/11/2019 12 results

8:15 PM: The first results are in and for Seattle City Council District 1 (West Seattle/South Park), and incumbent Lisa Herbold is ahead of challenger Phil Tavel 51.2% (9,144) to 48.3% (8,614). We’re at both parties. More to come, including video from both speeches. (added) Both were ebullient. Herbold seemed confident she’ll stay in the lead. Here’s the second half of her speech (full clip shortly):

Tavel was confident he’ll pull out a win – lauding a “people-powered campaign” and declaring, “We’re gonna win this for West Seattle”:

Four years ago, Herbold’s opponent Shannon Braddock was six points ahead on Election Night, but Herbold eventually won – by 39 votes. Her party tonight included other elected officials present and past, including U.S. Rep. Pramila Jayapal and former Councilmember Nick Licata, for whom Herbold worked before her election in 2015:

Tavel’s party included many of the local businesspeople who supported his run:

8:50 PM: As for the other council races – in District 2, Tammy Morales has 56%, in closely watched District 3, Egan Orion has 54% to incumbent Kshama Sawant‘s 46%, in District 4, Alex Pedersen is ahead with 57%, in District 5, incumbent Debora Juarez is ahead with 57%, in District 6, Dan Strauss is ahead with 52&, and in District 7, Jim Pugel is leading, 50.3%.

NEXT COUNT: Wednesday afternoon, around 4 pm. (Note that many ballots remain to be counted – in this district alone, 24,528 ballots had been received in time to make the 6 pm count, but the results announced at 8:15 pm only included 18,558.)

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ELECTION 2019: Ballot measures

November 5, 2019 8:11 pm

| 42 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | West Seattle politics

Tonight’s election also includes two statewide ballot measures and one for King County.

INITIATIVE 976 (car-tab taxes) – Results here

Update: 11:16 pm
Yes – 545,827 – 55.59%
No – 436,083 44.41%

REFERENDUM 88 (affirmative action) – Results here

(Update – 11:16 pm)
Yes – 461,367 – 48.55%
No – 489,017 – 51.45%

KING COUNTY PROP 1 (Medic One levy) – Results here (PDF)

Yes – 239,003 – 79.11 %
No – 63,123 – 20.89 %

(Looking for the other statewide measures? Results here.)

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ELECTION 2019: Other races – County Council, School Board, Port Commission

November 5, 2019 8:10 pm

| 1 COMMENT

| West Seattle news | West Seattle politics

The City Council races got almost all the attention, but they weren’t the only ones on the ballot. Also of note (full results here):

KING COUNTY COUNCIL DISTRICT 8 (includes West Seattle, White Center, Vashon/Maury Islands)
Joe McDermott* – 27,404 – 82.13 %
Michael Robert Neher – 5,787 – 17.34 %

(Leslie Harris, photographed at Lisa Herbold’s election-night party)

SEATTLE SCHOOL BOARD DISTRICT 6 (includes West Seattle and most of South Park)
Leslie Harris* – 66,441 – 65.70 %
Molly Mitchell – 34,110 33.73 %

SEATTLE SCHOOL BOARD DISTRICT 1
Liza Rankin – 52,494 – 51.14 %
Eric Blumhagen – 49,639 – 48.36 %

SEATTLE SCHOOL BOARD DISTRICT 5
Chandra Hampson – 66,563 – 65.53 %
Rebeca Muñiz – 34,436 33.90 %

SEATTLE PORT COMMISSION POSITION 3
Sam Cho – 151,037 – 56.76 %
Grant Degginger – 113,559 – 42.68 %

SEATTLE PORT COMMISSION POSITION 5
Fred Felleman* – 180,337 – 69.16 %
Garth Jacobson – 79,377 – 30.44 %

10:03 PM: Updated above with full numbers/percentages from tonight’s results; next update will be in the King County Elections count around 4 pm Wednesday.

