West Seattle, Washington
02 Saturday
(Saturday photo from Molly)
Two new photos of The West Seattle Turkey have come in – thank you! – so today’s highlight list brings back #TurkeyTuesday! (If you’re new, The Turkey first turned up in West Seattle in April and relatively quickly settled in the general southeast Admiral area, from which both of today’s photos hail.) Now, on with the highlights, from the WSB West Seattle Holiday Guide and Event Calendar:
HOLIDAY LUNCH: Senior Center of West Seattle‘s free holiday luncheon. 11:30 am. Call to see if there’s room – our calendar listing explains how, and has other details. (4217 SW Oregon)
RESTAURANT SUCCESS: If you’re thinking about starting a food truck, café, or restaurant, this informational event at Delridge Library could help. 3-4:30 pm. (5423 Delridge Way SW)
SANISLO ELEMENTARY DINE-OUT AND TALENT SHOW: 5-8 pm at Great American Diner, percentage of the proceeds benefit Sanislo. (4752 California SW)
(Monday photo from Betty)
COLLEGE FAIR: Future college student in the family? Learn about schools, financial aid, more at this free public event tonight at West Seattle High School, 6-8 pm. (3000 California SW)
HOLIDAY CONCERT: West Seattle Community Orchestras‘ Debut & Concert Orchestras in concert – program details here – 6 pm at Chief Sealth International High School Auditorium. Admission is FREE; donations appreciated! (2600 SW Thistle)
STUDENT CONCERT: First of three winter concerts at Madison Middle School, 7 pm. (3429 45th SW)
ORCA UPDATE: The Whale Trail‘s winter gathering at C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor) starts at 7 tonight – details in our preview. (5612 California SW)
SINGER-SONGWRITER CONTEST: 7 pm at Pacific Room on Alki (WSB sponsor), come watch the contenders! No cover. All ages. (2808 Alki SW)
OPEN MIC: Take your talent to Parliament Tavern tonight, 9 pm. 21+. (4210 SW Admiral Way)
MORE! … check the WSB West Seattle Holiday Guide and Event Calendar.
We’re now one week from winter solstice, eight days from the start of Hanukkah, two weeks until Christmas Eve, three weeks until New Year’s Eve. So another reminder – please keep sending listings for the WSB West Seattle Holiday Guide, which is a living document, with frequent additions as info comes in and deletions after events are over, all the way through January 1st. It includes holiday-season performances, church/synagogue services, shopping events, donation drives, New Year’s Eve bar/restaurant parties, and much more – no fancy “press releases” or flyers required for a listing, just send us the basic what/where/when/who info, westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!
(SDOT MAP with travel times/ Is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE/ West Seattle-relevant traffic cams HERE)
7:15 AM: Good morning. WSDOT says a crash on the 1st Ave. S. Bridge is blocking 1 NB lane.
FERRY ALERT: A medical emergency has delayed multiple Triangle Route sailings.
WEEKEND CLOSURE REMINDER: Remember – the 35th/Alaska intersection is scheduled to close this weekend for work, starting at 7 pm Friday.
7:28 AM: The 1st Ave. S. Bridge crash is cleared.
9:05 AM: Just dispatched, response for a crash on NB I-5 at the exit to I-90.
One of West Seattle’s play-area renovations is almost done – the one at E.C. Hughes (2805 SW Holden). Margaret emailed WSB to ask, “We are excited to see that the park looks very close to opening. Is there a grand opening planned?” As you can see in our view through the construction fence, the project indeed looks just about complete. So we took the question to Seattle Parks. The reply from spokesperson Karen O’Connor: “The project manager is working to get final items completed for this project and open to the public as soon as she can. The fencing will be down and play area open to the public by the end of the year. We will not be having a ribbon-cutting event.” The project was originally planned for construction last year; we first reported two years ago that citywide inspections following the discovery of termite damage at Lincoln Park South Play Area had discovered it at E.C. Hughes too. (As reported here last month, construction of Lincoln Park’s project has slid to next year.)
