West Seattle, Washington
09 Friday
We’ll admit, we don’t know when this mailbox reappeared – given that previous absences had lasted for months, we weren’t checking regularly. But just in case you hadn’t already noticed, the Westwood Village post office’s drive-up/ride-up mailbox is back, We reported August 29th that it was damaged and taped off; within a few days, it was removed. (The USPS never did respond to our questions about damage cause and repair plans.) Meantime, another mailbox mystery remains – we subsequently checked on the 63rd/Hinds streetcorner mailbox, which also disappeared recently; as of this morning, it hasn’t been replaced.
So long, summer! Autumn arrives at 12:21 pm. Thanks to Paul Weatherman for the sunrise photo above, and Don Brubeck for the view this morning in the other direction:
Here are highlights for the hours ahead:
TASTE OF WEST SEATTLE: Today is the third day of the weeklong dine-out benefit for the West Seattle Food Bank. 27 food/drink establishments are participating – some by donating a percentage of proceeds, some with specific menu items. The venue list and other info – be sure to get your “passport” if you haven’t already! – can be found here.
VACCINATION CLINIC: 1-6 pm, get vaccinated against COVID-19 at the White Center Library (1409 SW 107th).
BEER EVENT: Fresh Hop Week continues at Ounces (3809 Delridge Way SW), 4-10 pm.
WINE EVENT: “Exploring San Gimignano with Owen Kotler Selections” at Molly’s Bottle Shop (3278 California SW), 5-7 pm – details here.
AUTUMN EQUINOX SUNSET WATCH: Whether it’s cloudy or clear, join Alice Enevoldsen at Solstice Park (uphill from the tennis courts at 7400 Fauntleroy Way SW) at 6:30 pm for a masked/distanced sunset watch to welcome fall – details here.
HPAC: The community council for Highland Park, South Delridge, and Riverview meets online at 7 pm, with traffic and crime among the topics. Attendance info and agenda details are here.
6:02 AM: Good morning! Cloudy forecast today, with fall arriving at 12:21 pm.
ROAD WORK
26th SW & beyond – Northbound 26th SW remains closed between Roxbury and Barton’ King County expects the closure to shift to the southbound side within a few weeks.
25th SW & Barton – 25th is closed on the south side of this intersection – details here.
Delridge project – Major work is done, but “punch list” tasks contnue.
TRANSIT
Buses are on regular schedules today – except for the rerouting in RapidRise H Line work zones. Watch @kcmetrobus for word of canceled trips.
For ferries and water taxis, regular schedule today, but note that the Spirit of Kingston has replaced Doc Maynard on the West Seatte Water Taxi Run until further notice. Watch @wsferries for ferry updates.
BRIDGES AND DETOUR ROUTES
547th morning without the West Seattle Bridge. Here are views of other bridges and routes:
Low Bridge: Automated enforcement cameras remain in use; restrictions are in effect 5 am-9 pm daily – except weekends; the bridge is open to all until 8 am Saturday and Sunday mornings. (Access applications are available here for some categories of drivers.)
West Marginal Way at Highland Park Way:
Highland Park Way/Holden – The camera’s back, now pointed west:
The 5-way intersection (Spokane/West Marginal/Delridge/Chelan):
The 1st Avenue South Bridge (map):
For the South Park Bridge (map), here’s the nearest camera:
Are draw/swing bridges opening for boats or barges? The @SDOTBridges Twitter feed will tell you. (1st Ave. South Bridge openings also are tweeted on @wsdot_traffic.)
See all local traffic cams here; locally relevant cameras are also on this WSB page.
Trouble on the streets/paths/bridges/water? Please let us know – text (but not if you’re driving!) 206-293-6302.