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PARKING: West Seattle Junction RPZ signs about to go up

November 5, 2019 6:25 pm

| 24 COMMENTS

| Transportation | West Seattle news

Back in September, SDOT said the signage for the new Restricted Parking Zone (RPZ) in the West Seattle Junction would go up “in the first two weeks of November.” So now that we’re halfway through the first week, asked a reader, what’s the plan? We took the question to SDOT today. The reply via spokesperson Dawn Schellenberg: Installation will start “as soon as tomorrow.” (Please let us know if/when you see the crews/signs!) People who live on the RPZ-signed blocks can buy permits for exemption from the new restrictions – but the permits do not guarantee parking, they just guarantee that the restrictions don’t apply to you if you find a space. If you live in the area, you should have received mail from the city explaining how to get a permit

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BIZNOTE: Family-owned Wyatt’s Jewelers in Westwood Village is changing families

November 5, 2019 4:26 pm

| 4 COMMENTS

| West Seattle businesses | West Seattle news | Westwood

Family-owned Wyatt’s Jewelers (WSB sponsor) in Westwood Village has a new family in charge.

After 15 years, Joni and Kirk Keppler (above center/right) have sold their shop to Lauren Wiggins (above left) and her husband Tyler.

Kirk explains:

Joni and I have loved being a part of the greater West Seattle community – and honored to have been a part of literally 10,000 people’s celebrations and special moments. But after 15 years, it’s time for new adventures!

Lauren and her husband Tyler will be a perfect fit for West Seattle. Lauren comes from the Estate Jewelry world and she along with her two pugs will be wonderful caretakers of Wyatt’s Jewelers.

We met the pugs:

Kirk continues:

We are also thrilled that Lauren and Tyler will continue Wyatt’s Jewelers’ presence in the community and involvement with charity. Especially our tradition of changing watch batteries for a donation, primarily White Center Food Bank and WestSide Baby.

Lauren says that tradition “is dear to her heart.” She also has some backstory to share:

My father gave me my first opal ring when I was 12, and I cherished it, but that wasn’t the beginning. I have loved jewelry since I was little. It’s my passion to help people find just the right piece for them. The piece that invokes that special feeling, that creates that memory, that means something special.

I am so fortunate to have met Kirk and Joni. They have built this business from scratch that has turned into something so amazing for both them and the community. My husband and I are so honored to be a part of this community, and look forward to taking over the legacy of Wyatt’s.

She told us the name will stay the same (one of the Kepplers’ sons is the namesake). Wyatt’s Jewelers is in the heart of Westwood Village, open Tuesdays-Saturdays 10 am-6 pm.

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Fauntleroy Creek Salmon Watch 2019 is over. Here’s how many coho showed up

November 5, 2019 2:11 pm

| 5 COMMENTS

| Fauntleroy | West Seattle news | Wildlife

(Photo by Judy Pickens)

By Judy Pickens
Special to West Seattle Blog

Salmon Watch 2019 on Fauntleroy Creek closed Monday with a total of 19 coho spawners. A fish found October 17 amongst beach logs died at the creek mouth. The first live fish made its way into the spawning reach on October 21 – a day after the annual drumming to call them in.

Later that week, volunteer watchers spotted 30 robust fish schooling near the creek mouth, due south of the ferry pier in Fauntleroy Cove. At the same time, creek neighbor Mike Dey spotted sea grass choking the reach-to-the-beach channel and asked State Fish and Wildlife to assess the potential barrier. The agency secured the property owner’s permission for the Fauntleroy Watershed Council to remove it and the council called on Garden Cycles to do the job.

(Photo by Kersti Muul)

Prompted by the dead fish trapped by logs on his section of beach, Chuck Sawyer shifted them so they would no longer be a barrier for incoming spawners.

The 3-6 lb. fish came in daily until the last arrived on October 27. Only one pair are thought to have spawned and volunteers will monitor that location in mid winter to see if “home hatch” fry emerge from the gravel. The tally of 19 is one more than last year.

Visitors during this “silver anniversary” of spawning on the creek included 27 students from Taproot School, 67 people of all ages during an October 25 “open creek,” and another 31 area residents on other days.