The week’s first announcement from Mayor Jenny Durkan heralded a nine-figure investment in “new, affordable rental homes.” The only West Seattle project on the list is one that’s been in the works a while, the Seattle Housing Authority‘s Lam Bow Apartments replacement project. The announcement and citywide list are here. The Lam Bow project (6955 Delridge Way SW) will replace both the building destroyed in a 2016 fire and the one left standing. The total 82 units to be built are up from 51 in the original complex. The cost of the project was estimated earlier this year at $35 million. Today’s announcement of citywide investments notes:
Funding sources for the Office of Housing investments include the 2016 voter-passed Seattle Housing Levy, incentive zoning and Mandatory Housing Affordability payments, $32 million in Real Estate Excise Taxes and over $13 million through retained sales taxes, made possible by changes in state law authorized by the 2019 Washington State Legislature and Seattle City Council.
A check of online files shows the Lam Bow project is still going through the city permit process.
As we continue featuring West Seattle Christmas lights nightly through the season, thanks to Sonia for the photo: “An annual favorite of ours.” It’s at 3431 48th SW (also featured previously – here’s a 2012 photo courtesy of the display’s creators, the McKean Family). We appreciate tips, with or without photos – here’s how to reach us. And here’s our archive of past featured lights.
One month ago today, the Highway 99 tunnel became a tolled roadway, after 7 months free of charge. Pre-tolling, local transportation authorities projected that up to 50 percent of would-be tunnel users would start avoiding it when tolling began. A few days in, they said the avoidance – officially known as “diversion” – was less than they had expected. Now they’ve crunched more numbers and report that trend contnues. The details are in this post on the WSDOT Blog today, which declares “tunnel usage remains high and exceeds forecasts”:
Prior to the start of tolling on Nov. 9, 2019, about 77,000 vehicles used the tunnel on average weekdays. Since tolling started, roughly 20,000 fewer vehicles are using the tunnel – about 26% less. This drop is less than the 35% to 50% predicted. However, the story is more nuanced. Peak travel volumes in the tunnel remain high. Mid-day volumes are lower, likely due to less crowding on city streets.
The WSDOT report goes into analysis of how travel time has been affected, including buses – among the sample routes mentioned, WSDOT says the 120 stayed the same in the morning, but took “less than 2 minutes longer” in the pm. Also mentioned: “Roughly 80% of vehicles in the tunnel are using either a Good To Go! pass or Pay By Plate.” (If you don’t, you get a bill by mail, sent to wherever your car is registered to.)
Dr. Claudine Kubesh, MD, is now practicing in West Seattle, and we’re welcoming her as a new WSB sponsor. Here’s what she would like you to know about what she does:
“I do both conventional medicine and functional medicine, which focuses on root-cause resolution. This combination addresses the whole health spectrum from optimal health to acute medical concerns. Finding the root cause of symptoms and optimizing the body’s ability to heal and be vibrant is empowering. This is medicine for your life.
“Most often I hear about Gastrointestinal symptoms, fatigue, sleep disturbances, hormone imbalances, and mood variability. We work on finding the root cause of their symptoms and optimizing their health. Most often I will hear, I feel better than I did 10 years ago. They feel healthier, more vibrant and empowered. That empowerment involves helping patients find the tools they need to improve their daily lives through a combination of wellness programs and health promotion.”
Dr. Kubesh‘s new office location is 4522 44th SW in West Seattle. For an appointment, call 206-557-4844 or email info@claudinekubesh.com.
We thank Dr. Claudine Kubesh, MD, 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.
You may know him mostly for his signal-box portraits, but West Seattle artist Desmond Hansen does a lot more – for example, commissioned murals like this one in progress today at the new Junction location of My Three Little Birds (4736 California SW; WSB sponsor). Proprietor Jennifer Young told us about the mural, so we went over for a photo. She moved the kids-stuff store to the new, larger location from Morgan Junction back in October.
