West Seattle, Washington
25 Thursday
Thanks to Lacey, whose “Who-ville” display was featured here two nights ago, for sending a photo of a friend’s Arbor Heights lights, celebrating peace and love, and adding a shining star.
You can see it in the 3100 block of SW 104th. (All the displays we’ve shown this year are archived here.)
Aaron reports, “35th Ave SW by SW 102nd St, two bikes stolen from carport over the last week, one Redline big BMX dark blue, 26” wheels, and one mountain bike, white and teal with 24” wheels.” If you think you’ve found either, let us know and we’ll connect you.
6:35 PM: SFD is headed to a water-rescue response at Don Armeni Boat Ramp. Updates to come.
6:40 PM: The response is being canceled. It involves a boat that’s apparently been there for days. No one in trouble.
7:01 PM: Our crew at the scene says some SFD units stayed and are pumping water out of the boat.
SUNDAY AFTERNOON UPDATE: As pointed out in comments, the boat has now sunk below the surface; Stewart L. sent this photo:
We’ll be following up with Parks on Tuesday (after the Monday holiday) to see about plans to remove it,
Thanks to the texter who sent that photo of a “waterfall” at Lincoln Park, as rain runoff and ice melt-off flowed down the steps to the beach. Tonight we’re likely to have more intermittent rain, though the National Weather Service doesn’t expect it to be heavy, and moderate southerly wind, with gusts up to 20 mph. The air is balmy in comparison to the below-freezing temps earlier this week – right now it’s 52 degrees, and daytime highs in the low 50s are forecast through Tuesday.
If you haven’t been out yet today, the good news is that most of the ice has melted (watch out for remaining slick spots here and there). The bad news – the usual pre-holiday rush has been compounded by people having missed a few days of shopping time. Particularly groceries. Above, West Seattle Thriftway (WSB sponsor) has people directing traffic in the parking lot. Inside stores – and we’ve been to several – you’ll find scenes like the one Bill Schrier tweeted from Metropolitan Market:
Tonight’s closing times for local grocery stores – and hours for the ones open tomorrow – are all listed here.
8:33 AM: The business run by the local family that’s almost synonymous with Christmas in West Seattle has been hit by crime on Christmas Eve. Crash-and-grab burglars hit the Menashe and Sons Jewelers store at 4532 California SW in The Junction early this morning. The store’s been run for decades by the family that’s well-known for West Seattle’s brightest display of Christmas lights. We just talked to members of the family at the store, as police investigated. Josh Menashe says they think it happened around 5 am. The gated front of the store is bashed in and vehicle debris is visible:
The Menashes believe the burglar(s) also used a mallet to try to get in by breaking a window. What if anything was taken is still being determined, but the store won’t be open today. We’re still on scene and will add whatever more we find out. This is at least the third crash-and-grab in West Seattle in the past three weeks, after Westwood Village Big 5 on December 5th and El Quetzal at Arrowhead Gardens on December 10th.
8:50 AM: We’ve also talked with Jack Menashe, who says so far they don’t believe the burglars got in or took anything, but they’re reviewing video to be sure – so what they primarily have to do is clean up the damage and secure the store.
Police have recovered more of what the burglar(s) left behind, including the aforementioned mallet:
10:57 AM: As a comment points out, the Menashes have announced the store will be open today after all, 11 am-4 pm – go to the back door off the alley and ring the bell.
11:16 AM: We’ve seen video from a nearby security camera that has not yet been released but does show what happened, in a corner of its field of view. The burglars were in a light-colored pickup truck. At 5:02 they backed into the front of the door three times, took off, came back a couple minutes later, pulled up in front of the store and someone got out (too distant to describe), then took off again, and came back a third time within a few minutes, backing into the storefront again twice, then took off. Here’s the clearest screenshot of the pickup:
(Newest image from city traffic cam in the heart of The Junction)
The day after The Big Ice, it’s Christmas Eve and the 7th night of Hanukkah. Here’s the info and event list for today/tonight:
TRANSPORTATION INFORMATION: The low bridge is still closed because of mechanical trouble …Metro buses are back on regular routing, with a few routes suspended including West Seattle’s 125 … The Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth state-ferry route is down to 1 boat this morning … The West Seattle Water Taxi is on its regular Saturday schedule … Want to check the roads? Traffic cams citywide are here; our page of West Seattle-relevant cams is here.
GROCERY STORE HOURS TONIGHT AND TOMORROW: Most grocery stores close early tonight and many will be closed tomorrow – here’s our West Seattle list.
CHRISTMAS EVE/DAY CHURCH SERVICES: Here’s our list of services at 12 local churches from which we’ve heard.
LAST-MINUTE SHOPPING: Shop local! Especially considering many independent local small businesses lost a day Friday because of the ice. We have a few shops’ hours in our Holiday Guide.
HANUKKAH: Tonight is the 7th of its 8 nights.
Here’s what else is happening:
DROP-IN ULTIMATE: 8 am at West Seattle Stadium (4432 35th SW).
GIVE THE GIFT OF HOMEMADE COOKIES: Today’s your last chance to bring homemade cookies to West Seattle Coworking‘s south location (9030 35th SW), 9 am-3 pm, so they can brighten holiday meals provided to those in need by The Christmas People.
WEST SEATTLE THRIFTWAY MUSIC: The store‘s mini-concerts conclude with Alex Baird, 10 am-1 pm. WS Thriftway (longtime WSB sponsor) is at 4201 SW Morgan.
MORE MORNING MUSIC: Marco de Carvalho and Friends, 10:30 am-noon at C & P Coffee (5612 California SW; WSB sponsor), no cover.
WEST SEATTLE YULETIDE: You’re invited to watch thousands of lights synched to music outside the Iversons‘ home on 38th SW between Genesee and Dakota – 6:30-10 pm.
Have something to add to our calendar and/or Holiday Guide? Email info to westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!
| Comments Off on TONIGHT’S LIGHTS: Peace and love