West Seattle, Washington
03 Friday
Now until 5 pm, Seattle’s only river is being celebrated at the 2021 Duwamish River Festival. This time it’s at the future park space known as South Park Plaza, west of the South Park end of the bridge. Performances all afternoon! Here are Angeles de México:
And art (added: what you see below is the Duwamish River Dragon, by Cleopatra Cutler):
Dozens of educational booths so you can learn about the river and those who rely on it – and what you can do to protect it (such as, gardening with native plants). Food trucks and stands, also featuring local restaurants.
ADDED 4:47 PM: A few more scenes from the festival, which is presented by the Duwamish River Cleanup Coalition:
That’s Carmen Martinez of DRCC, who leads the Duwamish Valley Youth Corps, with Seattle Police Chief Adrian Diaz.
If you have something to say before the final decision on an increase in Washington State Ferries fares, the state Transportation Commission – which sets fares – has scheduled a hearing for Tuesday (August 10th). Here’s the announcement:
A proposed 2.5 percent across-the-board ferry fare increase is the subject of a public hearing next week. The proposed fare increase was the option selected in a public input poll and is based upon budget requirements passed by the 2021 Legislature. If approved, the new ferry fare rate will be applied each October in 2021 and 2022.
The Washington State Transportation Commission will hold a virtual, final public hearing at 10 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 10. Due to COVID-19 limitations still in place for Washington state agencies, the meeting will be conducted using Zoom. The commission will take public testimony at the meeting. People interested in attending need to register on the commission’s website. Those wishing to testify are encouraged to sign-up ahead of the hearing, on the Commission’s website. The meeting will be broadcast live on TVW at www.tvw.org.
Fare recommendations are based upon the Transportation Budget passed by the 2021 Legislature. The budget requires $377 million to be generated from fares over the two-year timeframe, which results in a need for an additional $9.2 million in fare revenues. This equates to an estimated 2.5 percent fare increase if applied across-the-board to all fares. For more information on the commission’s ferry fare proposal, visit the commission’s web site at: 2021-2023 Ferry Fare Setting – Washington State Transportation Commission.
The commission is also proposing a policy change for how a vanpool is defined to ensure the policy matches current law. The proposal decreases the required number of people to be considered a vanpool from the current five people to three people, adjusting the fares accordingly.
(Friday’s sunset, photographed by Bruce Gaumond)
Welcome to the weekend!
TRAFFIC ALERTS: Work at the Highland Park Way/West Marginal intersection is scheduled until 1 pm. Northbound 26th SW between Roxbury and Barton remains closed. Southbound Delridge Way has reopened between Thistle and Trenton.
YARD (AND OTHER) SALES: See what’s listed for today in the WSB Community Forums!
BEIGNETS AND TUNES: Jet City Beignet (WSB sponsor) pops up at Easy Street Records in The Junction (California/Alaska) today, 9 am-1 pm.
ALKI BEACH CLEANUP: 10 am-1 pm, join organizer Jessica and other West Seattle neighbors in a monthly cleanup at the beach – info in our preview.
FOOD DRIVE: At Admiral Church (4320 SW Hill), 11 am-3 pm:
Time to clean your pantry and help less fortunate people in our community. Drop off non-perishable food, canned fruit & vegetables, spices, soy sauce, rice, pasta, peanut butter, and pet food is also needed. Attendants will be available to help unload your vehicle in the parking lot.
DUWAMISH RIVER COMMUNITY HUB: If you’re going to South Park for the festival (see below), go early and visit the new Duwamish River Community Hub, which opens today in the former Napoli Pizza building on the southeast corner of 14th Avenue South/South Cloverdale, 11 am-5 pm. Plans include construction-trades outreach and tours of the nearby Duwamish River People’s Park.
RALLY FOR THE RIVER: Different river! 11 am-2 pm near Seacrest Park (1660 Harbor SW), advocates for removing the Snake River dams to help Northwest salmon – and the orcas that depend on them – will rally, with speakers, postermaking, entertainment, kayaking.
