West Seattle, Washington
20 Wednesday
(Delridge/Roxbury box painted by Desmond Hansen last June)
2:57 PM: Less than an hour ago, a Minneapolis jury delivered its verdict in the trial of the former police officer who killed George Floyd last May: Guilty on all counts. Here in Seattle, this is just in from the city:
Following the guilty verdict in the Derek Chauvin trial in Minneapolis, the City of Seattle is providing an update for residents. City of Seattle department leaders have been preparing to allow residents to have the space to grieve and honor the life of George Floyd.
While the City expects community members to grieve and remember the life of Mr. Floyd, the City is also reminding businesses and residents of appropriate steps to take should demonstrations occur. The Seattle Police Department, which has made significant changes over the last year, will be on standby for any peaceful, first-amendment gatherings.
Below please find an update on City departments:
Citywide Prayer and Moment of Silence: The City of Seattle – in coordination with faith leaders – will be hosting a citywide prayer and moment of silence at 7 pm.
Seattle Parks and Recreation Department: Understanding the City is still in a pandemic and there are no permitted gatherings or events, Seattle Parks and Recreation is highlighting the City’s largest parks to grieve and remember George Floyd at the City’s largest parks including: Judkins Park, Pratt Park, Powell Barnett Park, Crown Hill Park, Maple Leaf Reservoir, Othello Park, John C. Little Park, Sam Smith Park, Jimi Hendrix Park, Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Park, Jefferson Park, Genesee Park, Hubbard Homestead Park, Green Lake Park, Lincoln Park, and Westcrest Park. SPR crews will ensure that parks that historically have seen gatherings will be accessible and open.
Other city departments’ preparations are listed in the full news release.
4:41 PM: Among those whose comments we’ve received, Seattle-King County NAACP president Carolyn Riley-Payne, whose statement includes;
“… this is just one verdict, and it came only after a summer of nearly non-stop mass protest, with echoes of Mr. Floyd’s last words, ‘I can’t breathe,’ filling streets from Seattle to Washington, D.C. It should not take a national movement to secure justice for a single Black man killed by a police officer. But it did, and it will.
“Because we know that our work is not done, that Black and brown people continue to be targeted, assaulted and killed by police every day, and that they rarely see justice. We see it in our backyard, in King County, where Black and Indigenous people are killed at a vastly disproportionate rate. We live in an America where white people can storm the U.S. Capitol and go home safe and unarmed, while Black and brown people are effectively sentenced to death for counterfeit dollar bills and loose cigarettes.
“It has to stop. We cannot accept the status quo. It is time to end policing in Seattle and King County as we know it and build a new system that honors Black and brown lives. As our community celebrates this rare victory tonight, we must channel our emotion into sustained action. …”
Many politicians have sent statements. This one is from the State Senate Members of Color Caucus (which includes 34th District State Sen. Joe Nguyen):
““Words cannot undo the deep wound that George Floyd’s murder left in his family, in his community, in Black communities here in our state and across the nation. They cannot undo the actions of the man who ended his life. They cannot erase the history of racism and racial violence that blinded that man to George Floyd’s humanity, and gave him such a sense of impunity that he believed he could snuff out another person’s life without consequences.
“But today: George Floyd’s killer did face consequences. We use our words now to commend this outcome – a just verdict and rare accountability, for George Floyd’s loved ones and Black Americans in our state and country – but also to reiterate our commitment to making sure that justice is not rare. That accountability is not uncertain. That another father, friend, or neighbor is not another victim. That Black Lives Matter.
“Words cannot undo what went wrong – but they can set us on the path to what is right. As the Senate Members of Color Caucus, we use our words to advocate for sustained, systemic change – for Black and brown communities, for historically marginalized communities, for every single Washingtonian. …”
4:49 PM: City and community leaders are having a media briefing right now; Seattle Channel is streaming it here.
5:53 PM: The city event is over. The first West Seattle gathering that we heard of was the regular twice-weekly BLM-supporter sign-waving at 16th/Holden, which has continued for months; a WSB crew talked with participants about today’s verdict and we’ll have that story later this evening. Meantime, a commenter says there’s a candlelight vigil happening on Alki.
