West Seattle, Washington
09 Saturday
11:57 PM MONDAY: That’s Jason, whose cousin Emily hopes you can help his family find him. Emily says Jason has been missing since October 5:
He was last seen taking the 165 metro bus from Kent, on his way to White Center. He often visited parks and churches in the West Seattle area in the night hours to walk but always returned home or texted us back. … He was last known to be at Fauntleroy Church on 9/27, but we are hoping that maybe he has visited familiar places in the meantime since he was missing.
Since October 5, texts to his phone are not received. The police has been notified and a missing persons report has been filed. It is very concerning that he cannot receive messages. Please keep him in your thoughts and prayers and look out for him. Thank you so much.
If you see Jason, you can contact police and refer to case # 22-113580.
ADDED 9:19 AM TUESDAY: Description info from Jason’s family:
Height – around 5’10
Age – 19
Could be wearing a black hoodie, blue jeans, or black sweats.
King County Elections will send your general-election ballot later this week. Though you’ve probably heard a lot about local and national Congressional races, as we noted here, your ballot will have a lot more to decide – including King County Proposition 1, which raises money for land conservation/acquisition by restoring an existing levy to the original rate that’s been reduced by various state actions. Five months after announcing it at White Center Heights Park, County Executive Dow Constantine returned there this morning with this area’s County Councilmember Joe McDermott (like Constantine, a West Seattleite) and other supporters from around the county to ask for a “yes” vote. Here’s our video:
In order, the speakers were:
-King County Councilmember Joe McDermott
–Paul Winterstein from the Issaquah Alps Trails Club
-Executive Constantine, who stressed that the quest to preserve green space is “racing to keep up with population growth, racing to keep up with environmental changes”
-Sammamish Mayor & Former DNR wildland firefighter Kali Clark, whose observations about the relevance of land preservation to wildfire prevention were timely for obvious reasons
-King County Open Space Equity Cabinet member Sarneshea Evans, who observed that too many KC residents don’t live close to green space
-Zazueta Family Farm owner/farmer Guillermo Zazueta, who told the story of starting his organic permaculture farm earlier this year (Constantine had explained that the measure would preserve farmland as well as other types of green space)
-King County Councilmember Rod Dembowski, who declared that Prop 1 is “incredibly affordable (and) incredibly meaningful”
As noted when the ballot measure was announced in May, it would add about $2 per month to the taxes of a median-priced King County home. Supporters say tens of thousands of acres of land have been identified for potential acquisition/preservation; we asked what percentage are in urban areas – here’s the written response from the campaign:
Of the 45,000 acres targeted for acquisition as part of the Land Conservation Initiative, 10% are for urban open space and regional trails.
Since 2016, 30% of LCI acquisition dollars (all sources) have been spent on urban greenspaces and regional trails.
Since 2020, 25% of Conservation Futures funding has been awarded to match waiver projects in opportunity areas (those projects meeting specific criteria for need)
Read a summary and/or the full text of Prop 1, as well as statements for/against, by going here. Once you get your ballot, you’ll have until November 8th to vote and turn it in.
(Latest image from ‘live’ SDOT camera atop the bridge)
Just received from SDOT:
Westbound lanes on West Seattle Bridge closed Wednesday overnight for overhead signage adjustment
Overnight on Wednesday, October 19 to early morning Thursday, October 20 we will be closing all westbound lanes on the West Seattle Bridge to allow crews to complete overhead sign adjustment work. Once work is complete, all westbound travel lanes on the bridge will be restored. A signed detour route, directing travelers across the Spokane St Swing Bridge (low bridge) will be in place during the closure.
We will also be conducting single lane closures on the westbound lanes overnight tonight (and Tuesday night). These closures are also being conducted as part of the signage adjustment work.
No exact hours for any of the above yet – we might not get those until tomorrow, but we’ll update when we do, and we’ll include reminders (as we do with all announced road work/closures) in our first-thing-in-the-morning traffic roundups.
P.S. Tonight marks exactly one month since the bridge reopened.
ADDED TUESDAY AFTERNOON: SDOT says this has been canceled and will be rescheduled, possibly for next week.
Two weeks until Halloween! Our decoration spotlights continue with the “spooky swamp” set up by Meagan and Matt. She explains:
My husband and I are excited to roll out our spooky swamp this Halloween at the intersection of 19th Ave SW and SW Austin St. Watch your step in the fog, we spotted a few gators and snakes in the area!
We are also participating in the Teal Pumpkin Project, an awareness campaign for kids with food allergies. We will have non-food treats available in a separate bowl from candy so the kiddos with allergies get to enjoy themselves as much as anyone else!
There is more information available as well as a map of participating households (here). I hope more people will join and parents/guardians of kids with allergies find this helpful in their trick-or-treat planning.
Anybody else participating in the Teal Pumpkin Project is welcome to send their location for our forthcoming Halloween Guide. We’re still loving the decoration pics, too – westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!