DUWAMISH RIVER FESTIVAL: Noon-6 pm at South Park Plaza (8456 Dallas Ave. S. by the west end of the bridge), the festival is back! Entertainment, education, exploration, more. See the schedule of performances here.
LOW RIDER BLOCK PARTY: Noon-6 pm on 17th SW between Roxbury and Delridge, Nepantla Cultural Arts Gallery presents this first-ever event – details here.
BOULEVARD PARK BLOCK PARTY: Not far to the southeast, this North Highline community is having a festival today (1832 S. 120th) with live music and more – see the lineup (including some West Seattle faves like the Dusty 45s) on the poster.
VACCINATION POP-UP 1-5 pm at the aforementioned Low Rider Block Party – Pfizer, so 12+ are eligible.
DANCE AT THE BEACH: Salsa and bachata @ Alki Statue of Liberty Plaza (61st/Alki), 5-10 pm, $20 – details here.
COMEDY NIGHT: 7 pm at The Skylark (3803 Delridge Way SW), $10 advance, $12 at the door.
DOLLY AND THE DJ: New temp home for this popular show until White Center’s Lumber Yard Bar is back! On Saturday nights starting tonight, 9 pm at Admiral Pub (2306 California SW; WSB sponsor). ’80s night is tonight’s theme!
What else? Let us know – thank you!
19-year-old Jackson U. Sullivan is in the King County Jail tonight, starting his nine-month sentence for raping a then-16-year-old girl during a party in November 2019. That’s the sentence recommended by the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office in the plea bargain that resulted in Sullivan pleading guilty two weeks ago, as reported here. The nine-month sentence was ordered by King County Superior Court Judge Josephine Wiggs-Martin in what we’re told was a crowded courtroom this afternoon, We were unable to go downtown for the hearing, and documents from it are not yet available in online files, but we got confirmation of the sentence tonight from the KCPAO. Sullivan was charged with second-degree rape in April 2020, accused of raping a girl who was incapable of consent, “intoxicated to the point of loss of motor functions … (during) what should have been an enjoyable high-school party.” In the plea bargain, he pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of third-degree rape, which carries a standard sentence of six months to a year.
Per Seattle Police policy, SPD has gone public with their video from last night’s deadly shootout in White Center. See it here – if you choose to; please note the warning, as you see and hear gunfire in the video, and you see the man who was shot by SWAT officers, before, during, and after the gunfire. We don’t know anything more yet about the man who was killed; he was described only as a 22-year-old man suspected of a Seattle murder that happened “earlier this year.” Officers had gone to the house near 21st/100th to arrest him, and after they announced themselves, police say, he came out of the house holding a gun, and fired at them; they shot back, as seen and heard in the video, and he was declared dead at the scene. Police have also released this photo of the gun with which they say the man was armed, adding that “The gun was reported stolen in King County in June 2021.”
SPD says three officers were involved in the shooting and that they are on paid administrative leave.
ADDED MONDAY: The Seattle Times says the man who was killed was Isaiah Hinds, identified in June as the suspect in a murder at a South Seattle church in March.
The King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office has charged the man arrested earlier this week after a West Seattle burglary/car-theft victim woke up to see her car, taken a day earlier, back outside her house. We reported on the burglary/theft Tuesday, and the arrest Wednesday. The suspect is 35-year-old Samuel M. Robinson, who remains in jail today, bail set at $25,000. It’s his sixth jail booking in a little over two months, first time a judge has set bail.
First, the new charge: Robinson is charged with residential burglary for this week’s West Seattle incident. This is the third felony charge filed against him this month; on July 8th, he was charged with auto theft for stealing a pickup truck from the 7900 block of 1st Avenue South in southeast West Seattle. On July 28th, he was charged with second-degree burglary for a break-in at a Kent business a few days earlier. In the new charge, documents reveal a few more details about the case: Robinson was identified in part because of a black-and-pink BB gun left in the victims’ house; an officer recalled stopping Robinson, who had a similar gun, a few days earlier. Security video helped make the match too.