That’s the question the American Red Cross has for you. If you’re not sure – they have something else for you – a free personal online session to review fire safety. Here’s the explanation they asked us to share with you:
The goal of the Home Fire Campaign is to reduce home fire fatalities by educating clients on home fire safety and installing free smoke alarms in homes that do not have them. Due to COVID, we have pivoted to delivering free virtual home fire safety sessions to interested clients. These virtual calls take less than 20 minutes and review topics such as the most common causes of home fires, how to create and practice a home fire escape plan, how to test your smoke alarms, and additional local hazard preparedness information (e.g. earthquake). Interested folks can request a free virtual appointment on our website.
You can go here to set up that appointment. (You might even be eligible for a free smoke alarm if you don’t have one already.)
(WSB file photo, Duwamish River seen from high-rise West Seattle Bridge)
If you have something to say about the Environmental Protection Agency‘s proposal to reduce the Duwamish River cleanup area because of a new health-risk standard for a particular pollutant, time is running out. Last time we reported on the comment period, two weeks ago, it was extended one more time, but that’s not expected to happen again. The Duwamish River Cleanup Coalition has published its comments online here, voicing opposition to the change: “DRCC has concerns about this proposal and is opposed to its execution,” says spokesperson Robin Schwartz. Among its concerns is uncertainty among the scientific community over the actual cancer risk of the pollutant involved in the proposed change, benzo(a)pyrene. The DRCC letter says, “To us, it appears that EPA is taking a large risk that could affect human health in an environmental justice community for such a small change (0.33% or $1,117,000) in the overall cleanup costs.” If you’re interested in signing onto the DRCC letter, you can do that here. If you have a comment of your own, send it to Region10@epa.gov by midnight Wednesday night (April 21st).
P.S. If you missed previous coverage, here’s our report on the EPA’s explanatory meeting in February.
(More West Seattle baby waterfowl! Photo by David Dimmit)
From the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar and inbox:
PANCAKE 420: Pancakes all day at the Kickdown Café (9447 35th SW), open 11 am-5 pm. As with everything at Kickdown, they’re free but donations are welcome.
DISCOVER SEATTLE COLLEGES: Learn about studying for a new career in business/accounting. Online event 3-5 pm – info in our calendar listing.
DEMONSTRATION: The weekly announcement from Scott:
Black Lives Matter sign-waving
Tuesday, April 20, 4 to 6 pm, corner of 16th SW and SW Holden
Thursday, April 22, 4 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.
FOOD-TRUCK FUNDRAISER: 5-8:45 pm, order from the Thai-U-Up food truck at 30th/Roxbury, and 10 percent of the proceeds benefit Friends of Roxhill Elementary.
TALK WITH POLICE: The West Seattle Crime Prevention Council – a chance for community members to talk with and hear from local police – is happening online tonight, 6 pm. Here’s the attendance link.
TACOS AND TRIVIA: Admiral Pub (2306 California SW) has tacos on Tuesdays and trivia 7-9 pm, free to play, “with rounds that include ’70s, Americana, Sports, Travel, ’90s, Film and more.”
Mother’s Day is less than three weeks away. If you’re interested in buying flowers and candy, you can help a local school-support group – here’s the announcement:
H.U.G.S. for Mothers & Special Others
Seattle Lutheran High School – Parent Association Fundraiser
Hope. Unity. Gratitude. Saints.Seattle Lutheran High School Parent Association is partnering with Bakery Nouveau and Moua Floral Designs to offer chocolates and flowers for Mother’s Day weekend.
We cannot embrace everyone we love with a giant hug just yet, but that does not stop us from showing them how much we care. Funds raised go toward science-lab improvements, teacher grants, and student scholarships.
ORDER HERE by Thursday, April 29th
Contactless curbside pickup or local delivery to limited zip codes on Saturday, May 8th.
See school website HERE for more information.
6:07 AM: Good morning! Another sunny day, temperatures similar to yesterday, when the high was 72.
BACK TO SCHOOL
Seattle Public Schools‘ campuses now all have part-time in-person learning.
ROAD WORK .
Delridge project – Avoid Delridge/Orchard if you can; that’s a major work spot for the next month or so.