Last night we reported on the arrest of a man suspected of breaking into apartments at the Bridge Park senior-living complex in High Point early Saturday while the residents were home. Today, the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office charged 
35-year-old Abdulrizak I. Yusuf — a convicted sex offender – with two counts of residential burglary. The charging documents say Yusuf has an extensive criminal history listed as including:
… convictions for Theft 3rd Degree (2013, 2015, 2019), Theft (2014, 2015, 2017, 2018), Crim Trespass 2nd Degree (2014, 2015), Residential Burglary (2014), Att Residential Burglary/Indecent Exposure with Sexual Motivation (2017), Theft 1st Degree (2017), Theft 1st Degree/Att Robbery 2nd Degree (2017), Crim Trespass 1st Degree (2019), Vehicle Prowling 2nd Degree (2019), Assault 4th Degree/False Statement/Theft 3rd Degree (2019), and Voyeurism 1st Degree (2019).
The voyeurism conviction, actually in 2020, put him in the sex-offender database, from which we obtained the photo at right; he is listed as having failed to register. In the new burglary case, the charging documents say Yusuf broke glass to get into one apartment where a husband and wife were sleeping. She screamed at him to leave; her husband escorted him out the front door into the hallway. There, police say, Yusuf tried doors and found one unlocked, entering that apartment. When police arrived and knocked on that door, the resident – a woman who uses a wheelchair – yelled through it, “There’s a strange man in my apartment! Get him out, please!” They forced their way into the door, which the suspect had locked behind himself, and took him into custody. No injuries were reported. Yusuf remains in jail, bail set at $25,000. The jail register indicates he had been held for investigation of burglary just last week, arrested September 13th and released two days later; the jail roster format changed recently so it’s not clear why he was released, but we’ll be following up.
In June, family, friends, and community members mourned 96-year-old West Seattle philanthropist Adah June Cruzen. Now the date has been set for her memorial. According to trustee Sharon Siva, the gathering in memory of Ms. Cruzen is planned for 11 am Saturday, October 16th, at Fauntleroy Church (9140 California SW). A reception will follow, across the street at The Hall at Fauntleroy (9131 California SW) until 3 pm. Masks will be required.
From today’s preview list – the Dream Dinners West Seattle (WSB sponsor) outdoor open house is happening until 8 pm at 4701 41st SW! The free bites available when we stopped by included arroz con pollo and M&M cookies. If you get there before 7 pm, you can enter a prize drawing. Proprietors Meghan and Mark Hogan are fundraising for Treehouse, which helps foster kids.
Here’s how to join DDWS in helping Treehouse:
1) DONATE TO OUR TREEHOUSE FUNDRAISING PAGE
2. PURCHASE DREAM DINNERS – FOR SCHOOL SUPPLIES & MUCH MORE
We are offering 3 medium Family-Size meals in which each meal serves 2-3 people for $50. We will give back $10 to Treehouse to purchase more essential school supplies, school clothes, extra-curricular supplies for art, sports, musical instruments, acting, bikes and more.
PLEASE SELECT A DINNER PICK-UP DATE & TIME:
Click the link to sign up & select your 3 family-size meals.
We request 24-hour advance notice to prepare meals. Please sign up before dates below.Thursday, September 23rd from 6:30 pm-7:30 pm dreamdinners.com/session/899385
Friday, September 24th from 12 pm -1 pm dreamdinners.com/session/899386
Saturday, September 25th from 10:30 am -11:30 am https://dreamdinners.com/session/899387
Up for evening whale-watching from West Seattle’s west-facing shore? Kersti Muul reports that transient orcas that spent some time in Elliott Bay earlier are now south of Blake Island, on the west side of the Sound, so you’ll need binoculars. Let us know if you see them!
First, a new auto-theft report:
STOLEN SILVER MURANO: Nick reports, “My car that was stolen last night. Stolen from my driveway near 9th and SW Trenton, probably in the early am of this morning (9/21/21). 2009 Nissan Murano, silver, license # BYG3108.” Call 911 if you see it.
