West Seattle, Washington
07 Thursday
The overhauled McDonald’s in Morgan Junction has looked ready to open for weeks, and we’ve been getting a lot of reader questions about its status. We’ve had an inquiry out to its owner to find out when it will open – and just got a reply. “The newly remodeled West Seattle McDonald’s will be re-opening for business on December 12!” announced owner Alia Abboud. For starters, she says, “Please note that the store will open from 7 am to 8 pm and will be Drive-Thru only to allow the employees to learn the new side-by-side drive-thru and get fully comfortable with the new operations and communications system. As we move forward, we will extend our hours as we gain staffing levels to provide the best possible service to our community, to include opening the lobby for dine-in customers. We are very excited to once again be open to serve our many wonderful customers in the West Seattle neighborhood!” The restaurant closed for the overhaul almost eight months ago.
Whatever the weather, Saturday (December 9) is the biggest night on the West Seattle Junction Association‘s Hometown Holidays calendar – with the tree lighting, night market, and Glorious Lights of West Seattle (GLOWS) festival, including a light-costume contest and projected-art display. SW Alaska will be closed between California and 42nd. Here’s the schedule of what’s happening when:
4:00: Festival begins. Host Marco Collins introduction. Night Market and Beer & Wine Garden are open.
4:00-5:00: Costume contestants walk through tunnel of lights
4:05: Endolyne Children’s Choir performance
4:30: School of Rock performance
5:30: Light Costume Contest on Stage* (here’s how the contest works)
6:00: The West Seattle All-Star Jazz Ensemble – led by Jay Cates & Andrew Joslyn
7:00: Menashe Public Address & Tree Lighting
7:15: West Seattle GLOWS Art Presentation
8:00: Close of event
Tonight’s featured lights are in a yard that has drawn crowds at Halloween – the home of Skeleton Theater (whose creators told us this year was its last). The yard at 36th/Hanford has two tall trees of lights; the north one is decked with dozens and dozens of Christmas characters you might otherwise see as standalone yard decor:
Thanks to everyone who has suggested lights to check out – whether your tip is with or without photos/videos, email ud at westseattleblog@gmail.com – we’re featuring local lights nightly (go here to see what we’ve featured alreay, including previous years(
(WSB photo, April)
Last spring, SDOT installed a protected two-way bike lane along part of West Marginal Way SW, more than two years after proposing it and eventually agreeing to delay it until the West Seattle Bridge reopened. This week, it’s released data on how the lane addition is – or isn’t – affecting traffic, and what kind of rider usage it’s drawn. Overall, SDOT says, the change has added half a second to the average travel time. It’s also added people biking, walking, and rolling on the stretch, with stats including:
SDOT was hoping to bring down vehicle speeds, with radar feedback signs and a speed limit reduction to 30 mph. Their slide deck says that in fall 2022 vehicles were averaging 37 mph at West Marginal/SW Alaska, and are now averaging just under 38 mph, but at SW Dakota, they’re down to 36.4 mph from 40.2 a year earlier. The slide deck has many other data views, including “interaction” analysis at business driveways, and there’s even more in this 26-page report. Here’s what SDOT says is yet to come on the stretch:
(Reader photo)
2:10 PM: Thanks for the tips! Orcas have been making their way north, in view from west-facing West Seattle. Most recently, Kersti Muul tells us, they’re passing the south end of Blake Island.
2:15 PM: Added above, an anonymous reader’s photo of two of the male orcas as seen off southernmost West Seattle.
2:53 PM: Passing Alki Point, per message from Mike.
3:50 PM: Some have gone into Elliott Bay, per comments below.
10:15 PM: Thanks to Robin Sinner for sending the photo below: “Got a spy hop at 3:37 pm from Anchor Park”:
ADDED EARLY THURSDAY: Thanks to Alex W for sending this video:
(WSB photos)
Every year, it’s an early Christmas present for the West Seattle Food Bank when people from West Seattle’s Nucor mill roll up with their annual special delivery.