TRANSIT
Metro has increased the number of passengers allowed on buses.
Starting today, the West Seattle Water Taxi is on its spring/summer schedule – all day, 7 days a week, plus Friday and Saturday evenings.
BRIDGES AND DETOUR ROUTES
393rd morning without the West Seattle Bridge. Here’s how it’s looking on other bridges and routes:
Low Bridge: 15th week for automated enforcement cameras; restrictions are in effect 5 am-9 pm daily – except weekends, when the bridge is now open to all until 8 am Saturday and Sunday mornings. (Read about other changes here.)
Here’s a low-bridge view:
West Marginal Way at Highland Park Way:
Highland Park Way/Holden:
The 5-way intersection (Spokane/West Marginal/Delridge/Chelan):
And the 1st Avenue South Bridge (map):
For the South Park Bridge (map), here’s the nearest camera:
To check for bridges’ marine-traffic openings, see the @SDOTBridges Twitter feed.
See all local traffic cams here; locally relevant cameras are also shown 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.
Our nightly roundup of local pandemic-related information:
NEWEST KING COUNTY NUMBERS: From the Seattle-King County Public Health daily summary:
*93,937 people have tested positive, 83 more than yesterday’s total
*1,493 people have died, unchanged since Friday
*5,590 people have been hospitalized, 17 more than yesterday’s total
*1,009,048 people have been tested, 292 more than yesterday’s total
One week ago, those totals were 91,715/1,483/5,449/992,006.
STATEWIDE NUMBERS: See them here.
WORLDWIDE NUMBERS: 142 million cases, 3,029,000 deaths – 567,000 in the U.S. See the other stats – nation by nation – here.
TESTING IN WEST SEATTLE: As reported over the weekend, Saturday was the last day for COVID-19 testing at the city-run “hub” in the Southwest Athletic Complex parking lot, which is now a vaccinations-only site. City Councilmember Lisa Herbold said at today’s council briefing meeting that the mayor’s office told her they’re working on a new testing provider somewhere else and will have more news on that in May.
PROPERTY-TAX DEFERRAL? Business property owners might be eligible, King County says – info’s here.
LOOKING FOR A VACCINATION APPOINTMENT? Here’s our ongoing list – updated when we get tips or find new links. (Sometimes we get last-minute tips like today, which we mentioned on Twitter and in comments here.)
*If you’re looking for a city-site appointment, note that the official advice is to sign up for the city’s notification list for all four of its sites here.
*Health-care providers (particularly bigger ones like UW Medicine (one reader specifically recommends Valley Medical Center), Franciscan, Swedish, Kaiser Permanente, Neighborcare, etc.)
*covidwa.com (volunteer-run aggregator) – you can also follow its tweets for instant notifications
*The state’s Vaccine Locator (as mentioned above)
*The CDC’s Vaccine Finder
*Pharmacies big and small – Safeway, Rite Aid, QFC, Pharmaca, Costco
*Sea Mar clinics
And if travel time is not a barrier – Beth recommends this lookup for potential appointments within a few hours’ drive.
NEED FOOD? This week’s nearest Food Lifeline distribution is 2-5 pm Friday (April 16th) at 815 S. 96th.
GOT SOMETHING TO REPORT? westseattleblog@gmail.com or 206-293-6302, text/voice – thank you!
Four city councilmembers have a new-but-not-new idea for spending $20 in car-tab taxes.
First, the backstory: The city used to charge $80 for the Transportation Benefit District. Then after the last election, that dropped to $20, but the city has authority to add another $20 and is doing so starting in July. In November, three councilmembers including West Seattle/South Park Councilmember Lisa Herbold proposed spending the money on bridge maintenance. But instead, a council majority had SDOT come up with a different plan, which only spent 24 percent on bridges; you might recall the community survey about it last month.
Now that plan is going to the council (here are its toplines). Four councilmembers, including the three who originally proposed bridge spending, are bringing back that idea. The four say that while the SDOT plan is fine for this year, starting next year they’d rather use the fee’s $7 million revenue to finance $100 million in bond money, with three-quarters of that going toward bridges. (While the councilmembers’ news release mentions the West Seattle Bridge, spending for that project isn’t specified in their proposed amendment, which you can read here. They instead would direct SDOT to come up with a bridge-spending plan. This will all play out before the Transportation and Utilities Committee starting this Wednesday (agenda here).
