West Seattle, Washington
31 Saturday
8:24 PM: The West Seattle High School boys weren’t going to let the season end with a string of defeats – so an intense home game tonight just ended with a big win over Interlake, 58-37. Next up: The Wildcats play Garfield, 8:30 pm Tuesday @ Ingraham. Full details and photos to come.
ADDED 10:55 PM: WSHS #3, senior Sage Nelson, led scoring with 18 points – one of four Wildcats with double-digit totals.
(WSB file photos from 2014 council hearing)
Six years after a City Council vote closed a bitter political chapter in West Seattle development history, the current council will consider a coda of sorts. It’s the official finalization (PDF) of the alley vacation required by The Whittaker (4755 Fauntleroy Way SW). An item on the council’s Introduction and Referral Calendar for the week ahead finalizes the vacation – the city’s relinquishing of the alley, for which the development paid what was considered fair market value, noted in the new document as $2.3 million. The council in April 2014 gave its approval to the vacation despite active opposition from then-Mayor Mike McGinn, who primarily objected to the plan for non-union Whole Foods Market (WSB sponsor) to be part of the development (citing other reasons too). A union-led campaign rallied local opposition, and eventually there was a showdown at council chambers downtown. The vacation was approved, and the new document shows that $2.3 million purchase was finalized about a year and a half now. This action is basically a technicality but will go through a committee vote first. SIDE NOTE: (corrected) Only one of the councilmembers serving now was on the council then (Kshama Sawant took office in January 2014).
We are now exactly two months from the IRS tax-return deadline. Southwest Precinct crime-prevention coordinator Jennifer Danner provides this advice on avoiding scams and fraud during tax season:
Tax season is in full swing and we often see an increase in tax fraud and various forms of scams during this time of year. In order to combat this, the SW Precinct would like to provide our community with some helpful prevention information about these scams, as well as the most effective way to report them! Subsets of the population are more vulnerable to these types of scams- but everyone can help protect themselves by keeping the following ten practical suggestions in mind, provided by the Federal Trade Commission:
Spot imposters – scammers will often try to disguise themselves as someone you trust (such as a government official, family member or charitable organization). Never send money or give our personal information in response to an unexpected request.
Do online searches – try typing in the company or product name into a search engine with key words like ‘review’, ‘complaint’ or ‘scam’. You can also look up phone numbers to check on their validity.
Do not believe caller ID and hang up on robocalls – technology makes it simple for scammers to fake a caller ID. If you receive a call asking for personal information or money, hang up. If you feel the caller is legitimate- try calling back a number, you know is genuine for that person or company. If you answer the phone and hear a recorded sales pitch, hang up and report this to the Federal Trade Commission and/or to local police. These calls are illegal and are often fake. Do not follow prompts, just hang up.
Do not pay upfront for a promise – scammers may try to ask you to pay up front for debt relief, loan offers, mortgage assistance or a job (such as handy work or lawn maintenance).
Consider how you pay – most credit cards have significant fraud protection built in, while other payment methods (such as wiring money through services like Western Union or MoneyGram) do not have these protections. Government offices and honest companies will not require you to use a risky payment method, keep this in mind when paying.
Talk to someone – scammers will often want you to make decisions in a hurry and may even threaten you. Before you give money or personal information, slow down, check out the story, do an online search and maybe even talk to an expert or friend about the request.
Be skeptical about free trials online – some companies will use free trials to sign you up for products and bill you each month until you cancel. Before you agree to a free trial, review the company’s cancelation policy and always check your monthly statements to review charges.
Don’t deposit a check and wire money back – banks must make funds from deposited checks available within days, but discovering a fraudulent check can take weeks. If a check you deposit turns out to be fake, you are responsible for repaying the bank.
Sign up for free scam alerts from the Federal Trade Commission at consumer.ftc.gov/scam-alerts – get the latest tips and advice about scams directly to your email.
For the past two tax seasons, scammers have been running a successful W-2 email phishing scam operation that has tricked major companies. Here’s how this scam works: criminals pose as top company executives and send emails to payroll professionals asking for copies of W-2 forms for all employees. This exposes employees’ names, addresses, Social Security numbers, and withholding information. The scammers then file bogus tax returns or sell the information to other criminals.Here’s how you can protect yourself during tax time:
Use a password-protected Wi-Fi connection when filing your taxes. Use a long and complex password, not just for your Wi-Fi but also for any accounts you’re using during the tax-filing process
Get your return via direct deposit. If you must receive a return check via mail, have it sent to a locked mailbox
Ask your tax preparer to use two-factor authentication to protect your documents and personal information
Use an encrypted USB drive to save sensitive tax documents
Never give information to anyone who contacts you by phone or online claiming to be from the IRS. The IRS will never contact you this way
Monitor your accounts and online identity for any signs that your identity has been stolen. For example, if you see a sudden, unexpected change in your credit scores, it could indicate your identity has been stolen
If you think you may be a victim of a scam, visit IRS Impersonation Scam Reporting.