Robinson, who has a Westwood address, has convictions for assault and robbery more than a decade ago. The $25,000 bail set for him today by King County Superior Court Judge Melinda Young is half the $50,000 that prosecutors requested, but it was the first time a judge set bail this year, according to background information we obtained from the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office. After his July 4th arrest in West Seattle, they asked for $10,000 bail, but a judge released him on personal recognizance. On July 8th, the KCPAO filed the auto-theft charge. He was arrested again that day by King County Sheriff’s Deputies, again for vehicle theft. After two weeks in jail, he was released again on personal recognizance; that case has yet to be forwarded to the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office by KCSO for a charging decision.
Three days after he got out of jail that time, he was arrested for the Kent burglary. Prosecutors asked for $5,000 bail, but a judge again released Robinson on personal recognizance, two days after he was booked. The charge in that case was filed the following day. Then two days after his release in that case, Tukwila Police arrested him on July 29th, for investigation of possessing stolen property, Yet again, he was released on personal recognizance, this time after one day in jail – and four days later, the West Seattle burglary happened. (Tukwila Police have not yet referred that case to the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office for a charging decision.) We don’t have the judges’ names in any but today’s hearing, but will be reading through more case documentation to see if we can find any. Meantime, Robinson will be arraigned later this month on the charge filed today.
If you’re not yet vaccinated against COVID-19 but are eligible – here’s a quick mention of two opportunities we just found out about, today and tomorrow. 4-6 pm today, vaccinations are available as part of the High Point Healthy Families health fair at Neighborhood House (6400 Sylvan Way SW), on the basketball courts. Tomorrow, 1-5 pm, vaccinations are available during the first-ever Low Rider Block Party on 17th SW between Roxbury and Delridge. All are welcome at both events.
The return of Loop the ‘Lupe – four events in one! – is a little over three weeks away. You can choose between Seattle’s only obstacle-course event, the 5K fun run, the Senior Saunter, and/or the Kids’ Dash, all at Walt Hundley Playfield on Sunday, August 29th. The obstacle course features seven obstacles on a distance-certified 1K “loop.”
If you’re not already registered, there are five good reasons to do it today: Registration fees for the obstacle course and 5K are discounted $5 through tonight – then tomorrow the fee goes up. Loop the ‘Lupe, with community co-sponsors including WSB, raises money, explains race director Brian Callanan, for “the social outreach work at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church, which operates a safe parking lot for homeless neighbors, coordinates voter registration and racial justice education, holds an annual Day of Service benefitting various organizations in the region, and much more.” It all stretches across the morning and afternoon on August 29th, also including live music, food, drinks, and a beer garden.
To register, go here!
For most Seattle Public Schools students, the first day of school is less than four weeks away. If you have a West Seattle High School student interested in sports, the Athletics Department sends word that signups are already under way. This flyer has details of what’s being offered this fall and what isn’t. It also includes the fall sports’ game/match/meet schedules, if you’re interested in marking your calendar:
For players and families, you can go here to register online. If you have a football player in the family, head coach Jeff Scott sent us this sport-specific announcement:
Team meeting – August 18th at 4 pm at West Seattle high School
First day of Practice – August 19th at 9 am
My registration before first day of practice – www.WestSeattleFootball.com
Question? Contact Coach Scott at 206-696-5333 or email Westseattlefootball@gmail.com
Football will be the first sport to open the fall season, with the first game September 3rd.
Construction of the new Lam Bow Apartments (6935 Delridge Way SW) has finally begun, almost five years after a three-alarm fire gutted one of its buildings. In 2019, the Seattle Housing Authority decided the remaining building should be replaced too. Here’s a rendering of the 82-unit affordable-housing building that will replace the two original buildings.
(The project went through Administrative Design Review – public comment but no meetings; here’s the packet by SMR Architects, if you’re interested in design/layout details.) When the city first put the project out to bid last year, no one bid. So they tried again this year, and Walsh Construction was the winning bidder; SHA spokesperson Kerry Coughlin says the contract is for $32 million and that the building is expected to open by spring 2023.