Second, a followup on last weekend’s highest-profile vehicle-theft case:
(Saturday night photo by Christopher Boffoli)
WHAT HAPPENED BEFORE STOLEN PICKUP CRASHED: Saturday night, we reported on the emergency response after what turned out to be a stolen pickup was found crashed and abandoned on the embankment along California Way downhill from Hamilton Viewpoint. Today we got the report narrative from SPD explaining where and when it was stolen. The report says it was taken about an hour before the crash, from a nightclub on South Washington Street downtown. The victim was working at the club and had left his keys in the pickup. He heard it start – and heard “his music playing” – so he went outside and saw it being driven away. The victim also had left his phone inside the pickup and tracked it to West Seattle, where he told police he spotted the truck at the California/Admiral gas station. The driver did not get out of the pickup, apparently noticing he was being followed. The victim reported losing sight of the pickup in the 2300 block of California SW, going about 50 mph – and then it crashed. The report does not say whether police were notified before the crash.
A school bus from the Seattle Academy of Arts and Sciences (an independent middle/high school on Capitol Hill) is blocking the outside westbound lane of SW Avalon just east of 35th SW after what police say was a minor collision with another vehicle. No injuries reported, we were told at the scene; they’re waiting for another bus to pick up the students who were on board when it happened.
4:03 PM: One day after the Spirit of Kingston took over the West Seattle Water Taxi run because the Doc Maynard needs repairs, it’s experiencing trouble. According to an alert from Metro, the Spirit of Kingston “has had some debris get lodged into one of its four jet engines. The vessel is still in service; however, we are expecting delays this evening.”
4:49 PM: We asked Water Taxi spokesperson Al Sanders for details on the “debris”; he says they suspect “it was a mooring line.”
(WSB photo from last pre-pandemic autumn-equinox watch)
As noted earlier, this is the final full day of summer 2021 – fall arrives at 12:21 pm tomorrow, and that means tomorrow night brings another of skywatcher/educator Alice Enevoldsen‘s quarterly change-of-seasons sunset watch in West Seattle. If you are interested in a fun, educational way to mark the arrival of autumn, this is it – masked and distanced. Be at Solstice Park – uphill from the tennis courts at 7400 Fauntleroy Way SW – at 6:30 pm.
Just announced by the city:
As federal funds for rental assistance continue to be distributed, Mayor Jenny A. Durkan announced today that she is extending the moratoriums for residential and commercial evictions through January 15, 2022 through Executive Order 2021-07. The order will also modify additional COVID-related relief measures related to utility assistance. This marks the sixth extension of the eviction moratorium as part of the COVID-19 civil emergency since March 14, 2020, when Seattle declared one of the first eviction moratoriums in the country. As reported by SCC Insight, Magistrate Judge Richard Creatura found the city and state eviction moratoriums to be constitutional in a recommendation on September 15, 2021, to Judge Richard Jones. …
The executive order continues tenant protections prohibiting landlords from issuing notices of termination or otherwise initiating eviction actions with the courts unless there is an imminent threat to the health and safety of the community. Late fees, interest, or other charges due to late payment of rent during the moratorium are not allowed. However, tenants are still legally obligated to pay rent during the moratorium, and landlords are encouraged to offer flexible payment plans. Residential tenants who receive an eviction notice during the moratorium should contact the Renting in Seattle hotline at 206‐684‐5700.
The moratorium on eviction of nonprofit and small business commercial tenant applies to independently-owned businesses with 50 employees or fewer per establishment, state nonprofits, and 501(c)3) nonprofits. The extension also prevents eligible small businesses and nonprofits from incurring late fees, interest, or other charges due to late payment during the moratorium. For additional questions please see the Office of Economic Development’s COVID-19 Lease Amendment Tool Kit.
Currently, upon expiration, Ordinance 126075 will take effect, providing additional tenant protections including the start of a six-month period in which a renter may claim a defense against eviction for non-payment of rent if they can demonstrate financial hardship due to COVID-19. This timeline protects tenants from evictions for non/late payments through mid-June 2022.