This morning the Nucor team brought over 6,100 pounds of food donated by employees, and a giant symbolic check representing that and $9,522 in gift cards and money raised by workers and the company:
With the company match, that totals $40,806. It all will go to good use, WSFB executive director Fran Yeatts tells us, but in particular, money is one of their greatest needs right now. If you’d like to help WSFB for the holiday (or any other time), you can donate money here. They need warm clothes and socks, too! One place to drop those off is the Kiwanis Club of West Seattle/WS Junction Association Hometown Holidays coat-drive booth at the West Seattle Farmers’ Market this Sunday, 10 am-1:30 pm.
10:54 AM: The Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth ferry route is down to 1 boat for now – M/V Cathlamet, on the #2 schedule – because M/V Kitsap is having trouble. It’s been stuck at Southworth but WSF spokesperson Ian Sterling tells WSB the plan is to move it to Vashon, without passengers, for troubleshooting. Until they figure out what’s wrong, they don’t know how long the route will be on 1-boat service. You can check boats’ status via Vessel Watch.
12:54 PM: WSF says the Cathlamet continues alone on the route, with “no set schedule.”
2:42 PM: WSF says it’s moving M/V Suquamish off the Bainbridge-Seattle route to replace Kitsap on the Triangle Route.
(Photo by Theresa Arbow-O’Connor)
Our event list is in two sections today – first, holiday-related happenings, from the WSB West Seattle Holiday Guide:
HOLIDAY MARKET AT VILLAGE GREEN: Noon-3 pm at Village Green West Seattle (WSB sponsor) – local vendors, free coffee, tours available. (2615 SW Barton)
SILVER SOUNDS HOLIDAY SHOW: 1 pm at the Senior Center of West Seattle (California/Oregon), “a music-filled parody of the show ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ with West Seattle standing in for Bedford Falls – singalong, jokes, and a “mystery raffle.” Santa too!
CHAMBER PARTY: “Mix, Mingle, & Jingle” with the West Seattle Chamber of Commerce, 6 pm party at The Bridge (6451 California SW). Check to see if tickets are still available.
‘SNOWED IN’: Week 2 begins for the new holiday musical premiering at ArtsWest (4711 California SW; WSB sponsor), 7:30 pm. Get your tickets here.
And here are the non-holiday happenings, mostly from the year-round WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:
TODDLER READING TIME: 10:30 am at Paper Boat Booksellers (6040 California SW).
FIX-IT WORKSHOP: Repair it instead of replacing it! Weekly event, 5:30-7:30 pm at West Seattle Tool Library (4408 Delridge Way SW, northeast side of Youngstown Cultural Arts Center).
FREE GROUP RUN: Meet at West Seattle Runner (2743 California SW; WSB sponsor) for the weekly free group run, 6:15 pm.
TRIVIA x 6: Six places to play tonight. At 6 pm, Locust Cider (2820 Alki SW) offers trivia … there’s 7 pm trivia at West Seattle Brewing (4415 Fauntleroy Way SW) … 7:30 and 8:30 pm Sporcle Pub Quiz at The Lodge (4209 SW Alaska) … Trivia starts at 8 pm at Beveridge Place Pub (6413 California SW) … Larry’s Tavern (3405 California SW) hosts Wednesday-night trivia starting at 8 pm … and at 8:30 pm, trivia with Phil T at Talarico’s (4718 California SW).
LIVE MUSIC AT THE LOCOL: 6:30 pm. 21+. Rotating performer slate. (7902 35th SW)
LIVE PIANO MUSIC: Weekly on Wednesday nights, 7 pm at Otter on the Rocks. (4210 SW Admiral Way).
MUSIC BINGO: Play weekly at The Good Society (California/Lander), 7 pm.
BASKETBALL: Two home high-school girls-varsity games tonight, both at 7:30 pm – West Seattle HS hosts Garfield (3000 California SW) and Chief Sealth IHS hosts Lincoln (2600 SW Thistle).