The King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office has filed charges today in three cases we’ve covered this past week:
MAIL THEFT: One day after 37-year-old Jason A. Turner‘s seventh arrest this year, he is charged with possession of stolen mail. Court documents say a 911 call brought officers to the 6500 block of 25th SW, where they saw Turner “carrying a large pile of mail” – until police arrived, when they saw him dumping it into a trash can, as well as pulling more mail out of his pants and throwing that away too. They found yet more in his pockets, as well as items of clothing that had been removed from packages, plus a folding knife. In all, the police report says they believe he was in possession of 70 pieces of mail that wasn’t his. (What they recovered, they took to the Westwood Village post office, the documents say.) This is the second felony case filed against Turner in two months; court documents say he has no felony convictions. Prosecutors asked for $5,000 bail, and that’s what a judge set.
Suspects are also now charged in two incidents we reported last Wednesday night:
STORE ROBBERY: 34-year-old Charles P. Lotaki is charged with first-degree robbery for a shoplift-turned-holdup incident at the Walgreens in South Delridge. Employees say they were familiar with him from previous incidents and he had been “trespassed” – ordered not to return to the store – previously. When they confronted him Wednesday night, the charging documents say, he pulled out a gun and threatened to shoot them. The store manager evacuated her employees; when Lotaki walked out of the store, police were there, and a 15-minute standoff ensued before they took him into custody. His weapon turned out to be a “realistic-looking” Airsoft gun. This is his fourth arrest in two months, with other felony and misdemeanor charges pending, including a non-West Seattle case filed today, in which he is accused of breaking into a downtown drugstore. His bail is at $76,000.
ID THEFT: The woman arrested after showing up Wednesday at the Westwood Village Bank of America and allegedly trying to use stolen cards is now charged with two counts of identity theft. 36-year-old Lidia Gutierrez-Vega is accused of trying to use cards, checks, and ID belonging to someone who was the victim of a burglary in Kent. After her arrest, the charging documents say, she claimed another person offered her $100 to impersonate the victim and try to make changes to her account. Gutierrez-Vega has.a felony theft conviction on her record as well as pending cases including two counts of being in possession of a stolen car; jail records show she was booked and released five days before this arrest for investigation of auto theft. Her bail is set at $2,500.
(File photo – honey-bee swarm photographed in Genesee)
Honey bees are vital to our ecosystem. So if you see a swarm, you don’t want to harm them. The Puget Sound Beekeepers Association compiles a list every year of members who volunteer to respond to swarm reports and remove them for free. In sending this year’s list, PSBA explains that when swarms are removed, “They will be relocated to a place where they can continue to provide their valuable contribution to our environment.” Here’s the newest version of the list, with five beekeepers listed for the West Seattle/White Center area. (The list also includes photos so you know what’s a honey bee and what’s not.)
Seattle Public Utilities is about to start a month-plus-long project to replace a water main in the Admiral area. SPU says the project – mostly on 39th SW between Grayson and Admiral – was originally supposed to start last year, but was delayed by both the pandemic and “contractor availability.” Here’s the official notice:
Work is expected to start “as soon as Wednesday.” SPU also tells us the work will have an impact on Admiral Way at some point, and they’ll send a separate notice when that gets close.
(Photos courtesy Krista Billinghurst)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
You don’t have to have a sprawling valley full of farm fields to celebrate flowers.
The West Seattle neighbors who created “Gatewood Gardens” have done it with boxes and borders along a busy city street.
Walking in Gatewood, we had seen the flowers but didn’t realize they were part of a unified neighborhood project until an email from Krista Billinghurst. She explained that the pandemic stay-home time inspired neighbor Aaron Smith to plant tulip and daffodil bulbs along a 2-block stretch of California Avenue SW – including her corner (at SW Portland) where, she said, “he asked if he could plant some tulips in a garden box we had on our parking strip. It was an overgrown mess of weeds that I’m sure everyone was tired of looking at.”