“In my opinion, everyone who saw these spawners have a remarkable emergency effort to thank,” said long-time watcher Dennis Hinton. “From the watcher who saw spawners in distress to the team from Garden Cycles who dropped what they were doing to weed the channel and to the donors that made paying the bill possible from our stewardship fund, it came together like clockwork.”

Next up will be January delivery of eyed coho eggs from the Soos Creek Hatchery to West Seattle schools in the Salmon in the Schools program, for release as fry in May.

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WEST SEATTLE CRIME WATCH: Charcoal Mazda6 stolen

November 5, 2019 12:46 pm

| Comments Off on WEST SEATTLE CRIME WATCH: Charcoal Mazda6 stolen

| Crime | West Seattle news

From Carolyn:

My son’s car was stolen from our gated parking garage at our apartment Sunday night south of The Junction near RiteAid on Sunday night or early Monday morning. It is a charcoal 2016 MAZDA6 iSport. License plate: BAY 5124. A police report has been filed. Please keep your eyes out for it. Hope to get it back soon!!

Call 911 if you see it.

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UPDATE: You might need to check to see if overnight West Seattle water-system problem affected you

November 5, 2019 11:02 am

| 19 COMMENTS

| Utilities | West Seattle news

11:02 AM: Seattle Public Utilities confirms a problem we learned about through a reader tip – an overnight water-pressure problem. Here’s their response to our inquiry:

A pressure-reducing valve in the drinking-water system malfunctioned late Monday night, causing a small number of Seattle Public Utilities customers in West Seattle to experience higher water pressure than normal.

SPU is asking customers along Alki Ave SW and Beach Dr SW between Admiral and Lincoln Park to check their water heaters for water overflow. If it looks like leakage has occurred, please call SPU at 206-386-1800.

Without hearing directly from residents, we don’t know for sure if these are related, but the log for Seattle Fire (which often provides emergency response to water-overflow problems) shows two early morning “water job” calls, in Alki and Fauntleroy.

ADDED 4:05 PM: It’s been pointed out that there are other calls logged for last night – here’s the SFD log, showing another “water job” plus three automatic Alki/Harbor Avenue fire-alarm calls (which can be triggered by water-pressure changes).

ADDED 5:53 PM: We asked SPU a followup question about damage compensation. The official reply:

Seattle Public Utilities is working with customers in West Seattle affected by the valve malfunction Monday evening on next steps like filing claims. Customers can find out information about filing a claim on the City’s website.

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Southwest Lacrosse Club: Welcome, new West Seattle Blog sponsor!

November 5, 2019 10:21 am

| 8 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | WS & Sports

Today we welcome the Southwest Lacrosse Club as a new WSB sponsor. Here’s what the Titans would like you to know:

Founded in 2008, .the Southwest Lacrosse Club is dedicated to the promotion, organization and development of lacrosse in the south end. Our mission is to teach lacrosse fundamentals and good sportsmanship, while emphasizing the importance of discipline, teamwork, and physical fitness. Players of all skill levels have the opportunity to develop their game, and we will prepare each athlete for the next level of play.

Lacrosse is one of the world’s oldest sports, with its roots coming from indigenous peoples of North America, including what’s now the Northeast U.S. and Southeast Canada. It is now the fastest-growing youth sport in the U.S. Lacrosse is a mashup of hockey, soccer, and football. It’s fast, dynamic, physical, and exciting to watch. For athletes playing soccer or football in the Fall, Lacrosse is the perfect complementary Spring sport. The Southwest Lacrosse Club serves the general areas of West Seattle, Burien, Normandy Park, Seatac, Des Moines, Tukwila, Renton, and Federal Way. Here’s a breakdown of the upcoming season:

Season: March – May 2020.

Grades, fees, practices, games:

K-2 – $80 – Practice Sundays in April/May

3/4 – $175 – 2x/week – Weekends

5/6 – $275 – 2x/week – Weekends

7/8 – $325 – 2x/week – Weekends

HS – $450 – 2-3x/week – 2x/week

Early-registration discount is available through November 15th.

