day : 08/01/2024 15 results

WEST SEATTLE WEATHER: Wind arrives, trees fall

(Photo by Jeremy Barton)

11:18 PM: The wind has kicked up, and a tree is already down – the one shown above has fallen across 51st SW near SW Grayson [map]. The National Weather Service‘s Wind Advisory alert originally was expected to go into effect at 4 am but that was changed to 10 pm, and it sounds like that was a good call. Here’s what the NWS says is possible through 10 pm tomorrow:

Southwest winds 25 to 35 mph with gusts up to 50 mph expected.

More rain, too. But all those freezing temperatures you’ve been hearing about aren’t due until Thursday night. Updates to come – if you have something to report that’s related to the weather, let us know – text 206-293-6302 – thank you!

12:09 AM: After some hefty gusts in the past 15 minutes, we’re hearing dispatches for downed trees, including the 7300 block of Wright SW (north of Lincoln Park) and the 8600 block of 22nd SW (northeast of Westwood Village). … Here’s a photo from Wright SW, where the texter reports that what fell was “telephone pole and massive tree limb from Lincoln Park,” hitting two vintage cars:

One power outage note in the area so far, 89 customers out, west of White Center (here’s the map). … A line is down across SW Holden near 38th (note the tree debris in the street, too):

The wind has calmed considerably – at least for now – since those huge gusts around midnight.

12:50 AM: One more tree photo – Ryan reports via X, “FYI, tree down blocking SB lane of Marine View Dr SW in West Seattle between 104th and 106th. Use extreme caution approaching from the north.” Police radio notes that SDOT is backed up, so road-blocking trees might not be cleared for quite some time.

5:50 AM: After a windy night, the 89-customer outage mentioned above remains the only one of note, so far, in this area. We’re proceeding to our morning traffic-info roundup momentarily.

6:36 AM: As noted in comments, there’s now a line down at 45th/Hemlock [map] east of Lincoln Park, and a half-dozen customers out.

7:50 AM: We’re adding mid-to-late-morning updates here.

WEST SEATTLE CRIME WATCH: Did you see this hit-and-run?

9:32 PM: A hit-and-run driver injured Megan‘s son at California/Charlestown tonight, and she’s wondering if there are any witnesses out there: “Someone ran a red light in front of Meeples and hit my son. 6:30 pm Jan 8th … if anyone saw anything, please let us know!!!” We asked if there’s any description, and how he’s doing (the dispatch had described the injuries as “minor”): “I just heard it was a dark vehicle. They hit him hard enough that he flew on to the hood, then the road, so the driver definitely knew that they had hit someone. He’s very shook up and upset with road rash etc.” The SPD case # is 24-007129.

ADDED TUESDAY MORNING: SFD says the 17-year-old victim was treated at the scene and did not need hospitalization.

CRIME WATCH FOLLOWUP: Teenager dies of injuries from post-carjacking West Seattle crash

(WSB photo, December 29)

8:12 PM: When we reported Saturday on the charges against a Burien carjacking suspect arrested in West Seattle on December 29, court documents said the teenager who crashed the stolen car shortly thereafter remained unidentified and in critical condition. According to today’s King County Medical Examiner’s Office list of death investigations, he has died. The KCMEO says he was 14 years old and died from burns suffered when the Suburban caught fire after colliding with a semi-truck at West Marginal and 2nd SW. There are no details such as residence or school. The adult suspect, 20-year-old Edil N. Pineda-Mencia, remains in the King County Jail awaiting arraignment on two felony charges.

10:56 PM: We’ve just learned from a reader that the 14-year-old was a student at Highline High School in Burien.

Got little one(s)? Three places to play indoors, free

If you’d like a dry indoor place for your little one(s) to play this winter – here are three West Seattle options:

That’s the sanctuary at West Seattle Church of the Nazarene (42nd/Juneau), which is restarting its first indoor playspace program tomorrow, for the first time since pre-pandemic. Pastor Shaun Mattson sent the photo and the announcement:

Essentially we are inviting Moms, Dads, caregivers to come on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9 am-12 pm to bring their little ones, and to have a place to play and connect with others in the cold and rainy seasons. It’s free to anyone and everyone. Just hoping the space can be a gift to the neighborhood. One change for now is we will be opening the sanctuary up as the play area as we are still trying to rebuild and repair things from the fire last spring.

