day : 12/01/2022 12 results

We can’t let Wednesday go without a few of the photos sent to us after the blazingly bright sunset, spectacular whether you had a view across the water as did James Bratsanos (above) or across a hill (Charlestown) as did Greg Snyder (below):

Greg called it a “sky on fire.” The colors even spread to the east, as shown in Carolyn Newman‘s photo:

And one more look at that orange sky in the west, from John Bartell:

If you’re treasuring the lengthening days … note that we’re just two weeks away from 5 pm-and-later sunsets.

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WEST SEATTLE CRIME WATCH: Armed-robbery investigation

January 12, 2022 8:23 pm

| 27 COMMENTS

| Crime | West Seattle news | West Seattle police

(Added: WSB photo, police @ robbery scene)

8:23 PM: Police have converged on the Origins cannabis store in The Junction to investigate a report the store was held up at gunpoint. Here’s what we’re hearing from officers and dispatch: The store was robbed by three men in their 20s, who got away with some merchandise and two registers. The early description information is that the robbers were Black, all thin-to-medium build, wearing face masks, one taller than 6′ and carrying what was described to police as an “Uzi,” another shorter than 6′, no clothing description so far. They were last seen headed westbound on Edmunds from 40th (the store is at that corner). A K9 team (from the King County Sheriff’s Office, as no SPD K9 team was available) is on the way to join the search.

8:30 PM: More detailed descriptions of two of the robbers – the one with the “Uzi” wore a blue coat, black beanie, and dark pants, and is about 6’2″ and slender; another about 5’6″ and 180 pounds, carrying a tan “Glock-type” gun, wearing a red hoodie and dark pants. Only one added detail for the third robber – wearing a “paintball mask.”

10:10 PM: No further updates since then; we’ll be requesting the report in the morning.

10 AM THURSDAY: Only one additional detail in the preliminary summary – that one description matched that of a suspect in a carjacking 20 minutes earlier near 35th/Morgan. W4’re requesting the report on that and will publish separately when we have details.

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WEST SEATTLE LIGHT RAIL: See early designs for 13 station alternatives, as shown to new advisory group

January 12, 2022 8:17 pm

| 54 COMMENTS

| Sound Transit | West Seattle news

(Sound Transit recording of Tuesday’s meeting)

By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

Three stations are planned for Sound Transit‘s West Seattle light-rail extension – Delridge, Avalon, The Junction. Each one still has multiple potential locations under study, but the newest ST public presentation provided an official detailed look at early design possibilities for all of them.

That happened during the first meeting of the West Seattle/Duwamish Community Advisory Group for the project, which is now projected to launch light rail to/from the peninsula in 2032.

The slide deck for this meeting ran 119 pages – you can scroll through for the closest look yet at all the station possibilities that are being studied and will be part of what’s addressed in the Draft Environmental Impact Statement:

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FOLLOWUP: City’s initial plans for Highland Park Way post-landslides

January 12, 2022 6:32 pm

| 2 COMMENTS

| Highland Park | Safety | West Seattle news

(SDOT photo, Tuesday afternoon)

Two lanes of Highland Park Way will remain closed until at least tomorrow, SDOT says, in the aftermath of two landslides (Friday and Tuesday). That’s a “safety precaution due to the risk of more landslides while it continues to rain,” according to spokesperson Ethan Bergerson. So what’s being done to address the ongoing risk? Bergerson says SDOT is working with Seattle Parks – which owns much of the slope alongside the uphill lanes – “to plan temporary erosion-control measures now, as well as to promote more vegetation in the spring.” Among those measures are “concrete blocks at the base of the hill to support and hold back the land” – those were installed before the road was partly reopened last night. In spring, when conditions are better for vegetation growth, the plan includes hydroseeding the slope “to protect the near surface soils.”