In our photo at right is West Seattle podiatrist Dr. Michael Vickers, who’s about to retire and hand over his patients to Dr. Ryan Schwanke (left). Here’s the announcement from West Seattle Foot & Ankle Clinic:
fter caring for the West Seattle community for over 33 years, Dr. Michael Vickers of West Seattle Foot & Ankle Clinic is retiring on October 28. Dr. Ryan Schwanke, a West Seattle resident and an experienced podiatrist and podiatric surgeon, will begin seeing patients at the clinic on October 31.
Here is the letter Dr. Vickers sent to his patients:
It is with mixed emotions that I announce my retirement as of October 28, 2022. Caring for you, my patients, has been the most rewarding part of my 33 years with West Seattle Foot & Ankle Clinic. I have come to know many of my patients and their families as friends, and I am honored that many of you have asked me to care for two, and even three, generations. I have truly cherished my time as part of the West Seattle community.
I am excited to announce that Dr. Ryan Schwanke will be joining the practice full time this fall and will be assuming care of my patients. Dr. Schwanke is an experienced podiatrist and podiatric surgeon. He has been practicing in the Seattle area since completing his training at one of the top residencies in the country, the Swedish Foot and Ankle Surgery Residency Program at Swedish Medical Center in Seattle. During his residency, both Dr. LaBella and I worked closely with Dr. Schwanke as he assisted with our outpatient surgeries and trained in a clinical setting with us here at West Seattle Foot & Ankle Clinic. I am confident you will welcome Dr. Schwanke and be very pleased with his care.
It has been an extremely rewarding experience to help West Seattle Foot & Ankle Clinic grow into one of the most respected foot and ankle clinics in the Pacific Northwest. It is a testament to our excellent team that providers from across the Puget Sound frequently refer their patients to us for foot and ankle care. West Seattle Foot & Ankle Clinic has been serving our community for 43 years and I know that Dr. LaBella, Dr. Schwanke, and our dedicated staff will continue that tradition.
Sincerely,
Michael B. Vickers, DPM
The clinic is in The Junction at 4520 42nd SW.
From weekend summaries plus the WSB inbox:
KNIFEPOINT ROBBERY: Just after 5 pm Sunday, a woman was held up at knifepoint outside the 35th/Avalon 7-11. The SPD summary says:
Two suspects had apparently been trying to get the victim’s attention, but she left. When she returned to her car, there was an orange cone on her car. The two suspects approached her again and this time one of them pulled a knife on her. She was able to get into her car but as she was driving away the suspect opened her car door, reached in, and stole a bag before the victim drove away.
PARTY ASSAULT: An officer was injured while trying to break up what the SPD summary describes as a “large house party” in Seaview just before 10 pm Friday. The summary says, “On arrival, officers encountered roughly 100 juvenile partiers; some began anti-police chants.” Police say one threw “at least two fist-sized rocks at officers, striking (one) officer in the shin.” One teen was arrested and booked into juvenile custody.
GUNFIRE INCIDENT #1: Around 12:37 am Sunday, a report of suspected gunfire led officers to the 4700 block of Delridge Way SW, where they are reported to have found “evidence of a shooting.” 911 callers sai they had seen a silver sedan leaving the area. No injuries reported.
GUNFIRE INCIDENT #2: On Friday morning, a Seattle Parks employee reported a bullet hole in a metal box at Roxhill Park. Police responded and found not only the hole but also a spent bullet in the box, They couldn’t determine when it happened.
DUMPED-LIKELY-STOLEN PACKAGE: If your name is Sean and you live in a condo/apartment toward the north end of California SW, Kitty found an empty package addressed to you. It apparently had contained pet medications, “I only mention this in case the person is expecting this and wondering what happened …”
Lots of questions about why the R/V Thomas G. Thompson has been off west-facing West Seattle all day. It’s a 274-foot research vessel belonging to the Office of Naval Research and operated by the University of Washington; we’ve reported on it a few times before, including this note in 2010. We contacted the UW Oceanography department to ask about today’s mission; according to the reply from Su Tipple, it’s “on a 12-hour day cruise to video-document the most active methane seeps in the vent field off Alki Point, as well as taking methane and other water measurements.” We’ve reported on the methane research before, after another UW research vessel, R/V Rachel Carson, was seen in local waters, studying the bubbles as part of research that could eventually assist in earthquake prediction (detailed here in 2020; published in a study earlier this year, also summarized here). The plumes of methane bubbles are most prolific off Alki Point – rising more than 650 feet to the surface – and Kingston, according to researchers, but the methane’s source remains a mystery.
If you’re in view of Puget Sound west of West Seattle, you might see orcas soon. Kersti Muul says transient killer whales (from the T-18s) are heading this way, reported off Blakely Rock [map], southbound. Let us know if you see them!