Are you – or do you know – a homeless/at-risk veteran? Help is available at the Seattle Stand Down on the Georgetown campus of South Seattle College (WSB sponsor) later this week. The announcement:
Homeless and at-risk Veterans and their families will be offered a “hand up” at the ninth annual Seattle Stand Down on Thursday, Dec. 12 and Friday, Dec. 13, 2019 at the Georgetown Campus of South Seattle College (located at 6737 Corson Avenue South). The Seattle Stand Down is a one-stop shop for resources and services available to Veterans who currently lack permanent housing or simply need a “hand up” in order to prevent homelessness.
Representatives from local businesses, non-profits, educational institutions and all levels of government will be on hand with volunteers to provide medical screenings, eye exams, dental services, legal aid, employment opportunities, housing assistance, case management referrals, haircuts, personal hygiene items and meals. Providers offer services specifically for women Veterans including health care, advocacy, counseling, employment and personal care.
Services and resources will be provided on campus at several locations, including the Gene Colin Education Hall – Bldg C, 6737 Corson Avenue South. Parking passes will be made available to veterans receiving services.
The event is put on by The Seattle Stand Down, a volunteer team of veterans dedicated to supporting veterans experiencing homelessness.
There’s more info here, including transportation details – free transit as well as parking.
(WSB photo, Wednesday afternoon)
10:57 AM: We’ve confirmed that at least two suspects have been arrested in a recent series of armed business robberies, and that at least one remains in jail today, an 18-year-old held in lieu of $500,000 bail. His arrest traces back to last Wednesday’s stop of a stolen car near Roxhill Park (photo above), but he was not one of the four people taken into custody at the time. As a result of that stop, though, detectives developed information that led them to this suspect. Here’s how the preliminary probable-cause documents explain it:
The documents specifically mention a MetroPCS phone-store holdup earlier Wednesday afternoon in Burien, involving four masked robbers, one with a gun. Detectives who responded “were aware of an ongoing robbery series, which included the robbery of another MetroPCS store on November 30th” (this one in White Center) and a stolen gray 2014 Toyota Camry linked to some of the robberies, carjacked in Seatac on November 27th. But something else – not specified in these preliminary documents – led them to pull over the stolen black Toyota Prius at 30th/Cambridge. Not long thereafter, they found the Camry in High Point – we photographed it that night but couldn’t confirm its connection until now.
(WSB photo, Wednesday night)
The documents say police subsequently “found the cash register that was taken from the MetroPCS in Burien in the area …pried open (and) empty.” On Friday, detectives spotted the 18-year-old suspect at 27th/Trenton and followed him to Southwest Athletic Complex, where they arrested him. The court documents say they found an unloaded gun in his pocket, and that he’s a convicted felon so should not have been armed. The report indicates it was a theft conviction and that law enforcement would object to his release (a standard yes/no question on these documents) because “(the suspect) and associates have been on a robbery spree for the past few weeks. The robbery crew has been armed and physically assaulted victims.” Meantime, SPD has just confirmed to WSB that last Friday’s SWAT-involved arrest in High Point involved a juvenile suspect in the spree:
(WSB photo, Friday afternoon)
That unfolded not far from where the Camry was found Wednesday night. SPD says they’ll have more info on all this later today; we’ll update when it’s available.
ADDED 12:14 PM: Here’s what’s now on SPD Blotter. Additional details: The suspect arrested in High Point is 17; the spree involved “approximately a dozen armed robberies in West Seattle, Ballard, Sea-Tac, Burien and White Center over the past several weeks”; and they’re still expecting to arrest others.
ADDED 3:55 PM: We’ve just obtained the probable-cause documents related to the 17-year-old suspect. They say he confessed to eight armed robberies. The ones for which he is being held include the phone-store robberies, a shoplift-turned-robbery at Roxbury Safeway on November 29th, and two robberies we’ve previously reported on – the Lucky 5 holdup at 35th/Henderson on December 1st and an alley holdup in The Junction (which was followed up, police say, by the robbers returning to steal the victim’s car). The documents also say the 17-year-old was found, when arrested, to have a gun, and as was the case with the 18-year-old, that was illegal because he too has a felony record – two robbery convictions. (added) On second reading of the documents, we note the 17-year-old was also reported to have confessed to “various thefts of cash registers, packages from the porch of a residence, as well as liquor from grocery stores.”