These slides came five years after a massive slide closed the same stretch for two days. Five months after that, the City Council was considering supplemental-budget funding for a $60,000 “rock buttress” along that same section of Highland Park Way; we’re still researching what eventually happened – Google Street View shows concrete blocks along part of the road, across from the SW Othello intersection – adjacent to where the new ones have been placed, as shown in the top photo, following Tuesday’s slide.

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SEEN OFF WEST SEATTLE: Test fishing

January 12, 2022 4:25 pm

| 9 COMMENTS

| Seen at sea | West Seattle news | Wildlife

James Borrow, who often shares photos of interesting offshore sights, photographed that boat off Alki on Tuesday. We asked the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife what kind of research its crew was doing. Here’s what WDFW’s Chase Gunnell found out for us: “Our understanding is that boat is contracted by the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe to do test fishing (also known as catch sampling) for Puget Sound winter Chinook (also known as blackmouth) and other salmon in coordination with WDFW during the ongoing Marine Area 10 winter salmon season.” That season opened on New Year’s Day and is scheduled to run through the end of March, allowing fishing on Saturdays, Sundays, and Mondays, with a daily limit of one salmon. Gunnell says WDFW has its own boat out test-fishing those three days, as well, and has staff doing spot checks at area boat ramps including Don Armeni – here are the charts of what they’ve found.

SIDE NOTE: This past weekend, we learned from Gunnell, some of the people fishing off West Seattle were participating in the annual Tengu Blackmouth Derby – a derby with an 85-year history. Here’s the story.

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WEST SEATTLE SCENE: King County Water Taxi’s new pet policy unleashed

January 12, 2022 2:42 pm

| 9 COMMENTS

| King County Water Taxi | Pets | West Seattle news

(WSB photo)

No, the dogs aren’t unleashed, just the policy. A few canine companions of Metro employees joined King County Executive Dow Constantine at a brief Seacrest event this morning to spotlight the new policy allowing dogs (leashed) and cats (in carriers) aboard the King County Water Taxi. We mentioned the policy change on Tuesday. What about other pets? readers wondered, so we asked. Maybe down the road, Metro says. We also asked whether this really entailed more than just saying hey, guess what, you can bring your dog or cat aboard. Answer: Yes – it required U.S. Coast Guard approval, because of capacity limits. You can read the full KCWT pet policy (just one page long) here.

Side note – independent of the new policy, one dog had a backstory:

Jim is holding KC Metro, adopted after being found, abandoned, on board a Metro Route 36 bus.

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BIZNOTE: West Bay Coffee and Smoothies crowdfunding to stay afloat after weather damage

January 12, 2022 12:47 pm

| 11 COMMENTS

| West Seattle businesses | West Seattle news | WS beverages

(Photo courtesy GoFundMe)

“I didn’t want to lose my business … I could not imagine closing.”

That’s why Jennifer West is going to drastic lengths, including seeking crowdfunding, to keep her independent drive-up/ride-up West Bay Coffee and Smoothies in business after weather damage threatened to end its 14-year run at 2255 Harbor Avenue SW.

The stand shares water service with the larger commercial building on the site. Pipes broke during the recent ultra-cold weather, West says, flooding the larger building. She says the property manager proposed just cutting off service, which would force her to move. Or, she could fix the lines affecting the stand, at her own expense. She also has no access to a restroom or storage in the main building. So she’s paid for the plumbing to her stand, a new porta-potty just delivered yesterday, and is working on a new storage shed.

All that costs money, so she launched a GoFundMe crowdfunding page this week. “It’s been a nightmare but we’re working through the logistics to try to remain open,” West tells WSB. As the synopsis on the crowdfunding page says, she’s already gone through a lot, as have so many businesses – “We’ve been through covid exposures, weathered ongoing supply-chain issues and enormous supply price hikes, while trying to keep everyone safe” – she can’t bear to throw in the towel now.