SKYLARK OPEN MIC: 7:30 pm signups @ West Seattle’s longest-running open mic – no cover to watch. (3803 Delridge Way SW)
If you’re planning a presentation, meeting, performance, reading, tour, fundraiser, sale, discussion, holiday event etc., and it’s open to the community, please send us info for West Seattle’s only comprehensive event calendar! westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!
Family and friends will gather December 15 to celebrate the life of Dorthy Johnson. Here’s the remembrance being shared with the community:
Celebration of Life – Dorthy Johnson, 5/10/1930-8/15/2023
Dorthy was born May 10, 1930, in Ulen, Minnesota. Moving to Seattle as a young girl, she graduated from Lincoln High School in 1948. She married Conrad in 1956 and moved to West Seattle. She remained a West Seattle resident until 2017 when she moved to Florida after being a snowbird for several years.
Dorthy was a devoted mother to her two daughters, Ellen Marie born in 1960 and Karen Marie in 1962. She’s Grandma to three: Joseph, Ian, and Sara. She was active in PTA at Lafayette Elementary School and with Girl Scouts as a Brownie and Junior Girl Scout Leader. She enjoyed her league bowling every Wednesday for years. She was a fabulous gardener, growing fruits and vegetables, beautiful flowers, and had the greenest lawn! Cooking was another passion, sharing her baked goods, jams, and jellies with all.
She was a faithful and decades-long member of Admiral Church, where she was the financial secretary for many years.
She will be laid to rest at Forest Lawn Cemetery on December 15, 2023 at 1 PM. Afterward, a Celebration of Life will be held at Admiral Church from 2-5 PM. Family invites all to come and celebrate her life. In lieu of flowers please make a donation to your favorite charity, or hers, the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
(WSB publishes West Seattle obituaries and memorial announcements by request, free of charge. Please email the text, and a photo if available, to westseattleblog@gmail.com)
As we continue sharing community needs this holiday season, Friends of Roxhill Elementary are hopeful you can assist them in brightening the season for some of their school’s families:
Every child should have a holiday meal and present, and parents and caregivers could use less stress this holiday season. You can make a difference by donating today to Friends of Roxhill Elementary, our school’s non-profit PTO.
Bring holiday cheer and help families cover basic household needs (e.g., groceries, cleaning supplies, utilities). Our goal is to provide each family with $200 in holiday and household support this year.
While we typically have about 50 families in our community who need support through the holiday season, Roxhill Elementary School’s counselor, Ms. Amber, has shared that the need for assistance has increased this year.
“Roxhill Elementary has the most amazing community of bright, loving kids and caring, generous families,” said Ms. Amber. “I know how hard it is to ask for help, so I honor every parent that has had the courage to let me know they need help right now. This is what community is about.”
Roxhill Elementary is a small but mighty Title I school with approximately 245 students, located in the south end of West Seattle. 60% of our students are on free and reduced lunch. Over 72% of our students are from BIPOC communities (Black, Indigenous, Person of Color). Our school has a strong sense of community. We come together to celebrate and support each other.
You can help us show every family that they are seen and cared for. Make your gift today. This is a moment when we need to come together.
6:03 AM: Good morning. It’s Wednesday, December 6, the morning after another rainy night.
WEATHER + SUNRISE/SUNSET TIMES
More rain, though not continuous; high around 50. Sunrise today is at 7:42 am; sunset, 4:18 pm.
TRANSIT TODAY
Metro – Regular schedule today; check advisories here.
Water Taxi – Regular schedule today.
Washington State Ferries – 2-boat service on the Triangle Route. Check alerts for changes, and use Vessel Watch to see where your ferry is. Also – alert for tomorrow night:
The following five sailings are canceled late Thursday night, Dec. 7, through early Friday morning, Dec. 8, for overnight maintenance work at Southworth terminal:
11:50 p.m. and 1:05 a.m. Fauntleroy to Southworth
12:15 and 1:30 a.m. Vashon to Southworth
12:35 a.m. Southworth to Fauntleroy
For travelers heading to Southworth, the scheduled 10:35 p.m. out of Fauntleroy and 11 p.m. Vashon departure will be the last for the night. The final sailing out of Southworth will at 11:20 p.m. to Fauntleroy then Vashon. To complete the terminal maintenance work, the same sailings will be canceled on two more weeknights over the next month or two.To complete the terminal maintenance work, the same sailings will be canceled on two more weeknights over the next month or two.