The executive order also extends certain suspensions put in place to limit the economic impact of the pandemic on Seattle residents and small businesses. The Utility Discount Program’s Self-Certification Pilot Program, as announced in Executive Order 2020-03, will be extended through October 31, 2021. Mayor Durkan has also directed utilities to refrain from shutting off service to customers through January 15, 2022. Temporary parking zones for hospital and human services staff, as announced on March 26, 2020, will be resumed and be extended through January 15, 2022. The City continues to assess when to lift these individual suspensions as it relates to the COVID-19 emergency.
Early-morning runners, beware. Here’s what happened to Bill, and he’s not the first:
I was attacked by an owl this morning on my run in North Admiral around 5:50am. This happened at the intersection of SW Atlantic St and Sunset Ave SW [map] and the owl followed me for several blocks diving at me trying to attack. It took my hat and scratched up the back of my head. I was able to prevent further injury by walking away backwards, yelling and waving my arms. My research says this can happen around this time of year. Runners in this area should be aware!
The state Fish and Wildlife Department fact sheet about owls notes, “Most aggressive behavior from owls (barred owls and great horned owls are the most often reported) is motivated by defense of their territory or young, or their search for handouts.” (Around here, it’s usually Barred Owls.)
(This morning’s moonset, photographed by James Bratsanos)
Fall officially arrives at 12:21 pm Wednesday – so today is the final full day of summer. Here’s what’s planned for the hours ahead, from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:
(This morning’s moonset, photographed by Marc Milrod)
TASTE OF WEST SEATTLE: Today is the second day of the weeklong dine-out benefit for the West Seattle Food Bank. 27 food/drink establishments are participating – some by donating a percentage of proceeds, some with specific menu items. The venue list and other info – be sure to get your “passport” first time you participate this week! – can be found here.
DEMONSTRATION: The weekly announcement from organizer Scott:
Black Lives Matter sign-waving
4:30 to 6 pm, corner of 16th SW and SW Holden
Come build awareness & stimulate actions to tear down the systems that have oppressed Black lives for over 400 years on this continent. Hold signs, meet neighbors and stand for racial justice. Scott at Puget Ridge Cohousing, endorsed by Hate-Free Delridge. Signs available.
OUTDOOR OPEN HOUSE: Celebrate the last evening of summer with the Dream Dinners West Seattle (WSB sponsor) outdoor open house (out front at 4701 41st SW), 6-8 pm, bites, tunes, prizes, as previewed here – benefiting the foster kids who are helped by Treehouse.
LIVE MUSIC: 6 pm at The Spot West Seattle (2920 SW Avalon Way)
SCHOOL LEVY MEETING: Seattle Public Schools plans the first of two community meetings online at 6:30 pm to talk about two replacement levies that you’ll vote on in February. The meeting link is on this page.
CHIEF SEALTH INTERNATIONAL HS PTSA: First general meeting of the school year, online at 7 pm. The attendance link is in our calendar listing.
TRIVIA & TACOS: 7 pm Tuesdays at Admiral Pub (2306 California SW; WSB sponsor).
BELLE OF THE BALLS BINGO: 8 pm Tuesdays at The Skylark (3803 Delridge Way SW), play bingo free with Cookie Couture.
The Senior Center of West Seattle invites you to be part of its annual fundraising breakfast – online again this year – and enjoy some morning magic. Just one week away – 8 am Tuesday, September 28th – here’s the announcement:
You are invited to join the Senior Center of West Seattle, as we celebrate 50 years of services to the West Seattle community.
To protect your safety, we’ve made the decision to hold our event virtually again this year, given the increasing rates of the Delta variant of COVID-19. But, that doesn’t mean we can’t have a great time celebrating our community’s seniors!
Our program will feature world-renowned Magician Nash Fung. (You can get a sneak preview of his tricks here.) Plus, we’ll look back on 50 years of history serving seniors in the West Seattle community and share how you can help us shape the future of the Senior Center.