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Mayor extends eviction moratorium one more month

January 12, 2022 11:34 am

| 31 COMMENTS

| Coronavirus | West Seattle news

11:34 AM: Seattle’s eviction moratorium – which was about to expire – will be extended another month. Mayor Bruce Harrell announced that decision this morning. He’s also continuing to suspend utility shutoffs for another 90 days, and continuing the suspension of “booting” parking-ticket scofflaws indefinitely. The eviction moratorium affects residential, small business, and nonprofit tenants and their landlords, and that will continue until February 14th. The mayor is also issuing an order telling city departments to collect data on effects of the moratorium, and to evaluate coordination of the types of relief that are available, among other big-picture steps. We’ll link the full announcement when it’s available.

1:13 PM: Here’s the announcement.

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WEST SEATTLE WEDNESDAY: 6 notes

January 12, 2022 10:57 am

| 1 COMMENT

| West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

(Photo by Theresa Arbow-O’Connor)

Here’s what’s up for the hours ahead:

SECOND SHIP AT T-5: A late add to the frequently revised shipping schedule (since our last check Wednesday), AS Carlotta is at Terminal 5 today, second ship to call at the newly modernized north berth. This is a smaller ship than the one that called last week.

NEW CLASSES AT DELRIDGE CC: More new winter classes start today – including a “Let’s Make Cats” craft class for kids at 4 pm and all-ages karate at 5:30 pm. Contact Delridge Community Center (4501 Delridge Way SW) for registration information.

SEATTLE SCHOOL BOARD: For those interested in whether the COVID situation will be discussed, the Seattle Public Schools Board of Directors‘ next meeting is at 4:15 pm today, online. Here’s the agenda, which includes information on how to view the meeting.

WESTSIDE SCHOOL INFO NIGHT: Future middle-schooler in the household? Westside School (WSB sponsor) has an online information night for you tonight at 6 pm. Our calendar listing explains how to register to attend.

SPORTS MEDICINE TALK: “What are the 3 key functional tests every runner should be able to perform?” Get the answer to that question, and more, at 6:20 pm tonight, when West Seattle Runner hosts Lake Washington Physical Therapy (both WSB sponsors) for a free talk at the shop. (2743 California SW)

34TH DISTRICT DEMOCRATS: Monthly meeting online – 6:30 pm pre-meeting presentation about how the pandemic is affecting mental health, 7:30 pm monthly meeting with items including board elections and annual awards. Here’s the link for registering to attend.

Something to list on our calendar? Email the info to westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!

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VACCINATION: West Seattle clinic for kids this Saturday

January 12, 2022 9:40 am

| Comments Off on VACCINATION: West Seattle clinic for kids this Saturday

| Coronavirus | West Seattle news

Families of 5-to-11-year-olds who are still looking for COVID-19 vaccination opportunities for their kids are invited to one this Saturday morning in West Seattle. 9 am-noon on Saturday (January 15th), Neighborhood Naturopathic (5410 California SW) is hosting a clinic for kids, and they don’t have to be current clinic patients. For those who get their first dose that day, a second-dose clinic is planned 9 am-noon February 5th. For an appointment, and/or if you have questions, call 206-486-8383.

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Remembering Deborah Lin Smith, 1966-2021

January 12, 2022 9:00 am

| 13 COMMENTS

| Obituaries | West Seattle news

Family and friends are remembering Deborah Lin Smith and sharing this remembrance with her community:

Deborah (Deb) Lin Smith passed away December 15, 2021, at the age of 55 after a battle with cancer.

Deb was born to Ronald and Karin Smith in Seattle, and shortly thereafter the family moved to Billings, Montana. Deb attended Boulder Elementary, Will James Junior High, and Billings West High School, graduating in 1984. She was always an excellent student and attended the University of California, San Diego, studying molecular biology. She received her Bachelor of Science in molecular biology in 1988.
Upon graduation, she moved to Seattle, where she lived the rest of her life. Her first job there was at The Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, and later she worked as a bench scientist at Zymogenetics.