SPOTLIGHT TRAFFIC CAMERAS
Delridge cameras: Besides the one below (Delridge/Henderson), cameras are also at Delridge/Genesee, Delridge/Juneau, Delridge/Orchard, and Delridge/Oregon.
High Bridge – the main camera:
High Bridge – the view from its southwest end (when SDOT points the 35th/Avalon/Fauntleroy camera that way):
Low Bridge:
1st Ave. S. Bridge – another route across the river:
Highway 99: – northbound side at Lander:
MORE TRAFFIC CAMS: See all working traffic cams citywide here, most with video options; West Seattle and vicinity-relevant cameras are on this WSB page.
BRIDGE INFO: The @SDOTBridges feed on Twitter/X shows whether the city’s movable bridges are opening for vessel traffic.
If you see trouble on the bridges/streets/paths/bay, please text or call us (when you can do that safely, and after you’ve reported to authorities if applicable). Thank you!
Chief Sealth International High School hosted a big wrestling tournament this past weekend – and emerged as champions. The report and photos are from CSIHS athletic director Ernest Policarpio:
The Chief Sealth Wrestling Program started of the year with a Bang, winning the 30+-team tournament “Return of the Seahawk” last Saturday by 40 points vs Ballard HS.
Here are the place winners for Chief Sealth:
Chief Sealth Boys
113lb 9th Brandon Tran Co-3rd Place
126lb 9th Xander Gomez 2nd Place
132lb 12th Cody Stout Co-3rd Place
144lb 11th Xavier Nguyen, Champion
150lb 10th Xavier Stout 2nd Place
157lb 11th Jay Johnson 2nd Place
(Micah Policarpio)
165lb 11th Micah Policarpio Champion (He also recorded his 100th career win – Overall career record 101-15)
175lb 11th Alex Varenhorst Co-3rd Place
175lb 12th Prince Maota Co-3rd Place
190lb 9th Eli Policarpio Co-3rd Place
220lb 12th Nigel Wiggins Co-3rd Place
285lb 10th Shane Allen Tino Co-3rd PlaceGirls Wrestling
110lb 10th Tara Kankesh Co-3rd Place
120lb 10th Petra Sheppard Co-3rd Place
(Jennie Brown)
130lb 12th Jennie Brown Champion
(Alyssa Reyes)
135lb Alyssa Reyes Champion
170lb 9th Shawn Hudson Co-3rd Place
190lb 12th Elyse Leger 2nd Place
235lb Triana Tuia Co-3rd PlaceWest Seattle HS also had place winners.
West Seattle Wrestling
126lb Sam Fordham Co-3rd Place
132lb Jackson Prater Thaden Co-3rd Place
150lb Karim Johnson Co-3rd Place
175lb Caeden Calderwood Co 3rd Place
Five quick local-business notes about food:
OPENING DATE FOR NEW CO-HOUSED WHITE CENTER RESTAURANTS: As reported last night on our partner site White Center Now, Alpine Diner and Big Mario’s Pizza have announced they’ll open Thursday (December 7) at 9635 16th SW – Alpine (menu here) at 9 am, Big Mario’s (menu here) at 11.
SPEAKING OF PIZZA: Moto Pizza in The Junction is legendary for requiring orders months in advance. According to an email announcement sent to its fans tonight (thanks to Tina for the forward), that’s changing. Moto says it’s now accepting walk-in orders at all three of its locations – Edmonds and Belltown as well as the original Junction location (4526 42nd SW).
FEEL MORE LIKE TACOS? Thanks to Michelle for pointing out that La Chingona Taqueria has opened its bricks-and-mortar restaurantat 2940 SW Avalon Way, former home of Lily’s Salvadorean Restaurant (you can still get Lily’s food at the West Seattle Farmers’ Market on Sundays). Here’s the La Chingona menu.