The twice-postponed community meeting with Southwest Precinct police has a new date: 7 pm Thursday, November 17th. As noted previously, this will be an in-person meeting at the precinct (2300 SW Webster). It’s a relaunch of the West Seattle Crime Prevention Council, which met monthly for many years until the pandemic (here’s our archived coverage). While awaiting that meeting, as also noted previously, precinct leadership often attends local community-council meetings, so watch for our announcements of those.
Parking-enforcement officers were out a short time ago at the 16th SW RV encampment, where many of the vehicles are now marked with the distinctive orange warning tags.
We had gone to check the area because a commenter on our most-recent update said City Councilmember Lisa Herbold‘s office had told them remediation was scheduled for today, though the city’s homelessness-response spokesperson had told us only that a team was “inspecting” the area last week. No-parking signs in the area are up for today through next Monday, with “remediation” noted on the attached explanatory sheets.
This stretch of 16th SW, with South Seattle College (WSB sponsor) to the east and houses to the west, is one of the areas where the number of vehicles has increased since other RV-encampment areas in West Seattle were cleared.
TUESDAY NIGHT UPDATE: As we noted in a comment below, the notices that precede sweeps are posted in the area (see photo in this story), warning that personal belongings need to be gone by Thursday morning.
The Southwest Seattle Historical Society has words of gratitude as well as questions for you:
The Southwest Historical Society would like to send a big THANK YOU to the many supporters for funding the new roof on the Log House Museum! Members of the board of trustees, facilities committee members, advisory board members, former Executive Directors and volunteers gathered for a big group-hug photo to celebrate the new roof and the next 30-plus years of protection for the 114-year-old Log House!
As the Society looks ahead to the next 30 years, the community is invited to share their ideas for the Future of the Southwest Seattle Historical Society. Click here to take the survey.
P.S. Though the roof work is complete, the Log House Museum will remain closed to the public through the end of this month.
(‘Sailing’ sea lion, photographed by Stewart L.)
Here’s what’s happening today/tonight, mostly from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:
BLOCK DROP: Find DIY cleaning supplies – and drop off what your cleanup collects – at Hamilton Viewpoint (1120 California SW), until 6 pm.
SOUTHWEST ARTIST SHOWCASE: Southwest Library (9010 35th SW) is open 10 am-6 pm today, and you can see the Southwest Artist Showcase display during those hours.
BUSINESS SEMINAR: Got a small business? Learn about waste reduction and environmental sustainability in a free online seminar this morning, 10 am – details in our calendar listing.
CRAFTING AND CREATIVITY NIGHT: 6-10 pm at The Missing Piece (9456 35th SW), explained in our calendar listing.
HIGH-SCHOOL SPORTS: In volleyball, West Seattle High School hosts Chief Sealth International High School, 7 pm. (3000 California SW)
COMEDY NIGHT: 7 pm, it’s the monthly “Routine Killers” comedy show at Otter on the Rocks (4210 SW Admiral Way). Tickets still available here as of this writing.
MEDITATION: Free weekly Zen sitting/meditation event at the chapel at Fauntleroy UCC (9140 California SW), 7 pm-8:30 pm.
PLAY TRIVIA! Three scheduled options tonight for trivia players – 7 pm at Best of Hands (35th/Webster), 7 pm at The Good Society (California/Lander), 7:30 pm at The Skylark (3803 Delridge Way SW)
Have a West Seattle/White Center event to list on our calendar and in our daily preview lists? Please send info to westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!
The winter-holiday season, hard as it is to envision after an 88-degree October day, is just a little more than one month away. Hope Lutheran School is taking orders for a holiday-greens fundraiser, and the deadline is Friday. Here’s the announcement:
Holiday wreaths, greens, and poinsettias – ON SALE NOW! These quality greens are supplied by Bacon’s Tree Farm and poinsettias supplied by Windmill Farms. Order through Friday, October 21st. Order online through our online order link:
form.jotform.com/222709416885162
All proceeds from this fundraiser benefit Hope Lutheran School’s 7th & 8th grade East Coast Trip. Get a head start on your holiday greens!
6:03 AM: Good morning. It’s Monday, October 17th.
WEATHER
After record heat on Sunday, the forecast says sunshine will continue today but the high temperature will be in the 60s.
TRANSIT INFO
Metro buses are on their regular schedules; watch @kcmetroalerts for trip cancellations/reroute alerts.
No changes in ferries (check here for alerts/updates) so far today.
The West Seattle Water Taxi starts its fall/winter schedule today (still daily, all dayparts, but no late Friday/Saturday runs).
SPOTLIGHT CAMERAS
High Bridge – here’s the camera at the top.
High Bridge – the view from its southwest end.
Low Bridge: Open to all.
1st Ave. S. Bridge: Still showing this for those finding it more convenient.
Highway 99: Here’s the northbound side at Lander.
All functional city traffic cams can be seen here (new URL), many with video options; West Seattle and vicinity-relevant cameras are also on this WSB page … Are movable city bridges opening for vessels? Check the @SDOTBridges Twitter feed.
If you see trouble on the roads/paths/water, please text or call us (when you can do so safely) – 206-293-6302.
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