Thanks to Kersti Muul for the tip. Transient orcas are southbound, south of Blake Island, so visible from west-facing West Seattle. Let us know if you see them!
10:17 AM: Northbound 26th SW is already closed south of Westwood Village because of road work; you’ll want to avoid the southbound side for a while too, as Seattle Fire is there for a gas-leak response.
10:33 AM: Southbound 26th is also closed at Barton. We can’t get close enough to ask questions but a crew is working on it.
2:45 PM: Since this is the construction zone for King County-led road work related to bus routing, we tracked down information from Metro spokesperson Jeff Switzer, who tells WSB:
At about 9:45 a.m. Seattle Fire crews arrived in response to a natural gas leak in the construction zone in the northbound lanes of 26th Avenue SW, halfway between SW Barton and SW Cambridge streets. The southbound lanes were closed while Puget Sound Energy and fire crews worked to identify and contain the leak. According to preliminary information, a crew for the contractor was sawcutting concrete panels near the middle of the roadway and cut into a 1-inch-diameter natural gas service line that was just below the depth of the roadway. No injuries were reported. The southbound roadway is estimated to remain closed until 8 p.m. while crews replace the gas line at a proper depth. The southbound roadway will reopen to traffic once work is complete; the northbound roadway remains closed and under construction for the coming months.
7:30 PM: SB 26th is open again.
6:57 AM: Seattle Fire has sent a full response to the 6900 block of 24th SW.
6:59 AM: SFD says the fire was “quickly put under control by responding crews.”
7:17 AM: No injuries reported. The cause is under investigation; the Red Cross is being called to assist the family who lives there.
7:22 AM: Our crew has spoken with firefighters at the scene. They say it was a small fire in the basement, out now. Photos added.
7:10 AM: The Water Taxi had to swap Doc Maynard in for Spirit of Kingston, which had a problem that led to cancellation of the 6:50 am run from West Seattle.
Earlier:
6:07 AM: Good morning, Unsettled forecast for your Friday.
ROAD WORK
Highway 99 Tunnel: Overnight closure tonight for maintenance.
26th SW – Closed northbound between Roxbury and Barton. Project details are here
Delridge project – Awaiting today’s update on the next wave of closures. Here’s the most-recent project note.
West Marginal Way/Highland Park Way: Construction is planned at the intersection again this weekend, 3 am-1 pm both days.
TRANSIT
Buses are on regular schedules – except for the South Delridge and 26th rerouting. Watch @kcmetrobus for word of bus cancellations.
For ferries and water taxis, all is normal. Watch @wsferries for updates.
BRIDGES AND DETOUR ROUTES
501st 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 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? See the @SDOTBridges Twitter feed. (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.
Watch for Edwardo‘s pickup truck:
My 2006 F-350 Super Duty Power Stroke got stolen from 60th Ave SW and SW Stevens St around 9 pm (Thursday). It was previously stolen January 21, 2021, then recovered next day after a (reader) reported it. Please keep a lookout … the front fender flares aren’t missing. Cash reward if you lead to recovery. Plate number (updated) C56492V
Call 911 if you see it.
10:06 PM: Thanks for the tip. 166 customers in the Endolyne/Brace Point area just lost power a few minutes ago. This is part of the area where a big Seattle City Light cable-replacement project is about to start, as we reported this morning. Updates to come.
11:55 PM: The outage map now blames this on “equipment failure.”
1:55 AM: Still out.
7:20 AM: Still out, and the SCL map shows the outage expanded to 336 customers – the size of at least two outages in that same area last year – early this morning.
(Photo by Lynn Hall – response off Alki Avenue)
Just in case you heard the sirens/saw the lights – there were two short-lived water-rescue responses off West Seattle shores tonight. First one was around quarter to 8, off the 1100 block of Alki Avenue SW, initially reported as a paddleboarder possibly in trouble; second one was at about 8:30, off the 3500 block of Beach Drive SW, initially reported as a person on a raft possibly in distress.
(Photo by Ann Marie Ogle – response off Beach Drive)
Both responses were canceled within minutes.