LATE-NIGHT APPETITE? Kizuki Ramen and Izakaya (42nd/Alaska) in The Junction. is open until 1 am weeknights for late-night pickup and delivery. GM Natalie explains, “With limited food options on the peninsula after normal kitchen hours, we thought we’d give you one more to choose from. You can place your orders online at Kizuki.com. If you have any modifications to your order, please call the shop at 206-206-1838.” (Note that this is an experiment, so subject to change.)
CHRISTMAS EVE BUFFET: Salty’s on Alki (1936 Harbor SW; WSB sponsor) is taking reservations for another opulent holiday buffet – a seafood buffet on Christmas Eve. (Not just seafood, the menu shows.) Prices range from no charge for kids 4 and under to $120 for ages 16+.
(2013 image via Seattle City Light)
A decade after Seattle City Light (SCL) started the process of divesting itself of the former Dumar Substation on the southwest corner or 16th/Holden, it’s finally happening. At this afternoon’s Seattle City Council meeting, a unanimous vote gave approval to transferring the 10,000+-square-foot parcel from SCL to the Office of Housing (OH). Now OH will start the process of finding a developer to build affordable-homeownership units, and commercial space, on the site. OH will give SCL $424,000 (its current appraised value) for the site, which the utility has owned since 1945. In discussion of the plan at a committee meeting last week (WSB coverage here), OH reps were asked where exactly that money’s coming from; they didn’t have the answer at the time, so we asked before today’s vote. According to OH spokesperson Nona Raybern, the source will be Mandatory Housing Affordability fees from developers who choose to pay fees rather than build affordable units in their projects. The property will eventually be “transferred to the developer who is selected through the RFP process at no cost,” Raybern added. It’s zoned Neighborhood Commercial 40 (four stories), as the result of neighborhood advocacy – to which Councilmember Lisa Herbold gave a shoutout at today’s meeting – for both building housing and business space on the site. Affordable-homeownership development has strict criteria, both for choosing buyers and for what can be done with the units – they have to be owner-occupied, for example, no renting, and if they’re sold, the buyers must meet the same eligibility rules (such as, making no more than 80 percent Area Median Income). It’s envisioned up to 16 units could be built on the site.
Tonight’s featured lights are at 9425 25th Avenue SW. Watch as Oren, who sent the video, takes you on a walkabout around the house and yard! Thanks to everybody who’s sending word of lights to feature – whether you’re sending a tip, or photos/video too – westseattleblog@gmail.com. We’re highlighting West Seattle displays nightly through Christmas. You can see past highlights (including previous years!) via this WSB archive.
If you have to drive on this soggy afternon, a few words of warning:
4:23 PM: That’s a reader photo from another crash near the west end of the westbound West Seattle Bridge a couple hours ago. It’s not the only one we’ve heard of since the rain began in earnest – no major injuries reported but as discussed amply here in recent months, it seems to be a relatively frequent trouble spot. Meantime, a Flood Advisory remains in effect, warning of, among other things, urban ponding:
That’s one example – a big “pond” we photographed this morning (after a reader tip) just west of Delridge/Sylvan/Orchard. Often this is the result of a clogged drain – still lots of leaves coming off trees – so you can report it to Seattle Public Utilities at 206-386-1800.
11:18 PM: Another crash toward the west end of the westbound bridge a short time ago. The circumstances of this one might have further complications, though, as police have told dispatchers that both cars were unoccupied.
(Images from charging documents, suspect at West Seattle Target allegedly using stolen card)
Last spring, we reported on the arrest and indictment of Johny Mixaboua, in connection with nine federal felonies including two USPS mail-truck thefts in West Seattle in one day last January (3000 block of Beach Drive SW and 3600 block of 57th SW). Evidence used against Mixayboua included home security-camera video from the neighborhood where one of the vehicles was later found, plus store security video showing him using stolen cards (including at West Seattle Target). According to today’s announcement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Seattle, Mixayboua pleaded guilty to “theft of government property, mail theft, illegal transactions on access devices, and illegally possessing a firearm.” (He was already a convicted felon, and a gun was found when he was arrested, authorities say.) The U.S. Attorney’s Office says the charges to which he pleaded guilty carry potential penalties of up to 15 years in prison. U.S. District Court Judge Richard Jones is scheduled to sentence him on March 8th; Mixayboua remains in the SeaTac Federal Detention Center.