Join us from anywhere in the world for this fun virtual event, by yourself or safely gathered with friends and neighbors. You can also make an early donation to help us reach our goal of raising $100,000 by the end of September. If you make a gift of $250 or more before the event you’ll get a delicious breakfast delivered to your door to enjoy that morning.
Register online: Reserve your free tickets here.
As you know, the Senior Center is a vitally important community asset that promotes mental, emotional and physical health as we age. Your support ensures the programs, services and critical outreach seniors are counting on continues in the coming year.
You are part of helping our community stay connected during these turbulent times.
Though this event is virtual, the Senior Center is open again for some services and events – it’s at 4217 SW Oregon in The Junction.
6:03 AM: Good morning! Sunny today, maybe even 70s.
ROAD WORK
26th SW & beyond – Northbound 26th SW remains closed between Roxbury and Barton, and King County says the closure is expected to shift to the southbound side within a few weeks.
25th SW & Barton – New closure: 25th is closed on the south side of this intersection – details here.
Delridge project – Winding down.
TRANSIT
Buses are on regular schedules today – except for the rerouting in RapidRise H Line work zones. Watch @kcmetrobus for word of canceled trips.
For ferries and water taxis, regular schedule today, but note that the Spirit of Kingston has replaced Doc Maynard on the West Seatte Water Taxi Run until further notice. Watch @wsferries for ferry updates.
BRIDGES AND DETOUR ROUTES
546th morning without the West Seattle Bridge. Here are views of other bridges and routes:
Low Bridge: Automated enforcement cameras remain in use; restrictions are in effect 5 am-9 pm daily – except weekends; the bridge is open to all until 8 am Saturday and Sunday mornings. (Access applications are available here for some categories of drivers.)
West Marginal Way at Highland Park Way:
Highland Park Way/Holden – The camera’s back, now pointed west:
The 5-way intersection (Spokane/West Marginal/Delridge/Chelan):
The 1st Avenue South Bridge (map):
For the South Park Bridge (map), here’s the nearest camera:
Are draw/swing bridges opening for boats or barges? The @SDOTBridges Twitter feed will tell you. (1st Ave. South Bridge openings also are tweeted on @wsdot_traffic.)
See all local traffic cams here; locally relevant cameras are also on this WSB page.
Trouble on the streets/paths/bridges/water? Please let us know – text (but not if you’re driving!) 206-293-6302.
Three incidents in West Seattle Crime Watch:
APARTMENT BURGLARY: This happened at the Bridge Park senior-living apartment complex in High Point early Saturday. We tried to get the full report from SPD today but so far have only the brief summary, which says:
On 09-18-2021 at 0056 hours, officers responded to a retirement home regarding a suspect who broke into an occupied bedroom window. On arrival, officers learned that the suspect shattered an exterior window and gained access to the victim’s bedroom. The suspect then fled out the front door after being confronted and into the interior of the building. The suspect attempted to gain access to more occupied rooms as he moved down the hallway, until he was able to gain access to another occupied room. Officers, who were actively searching for the suspect, heard the victim calling for help inside. Officers were able to gain access to the room and the suspect was taken into custody and booked into King County Jail for investigation of burglary. There were no injuries to any victims.
CAR PROWLS: Matt‘s street got hit by two rounds of car prowls last Tuesday night/Wednesday morning and he put together a narrated video with security-camera footage – see it here.
VANDAL ON WHEELS: We heard a dispatch this evening about someone tearing up the park next to Delridge Community Center by driving a dune buggy on it. A bit later, a reader sent us this video:
Incident number is 21-248038.
(Photo by Dennis Hinton)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
Every fall, volunteers watch Fauntleroy Creek for signs of coho salmon swimming home to spawn.
The creek is one of just a few in the city to which salmon still return.
(“Wally,” a 2016 Fauntleroy Creek coho photographed by Mark Ahlness)
It’s hospitable again thanks to human helping hands decades ago, from volunteers who formed the Fauntleroy Watershed Council.
