UPDATE: Abandoned building burns at 16th/Barton
9:56 PM: SFD is sendng a “full response” to 16th/Barton for a structure fire. It’s in what’s reported to be a vacant building. Updates to come.
(Added: Video by Nick Nielson)
10 PM: Firefighters report they’ve “knocked down” the fire. Avoid the area for a while.
(Added: Texted photo)
10:08 PM: SFD is using “derelict building” guidelines. Meantime, the overview photo added above shows this is the old building on the northwest corner – Google Street View shows it with addresses 9059 and 9061 16th SW.
(Added: Photo by Nick Nielson)
10:28 PM: City Light has arrived to shut down power to the building (which is a century old, according to property records). City records show a “notice of violation” was in progress after a recent complaint which said in part, “This vacant building is always full of garbage, rats, covered in graffiti, and poses a fire hazard.”
(Added: Photo by Michael Riedel)
10:50 PM: Sent to us by readers, this Ring security-camera clip shows the fire starting to show from the south side of the building just as someone walks out of one of the front (east-facing) doors.
11:44 PM: All but three SFD units have left the scene.
10:40 AM MONDAY: Still waiting for word of the cause, but we went over this morning for a look at the aftermath.
11:31 AM: From SFD spokesperson David Cuerpo: “Our fire investigators ruled it as undetermined because they were unable to enter the building due to safety concerns. Per procedure for undetermined fires, we have shared this information with SPD’s Arson and Bomb Squad for followup.”
From scrapped speed bumps to port plans @ HPAC’s September meeting
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
Changes in the traffic-safety plan for 16th SW were part of what HPAC – the community council for Highland Park, Riverview, and South Delridge – heard about at its September meeting.
This was HPAC’s first meeting after summer break, led by co-chairs Kay Kirkpatrick and Craig Rankin. Before the updates from SDOT, a port team presented an update:
TERMINAL 5 & PORT OF SEATTLE: From the Northwest Seaport Alliance and/or Port of Seattle, Lindsay Wolpa, Peaches Thomas, Steve Balaski, T-5 program manager Emma Del Vento, and Curtis Stahlecker were all at the meeting. Wolpa gave a presentation, starting with an overview of the NWSA (the ports of Seattle and Tacoma) – 3 million cargo containers each year, 58,000 jobs – then recapped the T-5 project toplines. Balaski explained what the port’s trying to do to help with the worldwide supply-chain jam:
They are “feverishly working” on how to address this, and how to keep their export clients’ goods flowing.
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FOLLOWUP: He did it! 17-year-old Herman Meyer’s ‘solo Ironman’ triathlon
As previewed here Friday, 17-year-old West Seattle High School senior Herman Meyer spent his Saturday swimming, biking, and running a “solo Ironman” triathlon. Family and friends posted as-it-happened updates and photos in the comment thread of the original report, but in case you weren’t following along, he finished in just over 16 and a half hours. Herman’s mom Katherine Meyer reported, “He started just after 8 am and finished strong at 12:40 am! He had to dig deep, and he did.” The day began with more than 2 miles of swimming off Alki:
Then 112 miles of bicycling (in loops around West Seattle):
And finally a marathon run:
That’s friend Riley Nachtrieb running with Herman, in a photo by Riley’s dad Erik Nachtrieb. In her preview of Herman’s “solo Ironman,’ published here Friday, Riley explained that Herman’s feat was simply out of personal motivation – “purely driven by his determination.”
WEST SEATTLE CRIME WATCH: Food truck stolen (update: found)
1:37 PM: The proprietors of the food truck Spice on Curve texted to say their other truck was stolen this morning from the Super 24 lot at Delridge/Findlay. (Updated: Here are two photos of the truck):
Plate # is C41589U. The theft happened just after 5:30 this morning. No police report # yet but call 911 if you see it. (And if you live nearby and have anything on your security camera, let us know and we can connect you with the truck owners.)