1. Register with US Lacrosse ($30)

2. Register with Southwest Lacrosse Club

3. Enjoy the season! – pre-season practices begin in February.

We thank the Southwest Lacrosse Club for sponsoring independent, community-collaborative neighborhood news via WSB; find our current sponsor team listed in directory format here, and find info on joining the team by going here.

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Today’s highlights, featuring Election Day and the return of #TurkeyTuesday

November 5, 2019 9:45 am

| 25 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

It’s Election Day – the voting ends tonight and the vote-counting begins. We found three candidates signwaving in the fog around 8 am at the 35th/Fauntleroy entrance to the West Seattle Bridge. West to east:

WHAT’S ON THE BALLOT: Doing last-minute research? All the links are here. If you want one last look/listen in the City Council District 1, find all our coverage archived here.

VOTING DEADLINE: 8 pm tonight if you’re using a King County Elections dropbox; earlier if you’re using postal mail – you need to be sure your ballot gets postmarked with today’s date. No stamp necessary. If you need voting assistance, the county vote centers are open until 8 pm.

ELECTION RESULTS: As usual, there will be one set of results released, expected somewhere in the 8:05-8:15 pm vicinity. After that, weekday afternoon updates until everything’s counted.

ELECTION NIGHT PARTIES: So far we know of three – same three candidates we found out signwaving – Herbold at Great American Diner/Bar (4752 California SW), Tavel at Talarico’s (4728 California SW), McDermott at Pizzeria 22 (4213 SW College). Any others? westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!

Other highlights after this #TurkeyTuesday photo of The West Seattle Turkey, now in our area for 6_ months:

The photo is from Lauren, who explains, “Realized I haven’t seen any turkey photos on the blog lately. Probably because the turkey spends about 1/2 her time in my backyard. She is kind of like that friend your teenager has: they’re over all the time, eats all your food – and you’re kind of annoyed by it, but you know they don’t have a great home life, so you just roll with it, and now they’re an honorary member of your family. That’s the West Seattle Turkey for us.” Now, on to the non-election highlights:

BABY STORY TIME X 2: Two options for you and your up-to-1-year-old: 10:30 am at Southwest Library (9010 35th SW) and West Seattle (Admiral) Library (2306 42nd SW).

DREAM DINNERS OPEN HOUSE: 6 pm-8 pm, sample the holiday menu, meet the new owners, and – if you are new to Dream Dinners (WSB sponsor) – assemble a free dinner to take home. RSVP – the info’s in our calendar listing. (4701 41st SW)

UNDOING RACISM & TEACHING EQUITY TO CHILDREN: 6-8:30 pm workshop at Alki Elementary, led by Families of Color Seattle. All welcome – RSVP info is in our calendar listing. (3010 59th SW)

PAWS ON PATROL: 6:30 pm at the Southwest Precinct, dog owners and their well-behaved pups are welcome at this second training meeting for the new SPD program encouraging them to be on the lookout for crime/safety issues while out walking. (2300 SW Webster)

WEST SEATTLE BIKE CONNECTIONS: 6:30 pm at Neighborhood House High Point, monthly meeting. (6400 Sylvan Way SW)

SOCCER: 7 pm at Southwest Athletic Complex, West Seattle High School plays Roosevelt for third place in the Metro League and a spot at the state tournament. (2801 SW Thistle)

SEE ALL THE LISTINGS: Browse our complete calendar here.

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YOU CAN HELP: Community fundraising for murdered South Park man

November 5, 2019 9:00 am

| 1 COMMENT

| Crime | How to help | South Park | West Seattle news

Early Sunday, someone fired a gun outside a home in South Park. A man in his 50s who had lived there for 19 years was hit and killed. He lived there with his wife, daughter, son, and 13-year-old grandson. Your South Park neighbors are circulating word of crowdfunding to help the family. If you would consider helping, the page is here.

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