(Black Turnstone, photographed by Mark Wangerin)
From the WSB West Seattle Holiday Guide and year-round Event Calendar:
AGING WELL: Discuss! With a facilitated 1 pm group at the Senior Center of West Seattle. (4217 SW Oregon)
FAMILY STORY TIME: 6:30 pm at High Point Library. (3411 SW Raymond)
2 EVENING BOOK GROUPS: Both tonight, 6:45 pm:
*Southwest Library (9010 35th SW), discussing “The Uncommon Reader” by Alan Bennett
*West Seattle Library (2306 42nd SW), discussing “House of Mirth” by Edith Wharton
CONCERT: Christmas Festival Concert at Holy Rosary, 7 pm, doors open 6:30 pm: “Seattle Christian School will present its annual Christmas choral concert.” Free-will offering. (42nd/Genesee)
3 TRIVIA/QUIZ NIGHTS: Here are your Monday night options:
*Best of Hands Barrelhouse (7500 35th SW), 7 pm, $2/person, 21+
*The Skylark (3803 Delridge Way SW), 7:30 pm, free, all ages
*Parliament Tavern (4210 SW Oregon), 8 pm, $2/person, 21+
SEE THE FUTURE … by browsing the WSB West Seattle Holiday Guide and year-round Event Calendar!
(SDOT MAP with travel times/ Is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE/ West Seattle-relevant traffic cams HERE)
6:59 AM: Good morning. So far, no alerts or incidents.
BRIDGE OPEN/CLOSED LINK WORKING AGAIN: The @SDOTBridges Twitter link we use above for “bridge open or closed?” info is working again; it was down for a week and a half.
WEEKEND CLOSURE REMINDER: We’ll be reminding you daily this week that the 35th/Alaska intersection is scheduled to close this weekend for work, starting at 7 pm Friday.
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
The location of Sound Transit‘s future Delridge light-rail station – first stop after the future extension crosses the Duwamish River – won’t be finalized until 2022, but planning it starts now.
That’s what ST reps said as they convened another West Seattle “neighborhood forum” on Saturday, focused specifically on the Delridge station. But it wasn’t as much of a planning exercise as a chance for the ~40 participants to acquaint ST reps with where they go in the neighborhood and how they get there.
After an open-house-style chance to wander the Delridge Community Center gym, looking at maps and bullet points on easels, it was time for the update, via this slide deck projected onto the gym’s concrete-block wall:
four project-team reps tag-teamed the presentation, starting with Dennis Sandstrom recapping the process.
Stephen Mak reviewed the routing/station locations currently being studied, including the Yancy/Andover option recently added. Then Alisa Swank went into details of what the current environmental review is about, working first toward a Draft Environmental Impact Statement. That’s expected to be made public in early 2021 – pushed back from the original “late 2020,” as was warned in the recent round of adding alternatives to be studied.
(King County Assessor’s Office photo of current building at 4401 42nd SW)
The formal application for 4401 42nd SW – described as “a 5-story apartment building with 72 small efficiency dwelling units and 5 live-work units,” plus 36 offstreet-parking spaces – has been filed, and that opens a new comment period. This notice (PDF) explains how to comment, with a deadline of December 18th. This is a general comment period; there will also be another chance for input, but only regarding its design, when the project goes back before the Southwest Design Review Board, date TBA. Here’s our report on that board’s first look at the project back in September. The building would replace a West Seattle Christian Church-owned building, with past uses including a school and artist studios, on the southwest corner of 42nd/Genesee, across from Holy Rosary Catholic Church.
As we do most years, we are continuing to feature West Seattle Christmas lights as we see them or hear about them. Spotted this display on the west side of the 6000 block of 42nd SW – the peace sign and Santa holding up lights are nice touches. Got something to suggest? Let us know! See what we’ve shown (in previous years, too) by scrolling through this WSB archive.