The results drew attention from passersby.
Theft can happen fast. Latest reminder of that is in this report from Dan in the 5900 block of Beach Drive:
Someone stole my bike out of our garage this morning around 6:30-6:45. The garage door was open as we were between trips putting out the garbage. The bike was hanging up on hooks in our garage.
Stolen bicycles – like cars – may be abandoned after thieves use them to get from Point A to Point B, so be on the lookout.
We’re now less than one week away from Fauntleroy Church‘s first Recycle Roundup since pre-pandemic. Here’s a reminder from Judy Pickens:
It’s time to top off your bag, box, or bin of recyclables because we’re less than one week away from the return of the Recycle Roundup at Fauntleroy Church! The building is still closed but the parking lot will be wide open on Sunday, April 25, 9 am-3 pm, for free, responsible recycling by 1 Green Planet. Plan to wear a mask and stay in your vehicle. Donation optional. The updated list of what they will/won’t accept this time is here (PDF). The church is at 9140 California SW (map).
Pre-pandemic, the church hosted these events twice a year; the last one was in September 2019.
(Waterfowl babies at Seola Pond, photographed by Jim Clark)
Happenings you might want to know about:
CITY COUNCIL: Monday means two meetings, the 9:30 am briefing – including an around-the-table chance for each councilmember to share updates on what they’re focusing on right now – and the 2 pm weekly regular meeting (agenda here). Watch both via Seattle Channel, online or cable 21.
QUALITY CLEANERS PICKUP, FINAL DAY: Noon-4 pm, it’s the last of three days for customers who still have items at the closed cleaners (2601 California SW) to go in and retrieve them – unclaimed items will be donated. Mask required; one person in the shop at a time.
CAREER EXPLORATION: 3-5 pm online, discover what Seattle Colleges offer students for Arts, Design, and Graphics career pathways. Info’s in our calendar listing.
FOOD-TRUCK FUNDRAISER: 5-8:45 pm, order from the Thai-U-Up food truck at 30th/Roxbury, and 10 percent of the proceeds benefit Friends of Roxhill Elementary.
(Sunday sunset, photographed by James Bratsanos)
METEOR SHOWER: The Lyrid meteor shower should be visible this week, until the clouds return. Here’s info on looking for the meteors.
6:03 AM: Good morning! Another sunny day, slightly cooler.
BACK TO SCHOOL
Seattle Public Schools‘ spring break is over, and middle-/high-school hybrid learning begins today, with some students in classrooms in the afternoon, in addition to the elementary/preschool/special-education students for whom some in-person learning already has resumed.
ROAD WORK .
Delridge project – A month or so of work at Delridge/Orchard has begun; here’s what else is planned this week.
TRANSIT
Metro has increased the number of passengers allowed on buses.
Starting today, the West Seattle Water Taxi is on its spring/summer schedule – all day, 7 days a week, plus Friday and Saturday evenings.
BRIDGES AND DETOUR ROUTES
392nd morning without the West Seattle Bridge. Here’s how it’s looking on other bridges and routes:
Low Bridge: 15th week for automated enforcement cameras; restrictions are in effect 5 am-9 pm daily – except weekends, when the bridge is now open to all until 8 am Saturday and Sunday mornings. (Read about other changes here.)
Here’s a low-bridge view:
West Marginal Way at Highland Park Way:
Highland Park Way/Holden:
The 5-way intersection (Spokane/West Marginal/Delridge/Chelan):
And the 1st Avenue South Bridge (map):
For the South Park Bridge (map), here’s the nearest camera:
To check for bridges’ marine-traffic openings, see the @SDOTBridges Twitter feed.
See all local traffic cams here; locally relevant cameras are also shown 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.
Tonight’s pandemic news:
NEWEST KING COUNTY NUMBERS: From the King County Daily Summary Dashboard page, the cumulative totals:
*93,854 people have tested positive, 344 more than yesterday’s total
*1,493 people have died, unchanged since Friday
*5,573 people have been hospitalized, 4 more than yesterday’s total
*1,008,756 people have been tested, 537 more than yesterday’s total
One week ago, those totals were 91,438/1,483/5,446/991,687.