(Image from council-committee agenda, incorporating Google Maps photo)
Last night we previewed an item on today’s agenda for the Seattle City Council Transportation and Public Utilities Committee meeting (which just concluded after more than 2 1/2 hours), a plan to pay the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe and Suquamish Tribe $133,000 for murals on up to 15 columns under the West Seattle Bridge – a mile from the Duwamish Tribe‘s Longhouse. At the request of District 1 Councilmember Lisa Herbold, who noted public comments voicing concern, the committee delayed a vote until it reconvenes next year (by which time both Herbold and the committee’s chair Councilmember Alex Pedersen will have left office). SDOT acknowledged there had been no “outreach” to the Duwamish Tribe on the bridge-columns project during the year and a half it’s been in the works, but said the Duwamish are involved with a separate public-art project planned near the Longhouse. (We’re following up to get more information on that and will update this story with whatever we learn.)
(Monday photo by Jerry Simmons)
Here’s what’s up this afternoon and evening, from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar and Holiday Guide:
CHESS CLUB: Tuesdays 1:30-3 pm at the Senior Center of West Seattle (4217 SW Oregon). All levels welcome. (Questions? Email conwell@conwelld.net.)
EX-DUMAR SUBSTATION = HOUSING? The Seattle City Council Public Safety and Human Services Committee approved this plan last week (here’s our followup); today the full council votes during their 2 pm meeting – the agenda explains how to comment. You can watch live via Seattle Channel.
DEMONSTRATION FOR BLACK LIVES: Long-running weekly sign-waving demonstration continues at 16th/Holden. 5-6 pm. Signs available if you don’t have your own.
WEST SEATTLE COMMUNITY ORCHESTRAS’ FREE CONCERT: The first of two concerts this week by West Seattle Community Orchestras – this one starts at 6 pm at the Chief Sealth IHS Auditorium (2600 SW Thistle) – details here. Free admission (though donations are always welcome).
WESTSIDE SCHOOL MIDDLE SCHOOL INFORMATION NIGHT: 6 pm online, find out about middle school at independent Westside School (WSB sponsor) – RSVP for the link.
LEARN ASL: Free class, 6 pm at West Seattle Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (4001 44th SW) – info’s in our calendar listing.
SCRABBLE NIGHT: 6-10 pm, you can play Scrabble at The Missing Piece (9456 35th SW).
FREE TRACK RUN: Run with friends old and new on these long nights! Meet at West Seattle Runner (2743 California SW; WSB sponsor) for this free weekly run at 6:15 pm.
TOASTMASTERS 832: Work on your communication skills! Check out the 6:30 pm online meeting – our calendar listing explains how.
THE CLAY CAULDRON: 6:30-9 pm “girls’ night” at pottery studio The Clay Cauldron (5214 Delridge Way SW), sign up in advance or drop in to work on your project(s).
SING! Singers have an open invitation to join the Seattle Metropolitan Singers – “all treble voices welcome” – just attend one of their rehearsals, Tuesdays 7-9 pm at Senior Center of West Seattle (4217 SW Oregon).
TRIVIA X 4: Four places to play Tuesday nights – 7 pm at Ounces (3803 Delridge Way SW), free and hosted by Beat the Geek Trivia; 7 pm at Zeeks Pizza West Seattle (6459 California SW), hosted by Geeks Who Drink; 7 pm at Admiral Pub (2306 California SW); also, 7:30 and 8:30 pm Sporcle Pub Quiz at The Lodge (4209 SW Alaska).
BASKETBALL: One home high-school varsity game tonight – West Seattle HS boys host Garfield, 7:30 pm. (3000 California SW)
BELLE OF THE BALLS BINGO: Play bingo with Cookie Couture at The Skylark (3803 Delridge Way SW), 8 pm. Free, all ages!