6:03 PM: Seattle Police SWAT was serving an arrest warrant in White Center near 20th and 100th when shots were fired. We don’t know yet who fired but the person who was shot was described as a suspect. We are at the scene and will update.
6:06 PM: If you’re in the area, police have set off a ‘flashbang’ before entering the house to see if anyone else is inside. The shooting happened outside.
6:17 PM: The person who was shot has been taken to the hospital. (Correction: Police later said he was declared dead at the scene.) Officers are now searching the residence. The area’s been taped off, including SW 100th.
6:42 PM: SPD Chief Adrian Diaz is here. Officers are still trying to ensure the house is clear.
6:55 PM: They’ve set off another flashbang, to try to rouse anyone inside. Now a TV helicopter’s in the area.
7:24 PM: We and other media are awaiting a briefing from an SPD public-information officer.
7:55 PM: SPD says the person shot by officers has died. They confirm they had gone to the house to arrest a suspect in a Seattle murder case from earlier this year. Assistant Chief Deanna Nollette said the man who was shot and killed had come out of the house with a gun and it appears he shot first; they are not yet confirming that the man they shot is the one they were there to arrest. We recorded the briefing on video and will upload it shortly. (Added: Here’s the video.)
The distinction that the warrant was for a Seattle case is important because it rules out the recent unsolved White Center/North Highline murders – those were outside the city limits.
MIDNIGHT: SPD Blotter says the man who was shot was 22 years old and was the suspect officers had gone there to arrest.
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
With many amendments but little drama, Sound Transit Board members have adopted what they call a “hybrid” realignment plan.
It’s the result of two methodologies for dealing with an “affordability gap” currently estimated at $6+ billion, down from a previous $12 billion estimate – pushing back the schedule, and cutting costs. Board chair Kent Keel of the University Place City Council and Claudia Balducci of the King County Council consolidated their dueling proposals to make it happen, toward the end of almost a year and a half of discussion.
The headline for West Seattle: The light-rail line between The Junction and SODO is in the plan’s Tier 1, which means it’s a high priority, and among the least likely to face more delays. It’s already scheduled for one year later than the original 2030 date in the ST3 ballot measure; what emerged during realignment discussions as the “Affordable Schedule” for ST projects would push it back no more than one additional year, to 2032. The official language for Tier 1 projects is “as close to the original ST3 schedule as reasonably possible.” However, under this plan, SODO would be the end of the line for an estimated six years; the second Downtown Transit Tunnel is not projected for completion until 2038. (The original ST3 plan had a five-year gap.)
For fine-print fans, here’s the substitute realignment resolution the board approved, as seen before the amendments that all got unanimous “yes” votes – which were, from this list, #2, #4, #5, #6, #7, #9, #10. Some amendments clarified the language about the board’s intent to “speed up” implementation of projects if at all possible; others advanced a few projects to higher-priority tiers, such as two Seattle “infill” stations and parking/bus projects outside Seattle.
At the end of the meeting, board members expressed relief and even some jubilation. “I wasn’t sure this was possible!” marveled board member Bruce Dammeier, the Pierce County Executive. “Now we have a framework before us,” observed board chair Keel.
The plan now calls for re-examining projects at multiple points before construction is green-lighted:
One of two West Seattleites on the board, County Councilmember Joe McDermott, told us afterward: “Today the Board took action to better monitor and be informed of cost projections and also set expectations on project delivery. Most important to West Seattle is the fact that today’s vote keeps intact the expected opening of Light Rail serving West Seattle with stations serving the Alaska Junction, Avalon, and Delridge in 2032. … Meeting my objective of not delaying Light Rail to West Seattle was essential to my vote for the agency’s ‘realignment’ proposal this afternoon.”
So what’s next for West Seattle light rail? The draft Environmental Impact Statement, currently in development, will be a major step toward settling on station locations and the exact path light rail would follow to get to them; we’ll be checking on the latest projected release date (most recent estimate was “fall”). Its release will launch a new public-comment period.