WEST SEATTLE TRENDS: Time for our weekly check. These numbers are shown in two-week increments via the “geography over time” tab on the daily-summary dashboard; to determine WS status, we combine the totals from the West Seattle and Delridge “health reporting areas” (HRAs): For the past two weeks, 165 positive test results; 103 in the 2 weeks before that; also 103 in the two weeks before that. … We also are noting WS death totals each week. The total deaths for the entire pandemic in the two HRAs comprising West Seattle: 65, unchanged again in this past week.
STATEWIDE NUMBERS: See them here.
WORLDWIDE NUMBERS: 141.4 million cases and 3,019,000+ deaths, 567,000+ of them in the U.S. – see the nation-by-nation breakdown here.
LOOKING FOR VACCINE? Here are links to try:
*If you’re looking for a city-site appointment, note that the official advice is to sign up for the city’s notification list for all four of its sites here.
*Health-care providers (particularly bigger ones like UW Medicine (one reader specifically recommends Valley Medical Center), Franciscan, Swedish, Kaiser Permanente, Neighborcare, etc.)
*covidwa.com (volunteer-run aggregator) – you can also follow its tweets for instant notifications
*The state’s Vaccine Locator (as mentioned above)
*The CDC’s Vaccine Finder
*Pharmacies big and small – Safeway, Rite Aid, QFC, Pharmaca, Costco
*Sea Mar clinics
And if travel time is not a barrier – Beth recommends this lookup for potential appointments within a few hours’ drive.
GOT SOMETHING TO REPORT? westseattleblog@gmail.com or 206-293-6302, text/voice – thank you!
Even if you don’t have a student in the house, we want to remind you that Seattle Public Schools‘ middle- and high-school campuses reopen for part-time in-person learning starting tomorrow. Here on the peninsula, that means increased activity at Chief Sealth International High School, Denny International Middle School, Madison Middle School, and West Seattle High School, as well as Louisa Boren STEM K-8 and Pathfinder K-8. For students and their families the district has these reminders:
Daily Health Screening
If the student will be attending in-person school, they will need to complete the daily health screening prior to 7 a.m. for the morning session or 10 a.m. for the afternoon session. (More information about schedules can be found here.) The health screening will be delivered by email (also can be received by text). The daily health screening will be sent by 5 a.m. every school day. 6-12 grade students can fill out the health screening themselves once a parent or guardian gives permission. Learn more about the daily health screening. If the daily health screening isn’t complete before the student arrives at school, it can be done on site.Keeping School Communities Healthy
To keep SPS school communities healthy and safe, students and families are reminded:
• If the student is experiencing any COVID-19 symptoms, including fever or chills, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting, or diarrhea – they should not come to school.• If a student has traveled during spring break, we recommend families follow public health guidance and quarantine. Contact the school’s attendance office to communicate the student’s absence.
Masks
Students are encouraged to bring their own mask to school. The mask should fit above the nose, chin, and snugly against the face. Students can watch a short video about how to wear a mask.Student Devices
6-12 grade students returning to buildings should bring their SPS-issued laptops, or a personal device, for their in-person learning session. Instructions for helping students connect with their personal devices in the classroom have been provided to educators. Elementary students may be asked to bring their devices into their classrooms to support learning. Students should bring devices fully charged and in a backpack or other protected cover or case.Meals
District meal distribution site hours have changed to support in-person learning. The 40 meal sites will now be open from 10:45 a.m. -1:15 p.m. Bus routes will deliver meals on Wednesdays only. All students can access hot, prepared meals at meal sites. Grab and go breakfast and lunch will also be available for students learning in-person at each school site.Public Transportation: 6th-12th grade students
If a student plans to use public transportation, they are urged to have their Orca card. If a student doesn’t have an Orca card, it can be requested at school when the student arrives to school. Students can use the Metro Trip Planner or contact Metro customer service for help at 206-553-3000. All students should allow extra time to reach school and when leaving school. More tips and links for students and families are on the Metro Matters Blog.