That’s one of three West Seattle places offering free indoor drop-in playspaces open to the entire community. One of the other two, at the Salvation Army Center (9050 16th SW), reopened today:

The Salvation Army Seattle White Center Community Center will be hosting a Toddler Gym again this winter! This service will be free to the community and will provide a space for little ones to run around outside of the rain with some toys, mats, and slides.

What: Toddler Gym Playtime for ages 1-6 years old. Parent supervision is required.
When: Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 3 pm-5 pm. Monday 1/8, currently planned to end at the beginning of April.

The third opportunity has been ongoing once a week for a while, Friday mornings 10-11:30 am at Arbor Heights Community Church (4113 SW 102nd), for kids 5 and under and their caregivers. These programs are all drop-in but NOT drop-off – caregivers must stay with the kids. Others? Let us know!

BIZNOTE: About the trucks at Westwood Village

We received some questions today about trucks unloading stacks of cargo outside the ex-Bed Bath and Beyond store at Westwood Village, so we went over to check. The trucks were actually carrying equipment for Fitness 19, the new gym opening in the former 24 Hour Fitness space on the breezeway to the east. No opening date announced yet; it’s been one year since we first reported Fitness 19 was taking the space, which had been vacant for two years by then. (As for the ex-Bed Bath and Beyond space, it, like the ex-Staples store, remains advertised for lease.)

UPDATE: 2 hurt in Myers Way encampment fire

5:09 PM: Seattle Fire crews have been on scene this past hour at what was described as an encampment fire between their Joint Training Facility and tiny-house village Camp Second Chance, on the west side of Myers Way. They’ve found one person with burns and are sending them to Harborview Medical Center by private ambulance. The rest of the response is winding down. It’s on fenced property so we couldn’t get a closer view than the apparatus lights through the trees.

ADDED 6:39 AM TUESDAY: SFD spokesperson Kaila Lafferty tells WSB the burn victim was a man around 60 years old who was in stable condition when transported. She says a firefighter also suffered minor injuries but did not need hospital treatment.

UPDATE: SFD, SPD response at The Whittaker, unfounded

3:51 PM: Seattle Fire has sent a “scenes of violence” response to The Whittaker (4755 Fauntleroy Way SW) for what was initially dispatched as a report of a man in the parking garage, “stabbed with scissors.” We’re waiting to hear what responders have found.

3:59 PM: Firefighters waiting for the green light to go in have just been told by dispatch that SPD hasn’t found the reported victim yet.

4:03 PM: SFD has reduced the response; it still has units standing by at nearby Station 32 in case they’re needed.

4:10 PM: “No patient found,” so the response is being canceled.

SOUND TRANSIT: Former SDOT executive Goran Sparrman proposed as interim CEO

Four weeks after Sound Transit‘s CEO Julie Timm announced her plan to leave, ST has announced a prospective interim CEO. Goran Sparrman served as acting Seattle Department of Transportation director under two mayors last decade, the second time for about half a year in 2018. At that time he was described as having “come out of retirement” but apparently he didn’t go back into it, as the Sound Transit announcement says he’s most recently worked as an executive at infrastructure firm HNTB (which the city hired in 2020 to design a potential West Seattle Bridge replacement). He’s also a former director of Bellevue’s city Transportation Department. The announcement also notes he’s a licensed professional engineer. The Sound Transit Board will consider appointing Sparrman to be acting CEO for a year at a special meeting this Thursday (January 11th). The year ahead will be pivotal for West Seattle’s planned light-rail extension, as the ST board is expected to decide later this year on the routing and station locations. We’re following up on ST regarding the time of Thursday’s meeting as well as what salary they’re proposing for the interim CEO.

ADDED TUESDAY: The meeting is set for 3 pm Thursday – here’s the agenda.

Screenings, vaccinations, mammograms, more at health fair open to all in West Seattle on Saturday

Both Highland Park Elementary and Public Health – Seattle & King County have sent announcements about a big health/wellness fair at the school this Saturday (January 13), 10 am-2 pm, open to the entire community, not just people who are connected to HPES. Among the services available are childhood vaccines; flu, COVID, and mpox vaccines; blood-pressure and blood-sugar checks; mammograms; and health-insurance enrollment if you don’t already have it. A free lunch will be available and other giveaways, including winter jackets. This flyer has more details (including the phone number for a mammogram appointment – other services are walkup) on the overall event; this flyer has more details on the available vaccinations. HPES is at 1012 SW Trenton.