You can look ahead any time via our event calendar – if you have something to add to it (or to our Holiday Guide), please email the info to westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!
9:31 AM: Thanks for the tip. That was the scene at WaFd Bank in the 4100 block of California around 7:30 this morning. About an hour and a half earlier, just after 6 am, a 911 caller reported seeing a silver BMW “attached to the ATM,” trying to pull it out, and then seeing it head off eastbound, according to dispatch audio. We haven’t talked to the bank yet so we don’t know what if anything the thieves got away with.
10:35 AM: We just went back to the bank (which is open) to follow up. The worker there to repair the ATM told us the thieves didn’t get away with anything – that they don’t seem to realize how well-protected the cash-containing part of the ATM is.
We’ve been sharing news of many ways to help others this holiday season – and West Seattle Runner (WSB sponsor) has a very up-close-and-personal drive going on:
West Seattle Runner has adopted a family for the gift giving season. We are helping a family with 3 children and a single mom have a nice holiday. We have a wish list, and if you are interested in donating gifts to help give our family the items they are in need of, please email lori@westseattlerunner.com for what still needs to be purchased. We thank you for your consideration!! The gifts are due at West Seattle Runner by December 15th at 6pm so we can drive it out to the organizer that night after work.
The shop is at 2743 California SW. See our full list of holiday giving opportunities in the WSB West Seattle Holiday Guide!
6:02 AM: Good morning. It’s Tuesday, December 5.
WEATHER + SUNRISE/SUNSET TIMES
As predicted, it’s wet, so watch for ponding on streets and sidewalks – expect more rain, high in the mid-50s. Sunrise today is at 7:41 am; sunset, 4:18 pm.
TRANSIT TODAY
Metro – Regular schedule today; check advisories here.
Water Taxi – Regular schedule today.
Washington State Ferries – 2-boat service on the Triangle Route. Check alerts for changes, and use Vessel Watch to see where your ferry is. Also – alert for later this week:
The following five sailings are canceled late Thursday night, Dec. 7, through early Friday morning, Dec. 8, for overnight maintenance work at Southworth terminal:
11:50 p.m. and 1:05 a.m. Fauntleroy to Southworth
12:15 and 1:30 a.m. Vashon to Southworth
12:35 a.m. Southworth to Fauntleroy
For travelers heading to Southworth, the scheduled 10:35 p.m. out of Fauntleroy and 11 p.m. Vashon departure will be the last for the night. The final sailing out of Southworth will at 11:20 p.m. to Fauntleroy then Vashon. To complete the terminal maintenance work, the same sailings will be canceled on two more weeknights over the next month or two.To complete the terminal maintenance work, the same sailings will be canceled on two more weeknights over the next month or two.
SPOTLIGHT TRAFFIC CAMERAS
Delridge cameras: Besides the one below (Delridge/Henderson), cameras are also at Delridge/Genesee, Delridge/Juneau, Delridge/Orchard, and Delridge/Oregon.
High Bridge – the main camera:
High Bridge – the view from its southwest end (when SDOT points the 35th/Avalon/Fauntleroy camera that way):
Low Bridge:
1st Ave. S. Bridge – another route across the river:
Highway 99: – northbound side at Lander:
MORE TRAFFIC CAMS: See all working traffic cams citywide here, most with video options; West Seattle and vicinity-relevant cameras are on this WSB page.
BRIDGE INFO: The @SDOTBridges feed on Twitter/X shows whether the city’s movable bridges are opening for vessel traffic.
If you see trouble on the bridges/streets/paths/bay, please text or call us (when you can do that safely, and after you’ve reported to authorities if applicable). Thank you!
Two weeks ago, we reported briefly on a warrant arrest on 12th SW just north of Roxbury, adding later that police said they’d arrested a 16-year-old wanted for carjackings and armed robberies.