As announced when a tentative agreement was reached April 1st, middle- and high-school students who chose to return to in-person learning will attend their schools two afternoons a week, with remote learning continuing the rest of the week. For middle-schoolers at K-8s, it’s up to the school whether their in-person classes are in the mornings or afternoons.
9:55 PM: Hybrid learning may not have had an overwhelming reception, at least at CSIHS, whose principal told families in email tonight that they have until Friday to change their choice, and “if the in-person numbers do not increase, we will collapse the two in-person cohorts into one cohort.”
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
One of West Seattle’s best-known residents is leaving.
It’s not because of the bridge closure.
It’s not because of the pandemic.
It’s … the grass.
Jeb the miniature horse has lived at an Admiral home, adjacent to a public street-end greenbelt, for more than 15 years. This Tuesday, a horse-transport firm will pick him up and take him to his new home in Taos, New Mexico.
Jeb’s human companion Mimi Miles contacted WSB because she wanted all his fans to know about his imminent departure. Word’s gotten out around the neighborhood. And there are signs up on the fence by his yard along that greenbelt:
From Deniece:
I would like to report an incident that occurred today about 2:30 pm. My daughter was crossing the street, heading north on Lanham PL SW & Sylvan Way, when a Caucasian woman in a light blue 4-door car, heading west, hit her with her car. She didn’t hit her hard, but it was enough to knock her down. Apparently, this woman stopped in the middle of the intersection because traffic was backed up. The light changed red and she proceeded through the intersection. My daughter said something to her as she began crossing the street and the woman kept going and hit her. Did anyone see this? If so, I would appreciate any help trying to find this woman. The medics checked my daughter out and she is ok. I will be taking her into the doctor tomorrow morning. Police incident #21-94295.
(WSB photo, July 2020)
The fire rings at Alki will be back by Memorial Day weekend, Seattle Parks announced via Twitter today. The rings’ absence hasn’t stopped people from having beach fires; SFD is dispatched often to “illegal burn” reports there. The rings were removed last July, months after Parks locked them, resulting in people building fires on or by them instead.
For the seventh time this year, mail-theft suspect Jason A. Turner is in jail. The register shows he was booked just before 9 am today; Southwest Precinct police sent this report:
Southwest officers were dispatched to the area of 24th Av. SW / Delridge Wy SW for a male suspect checking and stealing mail from mailboxes. Officers recognized the suspect’s description and MO as a habitual mail theft suspect who preys on community members in this area. Officers arrived in the area and located the suspect standing near a recycling bin in the 6500 block of Delridge Way. Southwest Officers identified and confirmed that it was the suspect whom officers were very familiar with and know that the suspect has an extensive history of mail thefts. Southwest officers have arrested this suspect five (5) times this year alone. Officers observed that the suspect was in possession of a large bundle of US mail when contacted. The suspect was taken into custody without incident. Search incident to arrest, more US mail was recovered from his person.
When previously arrested last month, Turner spent two days in jail; he was released because the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office had yet to file charges, awaiting more information from SPD. The KCPAO did charge him in February with four counts of possession of stolen mail, the first felony charges he has faced. He was in jail 16 days after that arrest, getting out on bond March 4th. He was arrested three times in March after that, twice in Seattle, once in South King County. Next step in this case should be a bail hearing tomorrow, and we will of course follow up.
Also discussed at this month’s Alki Community Council meeting – an early-design survey has been launched by the developers of a Duwamish Head site on which we’ve reported multiple times in the past year. A 65-unit project is proposed for 1001-1116 Alki Avenue SW, currently the site of six old houses. As part of the “early community outreach” process, the developers have set up this project website, which notes:
N&M Management LLC and MZA Architecture are partnering on the redevelopment of 1001 – 1116 Alki Ave SW. The proposed 6-story residential building will include:
65 residential units
102 parking stalls
bike parking
a rooftop patio
(That’s the minimum number of offstreet-parking spaces mandated for area development by the Alki Parking Overlay district – one and a half per unit.) The website includes a community survey that’s open for two more weeks. The ACC discussion was brief; the developers weren’t at the meeting, so it was more of an FYI. But a few attendees expressed concern that the project’s size was out of scale for the area. The project’s official address is 1116 Alki.
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