Tree falls on greenway in North Delridge

Thanks to those who have texted and emailed about that tree, toppled onto the northbound side of the 26th Avenue SW neighborhood greenway on the west side of Delridge Community Center. Neighbor Derek says the city has been notified, and notes that this isn’t the first to fall in that spot – another came down in May 2022. (Worth noting with wind in the forecast – if a tree falls onto a street or sidewalk, you can report it to SDOT at 206-684-ROAD, after-hours at 206-386-1218.)

Husky-watching, preschool-browsing, more for your West Seattle Monday

(Saturday photo by James Bratsanos)

Here’s the list for the rest of your Monday:

CREATIVE BALLET FOR KIDS: Classes with teacher Marika start today at Dakota Place Park, three age groups, sessions at 2 pm, 3 pm, 4 pm. Here’s the flyer with info.

CITY COUNCIL BRIEFING MEETING: 2 pm at City Hall, the weekly meeting in which councilmembers talk about their plans for the week ahead, this week also including briefings on topics including what councilmembers have the power to do, and city priorities at the State Legislature‘s session. Here’s the agenda. Watch live via Seattle Channel.

FREE TODDLER GYM: 3-5 pm at the Salvation Army Center (9050 16th SW),

Toddler Gym Playtime for ages 1-6 years old. Parent supervision is required. Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 3 pm-5 pm. Starting Monday 1/8 and currently planned to end at the beginning of April.

BLUE ANGELS JET VISITING: As previewed here, sometime between 3 and 3:45 pm, one of the U.S. Navy Blue Angels is expected to land at nearby Boeing Field for a meeting about this year’s Seafair Air Show.

HUSKY-WATCHING: The University of Washington plays Michigan for the national college-championship at 4:30 pm. Here are (updated) EIGHT West Seattle options for watching. (Any to add? Text us at 206-293-6302, or comment below!)

WEST SEATTLE PRESCHOOL FAIR: Representatives of more than a dozen local preschools are ready to talk with prospective families at tonight’s West Seattle Preschool Fair, 5:30-7 pm in the gym at Hope North (4100 SW Genesee). No registration required – just drop in.

GET CRAFTY: 6-10 pm, Monday brings “Crafting and Creativity Night” at The Missing Piece (9456 35th SW), info here.

D&D: Open D&D starts at 6:30 pm at Meeples Games (3727 California SW), all welcome, first-time players too. $5.

INTRODUCTION TO MEDITATION ON ALKI: The Alki Dharma Community invites you to Alki UCC (6115 SW Hinds) for introduction to meditation. 7 pm.

MEDITATION IN FAUNTLEROY: Free weekly Zen sitting/meditation at the chapel at Fauntleroy UCC (9140 California SW), 7 pm-8:30 pm.

MONDAY NIGHT TRIVIA! Two options tonight – 7 and 8 pm Sporcle Pub Quiz at Three 9 Lounge (4505 39th SW); 7:30 pm with QuizFix at The Skylark (3803 Delridge Way SW)

MUSIC AT THE ALLEY: Live music with The Westside Trio, 8 pm at The Alley (behind 4509 California SW), 21+, no cover.

Have a West Seattle/White Center event to add to our calendar and/or Holiday Guide? Please send info to westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!

Celebration of life Tuesday for Huntley S. Mann Jr., 1932-2023

Family and friends will gather Tuesday (January 9) to remember Huntley Mann. Here’s the remembrance they are sharing with his community:

Huntley Shaw Mann Jr. went peacefully to be with Jesus on December 20th, 2023. He was the only son of Huntley and Ina (Whitehead) Mann. He was 91 years old. Huntley was born and raised in West Seattle and spent most of his life there.

Huntley loved to fish and hunt. His love for fishing and the outdoors began when he was a kid, spending summers in Alaska and Southern California helping his dad on his fishing boat. The love for fishing followed him throughout his life.

He met Marlene Hill at West Seattle High School and they married in 1952. After getting married, he served his country in the Navy overseas. Huntley was trained as a machinist at the Edison School in Seattle. He had the gift of being able to fix anything. Huntley and Marlene were blessed with seven beautiful daughters, 23 grandchildren and 8 great grandchildren.

For 35 years, he took his family and friends on camping trips throughout Washington state, teaching them the art of fishing and boating. Baker Lake Resort was one of his favorite places and holds many loving memories with fishing stories, boating activities and camping fun with family and friends.