The third round of results from the August 3rd primary is now out. Of the five races and one ballot measure that comprised West Seattle ballots, there’s only one major change: Incumbent city attorney Pete Holmes is now in third place with 32%, behind Ann Davison at 34.5% and Nicole Thomas-Kennedy at 33.1%. The count represents 27 percent of all Seattle ballots sent out; that’s just under two-thirds of all Seattle ballots received so far. Next update, tomorrow afternoon.
One of your West Seattle neighbors, Kaitlin Skilton, is Ms. Wheelchair Washington, headed to national Ms. Wheelchair America competition next week. Here’s her announcement:
Kaitlin Skilton, a Seattle native who competed and won the state competition with her platform of Inclusivity, is preparing to compete for the title of Ms. Wheelchair America with her new platform (bettering interactions between law enforcement and the disability community). Her platform focuses on training for officers to identify when an individual has a visible and/or invisible disability and how to best meet their needs.
Skilton was born on September 19th, 1996 with Spina Bifida Myelomeningocele, as well as other underlying disabilities. Kaitlin is also a commissioner on Seattle’s Disability Commission, a commission that advises the mayor, city council, and city departments on various topics involving the disability community.
Kaitlin is also eligible to win the People’s Choice Award, an award that was intended to help raise money for the new Ms.Wheelchair America to help cover the cost of a PCA and travel cost as well as for her state. Click here to vote for just $1!
The Ms. Wheelchair America program has almost half a century of history
Since it’s Thursday, we’re looking ahead to a few of this weekend’s major events. First: The 15th Duwamish River Festival is back, on Saturday afternoon (August 7th), celebrating Seattle’s only river. This year, it’s at South Park Plaza (8456 Dallas Ave. S.), next to the west end of the South Park Bridge. The free festival, coordinated by the Duwamish River Cleanup Coalition, begins at noon, with a welcoming ceremony by the Duwamish Tribe planned for 12:10 pm, followed by a full schedule of music, dance, and spoken-word performances – Joyas Mestizas are up first at 12:15 pm, Chaotic Noise Marching Corps wraps up the performances, at 4:30 pm. See the full schedule here. The festival will also offer dozens of educational booths, a vaccination/health clinic, job fair, kayaking trips, free trees, swap meet/flea market, and more.
(Seattle City Light photos of the type of construction work that’s planned)
Undergrounding electrical service doesn’t make it outage-proof. Residents in the Brace Point area south of Fauntleroy know that firsthand. After multiple outages, they’re about to get replacements for half-century-old underground infrastructure. We’ve reported on the long-planned project before; on Wednesday afternoon, Seattle City Light offered an online meeting for residents to get project details and ask questions. The meeting was scheduled for an hour but lasted only half that, adjourned when attendees ran out of questions.
Here are our toplines, starting with where the work will happen:
(You can see a slightly larger version of the map on the project website.) The contractor is Olson Brothers Excavating of Puyallup, awarded a $7 million contract for the project. Reps from both the contractor and SCL were at the meeting; they said the work will last “two to three years.” While some work was done to bolster underground cables with silicone injections a decade ago, it only worked on half the cables, so replacement is needed now. Other background:
The work involves trenching and will all be done in public right-of-way.
It was also made clear that the work only involves the city-owned system, no private connections to residences. Some outages will be needed, but those aren’t expected until later in the project, at least a year from now, and SCL promises there’ll be advance notice unless it’s an “emergency” outage. The outages, they promised, would last hours, not days, and would generally be in the daytime. (Same goes for the work hours – weekdays, 8-5, is the standard plan.)
Crews will be working in multiple areas concurrently; at day’s end, any trenching that hasn’t been filled (temporary fill will precede permanent fill) will be covered with steel plates.
So when and where will the work start? Preparation, such as surveying, is happening now. 47th SW is the first planned work location, according to the contractor. One resident voiced concern about access, and was assured that access will be maintained, and any road closures would be fleeting – “minutes” in duration. Residents with questions/problems during the construction can contact the contractor via communityoutreach@olsonbrothers.net.
One more note: SCL says it’ll link a recording of the Wednesday meeting on the project website soon.
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