The photo and report are from Rosalie:
While we were driving home last night at 5:45 pm on SW Manning Street at 36th Avenue SW, a red Toyota vehicle heading south on 36th, ran a stop sign and hit the right front side of our car. The Toyota left the scene headed west on SW Manning, then south on Belvidere Ave. A police report was filed. If anyone has a video surveillance system that possibly recorded the vehicle anywhere on 36th, Manning or Belvidere, we’d greatly appreciate that you contact the SW Precinct at 206-625-5011.
If you can help, refer to case # 19-453333.
That’s one of many dug-up planting strips we’ve noticed lately. You might have caught crows in the act of doing the digging; one reader asked us recently why they were “tilling.” By chance, we found the answer while covering this month’s North Highline Unincorporated Area Council meeting for our smaller site White Center Now. Marta Olson from the King County Noxious Weed Program was asked about it while talking to NHUAC about an unrelated topic. The crows are after “chafer beetles,” she explained, describing those bugs as invasive non-natives that have been spreading after first turning up near Sea-Tac. We hadn’t heard that before, so we’ve been researching. Here’s some scholarly info from just north of the border. The basic explanation is that the beetle’s larvae love grass roots, and crows – among others – find the larvae irresistibly delicious.
Next Saturday, 10 am-1 pm, women of all ages are invited to the next free personal-safety class at the Southwest Precinct (2300 SW Webster). It’s not self-defense training – it’s a lecture/faciltated discussion, led by female SPD officers. From the reminder sent by the precinct’s Crime-Prevention Coordinator Jennifer Danner:
Our class goals:
-Know the important role your instincts and gut reactions play
-Discover potentially dangerous situations and how to avoid them
-Learn how to make a safety plan
-Decrease the odds of becoming a victim
It’s recommended for ages 14 and up. If you’re interested, RSVP here.
That’s the booth to look for at the south end of the Farmers’ Market, where the West Seattle Junction Hometown Holidays Cocoa and Coat Drive is headquartered. Generous folks had already filled the bin just half an hour into it – when we stopped by, the bin had been emptied once, and more donations had started to fill it again:
Bring gently used coat(s), scarves, and other keeping-warm clothing items before 2 pm – you’re helping the West Seattle Helpline and the neighbors it assists! You’ll be offered a hearty thanks as well as cocoa or coffee.
(Video by Troy Sterk – sea lions vocalizing off Lincoln Park)
From the WSB West Seattle Holiday Guide and Event Calendar:
SANTA PHOTOS: Find St. Nick at CAPERS, 9 am-noon, DIY photos with $20 suggested donation benefiting West Seattle Food Bank. (4525 California SW)
COAT & COCOA DRIVE: Gather up gently used coats, scarves, and other warm clothing you don’t need and bring it to the south end of the Farmers’ Market, 10 am-2 pm, and get cocoa while you’re dropping off your donation. Part of West Seattle Junction Hometown Holidays! (California/Alaska)
WEST SEATTLE FARMERS’ MARKET: Year-round in the street in The Junction, 10 am-2 pm. (California SW between SW Oregon and SW Alaska)
WREATH SALES: Pathfinder K-8 PTSA are selling handmade wreaths just south ofthe West Seattle Farmers Market on December 8th, and December 15th (10 am-2 pm). All proceeds support outdoor education. (California/Alaska)
TOYS FOR TOTS: Today’s the last day to bring new, unwrapped toy donations to your nearest fire station – as explained here.