ADDED 3:12 PM: We now have the SPD incident number – 21-254257.
ADDED TUESDAY MORNING: The truck was found in South Park. But its owners say “they destroyed a lot (and) took the generator.”
WEST SEATTLE WEEKEND SCENE: West Side Artists studio tour, day 2
Not planning to spend the next few hours watching the Mariners, Storm, or Seahawks? Day 2 of the West Side Artists studio tour continues until 4 pm. We visited one stop Saturday; today, we have photos from another stop, sent by Kelly Lyles:
In addition to her work, she’s hosting artists Bill Gravengood and Rickie Wolfe. Even if you just drive by, there’s something to see.
She’s at 5029 26th SW. Here’s the full tour map – again, it’s free, self-guided, all stops have outdoor displays, and they’re open until 4 pm today.
POWER OUTAGE: Southeast West Seattle pocket back on
Around 1:30 am, power went out for more than 6,000 customers, mostly in North Highline and Burien, but including a pocket at the east end of the Roxbury corridor, mostly along Olson Place.
(Thanks to Collin for the screengrab)
Within about two hours, all but 40 customers were back on – but not the southeast West Seattle pocket. Seattle City Light says they’re finally back on after about 10 hours. We’ll be following up tomorrow on the outage’s ecact cause.
BIZNOTE: Fogue Gallery adds 2 more West Seattle artists
Something else you can do today – visit Fogue Gallery (WSB sponsor)(on Sundays, it’s open noon-5 pm). Fogue just announced the addition of two more local artistd:
Fogue™ Gallery West Seattle announces the addition of West Seattle locals Steffanie Lorig and Kevin Ducoing as permanent members of the Gallery. “Connecting local artists and art to our community enriches our environment and feeds the soul,” said Patti Curtis, Owner and Founder of Fogue™.
Steffanie Lorig has explored many different aspects of the creative arts—from painting to writing children’s books to designing brands to illustrating. She is an award-winning designer and founded social enterprise, Art with Heart, an organization dedicated to helping children in crisis through the power of creativity, helping over 155,000 children worldwide. Lorig has eleven books to her credit and outside her design and consulting business, and leads workshops that help individuals tap into their lost creative confidence.
For Kevin Ducoing, painting has always been his primary form of communication, as a child and into his adult life. Ducoing moved to Seattle in 1991, attended the Art Institute of Seattle, and was profoundly influenced by the teachings of Bill Cumming. Kevin paints mostly in acrylics, but also employs mediums such as charcoal, sand, and latex paint. He stretches his own canvases and adds a textural component to them with the application of wrinkled paper adhered to the surface, conveying additional depth to the painting’s story.
Fogue™ Gallery provides a community of artists over age 50 and patrons, of any age, to share, support and honor creativity. Providing a venue that showcases art that is relevant, powerful, and vibrant, expressing an ageless life. Fogue Artists are not just turning the page on cultural perceptions of aging; they are rewriting the book.
Fogue is at 4130 California SW, on the north edge of The Junction.
UPDATE: Car-on-side crash north of West Seattle Junction
1:22 AM: SPD and SFD are responding to what was dispatched as a car-on-side crash at California/Dakota. No word yet if anyone’s hurt.
1:26 AM: This is being upgraded to a “rescue extrication” response. Three people are reported to be inside the vehicle. California is blocked at Andover.
1:30 AM: The three people reported as trapped in the vehicle are all described as “alert and conscious.”
1:41 AM: Adding photos from WSB’s Katie Meyer at the scene. Firefighters are working to extricate the trapped people:
1:43 AM: “Patients extricated,” firefighters have just told dispatch.
10:30 AM: This is being investigated as DUI. Meantime, we’re still waiting to hear back from SFD on injuries.
1 PM: SFD spokesperson David Cuerpo tells WSB, “All three occupants were in stable condition and declined transportation to a hospital.”
One more reminder: Tuesday morning at 8 am, the 
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