Be alert to possible identity theft if you receive a notice from the Internal Revenue Service or learn from your tax professional that your identity has been compromised. If you receive a notice from the IRS and you suspect your identity has been used fraudulently, respond immediately by calling the number on the notice. If you did not receive a notice but believe you’ve been the victim of identity theft, contact the IRS Identity Protection Specialized Unit at 800-908-4490 right away so that they can take steps to secure your tax account and match your SSN or ITIN.
Does your commute home take you through SODO? On Thursday, March 5th, here’s a reason to stop – or detour:
The West Seattle Chamber of Commerce is proud to announce “Sip in SODO,” our newest event featuring a tasting of local wine varietals and culinary delights!
Join us on March 5, 2020 from 6 pm to 9 pm at SODO Urban Works (located at 3901 First Avenue South) where you are invited to SIP local wines, SAVOR petite entrees by local West Seattle restaurants, and confectioners as you STROLL through the shops of local vintners, distillers and eateries in this hidden gem in the SODO District.
Sip In SODO is the latest event produced by the Special Events Committee and Board of Directors of the West Seattle Chamber of Commerce. “We have made the commitment for 2020-2023 to include additional ways to reach out into our community and the greater Seattle area; expose new areas that may not be on everyone’s radar and show our friends, neighbors and colleagues all there is to offer right here in our backyard. SODO Urbanworks is an IDEAL venue to bring awareness to one of Seattle’s coolest hidden gems,” said West Seattle Chamber of Commerce CEO Julia Jordan.
Ticket price includes: 5 wine tickets and 5 food tickets for $75 general admission I $65 for chamber members and wine club members.
Additional taste tickets can be purchased at the event or online in advance through the chamber website wschamber.com
The Chamber is advertising the event on WSB to help get the word out. Here’s the direct link for tickets.
Thanks to Jim Borrow for that photo from Upper Alki. He explains:
It’s very difficult to capture this late winter phenomenon with a camera, but the outgoing tide after the 12.0 high at 9:16 a.m has cleaned the local beaches of much of the wood and debris (mostly wood) that has collected over the past year. There likely is an increased amount because of recent river flooding and landslides into the Sound have generated more debris than normal. This band of debris stretched out into Alki side of the mouth of Elliott Bay across our view from Alki Pt. toward Duwamish Head & the city front, gradually dissipating as it drifted to the NE. There have been higher tides, so the wind and wave conditions must have been just right to keep the debris in the water and pull it away from shore. Overall the drift lasted about 1.5-2 hours. Of course this is cyclical and the debris will be redistributed and elsewhere along the shoreline, with a new load deposited on our beaches.
Late last night, Chuck S. sent this photo of what it looked like on Friday along the Beach Drive shore:
Our friends at Beach Drive Blog have posted about this, saying they checked with state and county agencies, who also believe the debris is from recent inland flooding carrying it to Puget Sound.
(Pelagic Cormorant, photographed by Kersti Muul)
Holiday weekend, so it’s a bit quieter than usual:
FREE GROUP RUN: 8 am, meet at West Seattle Runner (WSB sponsor) and get moving! (2743 California SW)
FREE TAX HELP: 10 am-4:30 pm at Southwest Library – explained in our calendar listing. (9010 35th SW)
FAMILY READING TIME: 11 am at Paper Boat Booksellers. (6040 California SW)
ARTIST RECEPTION: 3 pm at Duwamish Longhouse, Native artist Pamela Čəlalákəm Bond is showcasing traditional winter-wear of Puget-Salish peoples. Meet the artist, see the exhibit, enjoy refreshments. (4705 W. Marginal Way SW)
BASKETBALL: West Seattle High School hosts Interlake for a must-win boys-basketball postseason game, 7 pm. (3000 Californa SW)
JOSEPHINE COUNTY: Live at Kenyon Hall, 7:30 pm: “Josephine County is a gathering of four powerful traditional musicians, sharing their expertise, knowledge, and enthusiasm for music ranging from the United States to French Canada to Ireland and back.” Ticket info in our calendar listing. (7904 35th SW)
EVAN FLORY-BARNES: Live at The Pacific Room on Alki (WSB sponsor), 8 pm. Cover info here. (2808 Alki SW)
AT THE SKYLARK: Atrocity Girl, MTR Project, Nurse Ratchett, 8 pm at The Skylark. $8 cover. 21+. (3803 Delridge Way SW)
THE SLAGS: Live at Parliament Tavern, 10 pm. 21+. (4210 SW Admiral Way)
SEE WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING … by browsing our complete calendar!
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