As they celebrate the council’s 20th anniversary, the dedicated volunteers at the heart of the group are hoping now to welcome more neighbors into the fold – whether for one-time events or recurring involvement. There’s much to be done – today, for example, volunteers were out clearing logs from the mouth of the creek (top photo), so any returning spawners don’t face a “roadblock.”
While the city’s share of the RapidRide H Line preparation project along Delridge Way is winding down, the county’s share is continuing. As part of that, we got word today that work is starting at the intersection of 25th SW and SW Barton, and that means a closure on the souths side of the intersection. From the announcement:
Over the coming weeks, crews will be removing the existing pavement and ADA curb ramps, upgrading utilities, installing new roadway panels and ADA curb ramps, and making improvements that will serve current Routes 60, 120, 125, and 560, and the future RapidRide H Line. This work is expected to last for approximately three weeks. Typical hours of work are 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. with occasional weekend and night work.
During this work:
25th Avenue SW will be closed to northbound and southbound traffic at SW Barton Street.
Detours will be in place for people driving, walking, and rolling. Please follow posted detour signage.
Meantime, the northbound 26th SW closure continues between Barton and Roxbury, and we’re told that is expected to switch directions to the southbound lanes within a few weeks.
4:12 PM: Thanks for the tip. Avoid 35th/Morgan for a while – a crash is reported to be blocking two lanes. No SFD dispatch so far, but police are there. They’re calling for SDOT to clean up debris.
4:35 PM: That scene is reported to be cleared. But now police have told dispatch that the signal is flashing at Delridge/Spokane (the 5-way).
5:05 PM: The backup from that is big, we’re hearing via Twitter – one driver says getting through the area took 40 minutes.
(MV Doc Maynard – WSB file photo)
The Spirit of Kingston is replacing Doc Maynard on the West Seattle Water Taxi run until further notice. After Metro sent that announcement this afternoon, we asked spokesperson Al Sanders why. He explains, “The Doc Maynard is going to the shipyard for repairs to the vessel’s propeller. The issue was discovered during the morning run and it was taken out of service.” The swap is notable since the Spirit of Kingston’s 149-passenger capacity is only about half that of Doc Maynard, but Metro says ridership has been averaging “well below” 149. Sanders says there’s no estimate yet how long Doc Maynard will be out of service.
Seattle Public Schools‘ weekly COVID-19 dashboard update is up. It shows 214 total cases reported among students and staff since the school year began – 97 more than the 117 reported in last week’s update. The individual school numbers don’t show week-to-week change on the dashboard, but here’s what we have compared to last week’s numbers:
Chief Sealth International High School – 8, up 2
Lafayette Elementary – 7, up 1
Denny International Middle School – 6, up 2
Roxhill Elementary – 6, up 3
Highland Park Elementary – 5, up 1
Gatewood Elementary – 3, unchanged
Pathfinder K-8 – 3, up 1
West Seattle High School – 2, up 1
Madison Middle School – 2, both newly reported this week
Genesee Hill Elementary – 1, unchanged
Louisa Boren STEM K-8 – 1, unchanged
Sanislo Elementary – 1, unchanged
West Seattle Elementary – 1, newly reported this week
Still no cases reported at Alki, Arbor Heights, Concord International, or Fairmount Park elementaries. The school-by-school numbers are not separated into students/staff, but in the Southwest Region (West Seattle/South Park), 41 of the 46 cases are listed as students, 5 as staff.
A few have asked about the date for Fauntleroy Church‘s next Recycle Roundup. Though a date had tentatively been set for one this fall, organizers weren’t able to get their usual partner to commit, so it’s NOT happening. While awaiting the next time they do get one scheduled, here’s what you can do if you have recyclables beyond what is accepted at curbside: Use the “Where Does It Go?” lookup. It will point you to options including scheduling an extra-cost special curbside pickup. If you’re looking specifically for electronics recycling, here’s who’s in the Take It Back Network, including some drop-off spots as close as SODO.
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