(Security-camera images that police believe shows suspect – we have obscured what was his partly visible face)
Tonight we have details on the charges filed against the suspect – which involve five incidents in October, including two carjackings and one 7-11 robbery in West Seattle, all of which we had reported here. The charging documents detail the painstaking work by which SPD detectives tracked down the 16-year-old, including cross-referencing cell-phone records and matching part of a word on the back of a hoodie seen through a car window on surveillance video.
The teenager is charged as a juvenile, so we are not identifying him by name. In all these incidents, there were accomplices, but we don’t know whether any of the others have been arrested yet; this suspect was arrested at his home. He is charged with five counts of first-degree robbery, three counts of auto theft, and one count of unlawful gun possession, all felonies. He has no previous record so far as we have found.
The crime spree detailed in the charging papers spans October 12th through 28th. It begins with a carjacking in an apartment garage in the Central District just after midnight on the 12th; the victim told police a white vehicle (later found to be a Hyundai Tucson) tailgated his blue Audi into the garage, where three people attacked him, two pushing him down, one pulling a gun, taking everything from his pockets, and driving away in his car. This all took barely 2 1/2 minutes, according to security video.
The second carjacking in which he is charged happened here, at Harbor and California, around 2:40 am on October 17th (here’s our original report). The victim was in her parked car on a conference call with clients in Asia, when three people approached both sides of her car, demanding her keys and asking if she wanted to die, subsequently pulling her out, throwing her to the ground, and taking off with her beige Mercedes, which also contained a laptop, tablet, phones, purse, and other items. As we reported originally, the papers say they were tracked to Roxbury Safeway but not pursued when they fled from police. Many of the victim’s belongings were discarded near a gas pump there. Before 8 am, her Mercedes was found abandoned in Auburn. Video from that morning showed these robbers were accompanied by a car matching the Audi stolen five days earlier. It also showed a suspect in a jacket/hoodie with PLEASURES written across the back – matching an image from the Audi theft.
Three days later, also on the West Seattle waterfront in the early morning (just before 1 am October 20th), a man was carjacked while sitting in his black BMW in the 1000 block of Harbor (our original report had it as the 1100 block of Alki, per police at the time). The charging papers say three men pulled up behind him, started yelling, and one hit his car window with a rifle before demanding he get out. They took his keys, car, and phone; the latter was found tossed out on the Admiral Way hill. Meantime, the stolen blue Audi crashed on the West Seattle Bridge; witnesses say its occupants got out, got into the stolen BMW, and sped off.
Investigators linked the three incidents and started requesting cell phone data for six related locations in hopes of cross-referencing to find at least one phone present at all those locations, possibly leading them to a suspect. They got a warrant for that data on October 25th. Then on October 28th, another crime – four robbers held up a Shell station in the 7200 block of East Marginal Way at 1:19 am. Half an hour later, the California/Charlestown 7-11 was robbed (here’s our original report, which also mentions the East Marginal link), with the loot described as including less than $100 cash, vape products, and a bag of chips. They got away in a white van. A Renton 7-11 was held up half an hour after that. Then around 10:30 am, the van – a Kia Sedona stolen in High Point – turned up in Des Moines.
A week and a half later, on November 8th, after analysis led them to one phone present at five of the six locations, investigators got another warrant. They traced the phone to a 53-year-old man who turned out to be the suspect’s father. Given all the images they had of the robbers, they researched whether he had a teenage boy in the house – and indeed he did. They got a DOL photo of the suspect and started surveillance to determine who had possession of the phone. Getting live alerts on the phone’s location, they determined it was the 16-year-old suspect. Further surveillance also showed him in apparel items that matched to some of the security images from the robberies – including one in Kent (they found out Kent PD was working on a similar case). Then on November 21st, with SWAT, they arrested the suspect.
Unlike adult court, juvenile court usually schedules arraignments shortly after charges are filed. Online court records show the suspect appeared before Chief Juvenile Judge Melinda Young last Wednesday and pleaded not guilty. The judge ordered him to remain in detention, declaring him a “threat to community safety,” but said “the court will consider release once there is more structure in place.” His next hearing is December 14th.
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