HOLIDAY BOOK FAIR: At Westside Unitarian Universalist Congregation, 10 am-2 pm, in the Social Hall. All used books; free cider and treats! (7141 California SW)
SEATTLE SAMPLING TOUR: Three West Seattle artists are part of the Seattle Sampling open-studio tour, 10 am-5 pm. (Map and info here)
VIVA TOUR: Vashon Island Visual Artists have an open-studio tour continuing today too and are sponsoring WSB to get the word out. 10 am-4 pm – also next Saturday/Sunday. (Map and info here)
SANTA AT MY THREE LITTLE BIRDS: Free Santa photos at the new location of My Three Little Birds (WSB sponsor) in The Junction, 11 am-2 pm. (4736 California SW)
MAKERS MARKET: Happening at Tibbetts UMC (WSB sponsor) 11:30 am-1 pm Sunday, hand-sewn items, stocking stuffers, crafts, gift baskets, and baked goods available for sale. “Sip a hot beverage and enjoy Christmas cookies while you shop.” Proceeds benefit the West Seattle Helpline. (3940 41st SW)
AUTHOR SIGNING: Kim Seely at Paper Boat Booksellers, 1 pm. (6040 California SW)
MUSICAL BENEFIT FOR THE FOOD BANK: 3-5 pm at C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor), bring food/financial donations for the West Seattle Food Bank. All ages. (5612 California SW)
‘HEAD OVER HEELS’: ArtsWest (WSB sponsor) presents “Head Over Heels: The Musical,” 3 pm curtain. Directed by Mathew Wright. Tickets available here. (4711 California SW)
‘MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET’: Join Twelfth Night Productions this holiday season for “Miracle on 34th Street: A Live Radio Play.” 3 pm at Kenyon Hall. Buy your ticket(s) online at this Brown Paper Tickets link, or at the venue box office. (7904 35th SW)
HOLIDAY SINGALONG: “Songs of Christmas” at Admiral Congregational Church, 4 pm, “a free one-hour family concert and singalong, followed by Christmas cookies and cider.” (4320 SW Hill)
VERY EARLY CHRISTMAS EVE SERVICE: At 5 pm, St. John the Baptist Episcopal Church invites you to be part of a very early full Christmas Eve service that will be recorded on video for worldwide webcast, as previewed/explained here. (3050 California SW)
SUNDAY NIGHT SEAHAWKS: Looking for somewhere to watch the 5:20 pm game? Ounces (3809 Delridge Way SW) and Parliament Tavern (4210 SW Admiral Way) both invite you. Ounces is all ages, The Parliament is 21+.
THE ESOTERICS IN CONCERT: 8 pm at Holy Rosary – program and ticket info here. (42nd/Genesee)
SEE MORE … in the WSB West Seattle Holiday Guide and Event Calendar
(WSB photos)
They were making a list and checking it twice as honorary Santa helpers very early this morning – the Rotary Club of West Seattle and hundreds of volunteers, teaming up for the Rotary’s annual Children’s Shopping Spree.
It meant a very, very early start to the day for all involved, but smiles prevailed – here’s West Seattle Rotary president Dave Nichols:
The Rotarians and volunteers converge on Sears-Southcenter (the nearest one since the SODO closure five years ago) to await the arrival of kids from local schools chosen as this year’s recipients:
This year, five schools had students participating – Gatewood, Lafayette, Roxhill, and West Seattle Elementaries, and Pathfinder K-8.
The kids were accompanied by grownups to go shop for practical items like shoes.
But there’s always some fun too, and food:
This is one of the biggest projects every year for the West Seattle Rotary, which has been sponsoring the Children’s Shopping Spree for almost half a century!
(WSB photos/video)
Nowhere near freezing at tonight’s West Seattle Junction Hometown Holidays tree lighting, but it “snowed” anyway! That’s Junction Association executive director Lora Radford above with the proof. She got a shoutout tonight from Jack Menashe, founder of Menashe and Sons Jewelers (WSB sponsor), in his short speech before he and Santa Claus lit the tree:
He also expressed gratitude for the West Seattle community – with hundreds there to hear it. Here’s another angle, short version, just the lighting:
He was joined onstage not only by Santa, but also by wife Linda Menashe and some of their grandchildren:
Hometown Holidays festivities continue through Christmas Eve – tomorrow during the Farmers’ Market, it’s the Cocoa and Coat Drive – bring gently used coats and/or other warm-clothing items like scarves to the booth at the south end of the market, 10 am-2 pm Sunday.
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