A blind date led her to meet Mark Anderson, and they fell in love. They married July 13, 1996, on a record-breaking hot summer day, and thereafter made their roots in West Seattle. Their 25th wedding anniversary was celebrated this past July. The greatest joys in her life were her two daughters: Hanna, now a senior at Tufts University, and Keira, a senior in high school.

Deb was always a sports enthusiast, playing varsity volleyball in high school and on intramural teams. She was a loyal fan of the Sounders, Storm, and the University of Washington Huskies. She was an excellent cook and baker and loved exploring new tastes and flavors. She always had a love for animals, especially dogs, and her yellow lab Bailey will miss her dearly.

She participated in many volunteer activities including at the YMCA, the Red Cross, voter registration, and at Swedish hospital as a cuddler of newborns. She also spent much of her time while the girls were growing up attending their many concerts and sporting events including soccer, volleyball, basketball, and crew.

Personal relationships were always very important to Deb, and she maintained and treasured those throughout her life. She had a vast number of friends that she met through high school and college and later through involvement in tennis, her gym, and of course the many friends she met through involvement with her daughters’ activities.

She is preceded in death by her grandparents, and survived by her husband Mark, daughters Hanna and Keira, parents Ron and Karin Smith, brother Len Smith (Maura), sister Erika Smith, her in-laws Anne and Warren Anderson, her sister-in-law Kristi Anderson, and her many nieces and nephews.

A private family service will be held at a later date. To share your condolences and memories of Deb with her family and friends, visit funerals.coop/obituaries/deborah-deb-lin-smith.html. In lieu of flowers, please consider a gift in her memory to the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, directed toward lung cancer research at fredhutch.org.

(WSB publishes West Seattle obituaries and memorial announcements by request, free of charge. Please email the text, and a photo if available, to editor@westseattleblog.com)

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TRAFFIC, WEATHER, TRANSIT: Wednesday watch, with another pothole alert

January 12, 2022 6:27 am

| 7 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

6:27 AM Good morning!

WEATHER

Even warmer today, according to the forecast – which predicts rain and a high in the mid-to-upper 50s.

HIGHLAND PARK WAY

No update so we’re assuming it’s still one lane each way between Holden and West Marginal, following Tuesday’s slide. Here are the relevant cameras:

West Marginal Way at Highland Park Way:

Highland Park Way/Holden:

BUSES, WATER TAXI, FERRIES

West Seattle and Vashon Water Taxi routes are on their regular schedules.

Metro is on its regular weekday schedule. Watch @kcmetrobus for word of trip cancellations.

Ferries: WSF continues a two-boat schedule on the Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth run. Check here for alerts/updates.

BRIDGES AND DETOUR ROUTES

659th morning without the West Seattle Bridge.

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.)

The 1st Avenue South Bridge (map):

South Park Bridge:

The 5-way intersection (Spokane/West Marginal/Delridge/Chelan):

Are movable bridges opening for vessels? The @SDOTBridges Twitter feed can tell you; 1st Ave. S. Bridge openings are also tweeted on @wsdot_traffic.

See all local traffic cams here; locally relevant cameras are also on this WSB page

POTHOLE ALERT

We featured a few on Monday and Tuesday. For today, another report, from Ellie;

Coming along East Marginal Way toward the bridge … there are some wicked potholes. I was in the center lane and around Lucile (maybe a little further North) saw the car ahead swerve and then saw potholes but I had cars either side of me so kept on course. That resulted in two flat tires – I made it to the Jack in the Box parking lot which seemed the safest place to go and over the next hour when waiting for a tow truck saw at least four other cars (all sedans) come in with flat tires. Wish that I had swerved too but it was thick traffic and didn’t feel safe to do so. Wanted to pass along in case it’s helpful for other commuters!

Here’s how to report potholes.

Trouble on the streets/paths/bridges/water? Please let us know – text (but not if you’re driving!) 206-293-6302.

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