Huntley was a faithful friend to many and a constant support to his family over the years. He filled voids and helped so many, quietly, not wanting any accolades. Later in life, he regularly got together at the Metropolitan Market with his friends to share a morning cup of coffee, fellowship, and catch up on the latest West Seattle news. In his later years, he became an avid reader of all genres; historical, mysteries, and thrillers were among his favorites.

Huntley loved his family, a hot cup of tea with his grandma’s Scottish Shortbread or a good chew and all the family dogs that passed through his home over the years. He always had a treat for them when they visited. His grandkids could always count on an Almond Roca treat and a cribbage game when they came to visit.

During his last days when asked what words of wisdom he wanted to share with his family, he said, “Don’t do drugs and Go to Church!”

He always said “I’ll be here. I’m not going anywhere.” And he was!

He will be forever missed, but his legacy lives on in the hearts and lives of his family and friends and all who loved him. Our hearts rest in the knowledge that our dad is alive and well in the arms of Jesus!

Huntley is survived by his loving wife of 71 years, Marlene; his seven daughters – Rhonda (Shane) Stanley, Denise (Saeed) Mahboub, Desiree Kjorsvik, Roxanne (Jon) Tunison, Deanna (Steven) Smith, Rachel (Jon) Daniels and Marlo (Michael) Maddy; 23 grandchildren; and 8 great grandchildren.

There will be a graveside service for Huntley on Tuesday, January 9th, 2024, from 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM (Forest Lawn, 6701 30th Ave. SW). Following the service, a celebration of life gathering will be held at the Mann house.

(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)

TRAFFIC, TRANSIT, ROAD WORK, WEATHER: Monday info

6:00 AM: Good morning. It’s Monday, January 8th.

WEATHER + SUNRISE/SUNSET TIMES

More rain expected, breezy tonight, high in the upper 40s. Also, a Wind Advisory alert has been issued for 4 am-10 pm Tuesday. Today’s sunrise will be at 7:56 am, and the sun will set at 4:35 pm.

ROAD-WORK ALERT

More work on the signal at Highland Park Way and Holden this week – mast arms for the permanent signal. Lane closures are expected.

TRANSIT NOTES

Water Taxi today – Regular schedule. Check the real-time map if you’re wondering where the boat is.

Metro today – Regular schedule; check advisories here.

Washington State Ferries today – 2-boat service on the Triangle Route. Check alerts for changes, and use the real-time map to see where your ferry is.

SPOTLIGHT TRAFFIC CAMERAS

(The video options on SDOT‘s camera map are working again.)

Delridge cameras: Besides the one below (Delridge/Orchard), cameras are also at Delridge/Genesee, Delridge/Juneau, Delridge/Henderson, 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; West Seattle and vicinity-relevant cameras are on this WSB page.

BRIDGE INFO: The @SDOTBridges feed on X (ex-Twitter) shows whether the city’s movable bridges are opening for vessel traffic.

If you see a problem on the bridges/streets/paths/water, please text or call us (when you can do that safely, and after you’ve reported to authorities if applicable). Thank you!

WEST SEATTLE CRIME WATCH: 26th/Barton stabbing

1:17 AM: SFD and SPD are at 26th/Barton to investigate what dispatch said was a stabbing called in by King County Sheriff’s Deputies – a 30-year-old man with an upper-arm stab wound.

1:14 AM: The victim is reported to be aboard a C-Line bus, though we don’t know if the stabbing happened on the bus. The attacker was first reported to be at a bus shelter but hasn’t been found so far; he was last reported walking eastbound. The victim’s injuries are described as not life-threatening.

1:31 AM: Police just told dispatch that they’ve determined the stabbing happened off the bus.

1:42 AM: They’ll be searching with a King County Sheriff’s Office K-9 that’s been called in from the Eastside. … The man they’re looking for is described as Black, 6’l, medium build, half-inch beard “with a little gray in it,” gray beanie, shoulder bag, dark sweatpants.

Sound Transit, Rethink The Link, Duwamish Tribe guests @ District 1 Community Network’s first 2024 meeting

Here’s what happened when the District 1 Community Network – representatives of various groups and organizations around the area – met this week for the first time this year, with Deb Barker of the Morgan Community Association facilitating.

WEST SEATTLE LIGHT RAIL: D1CN’s first guests were from Sound Transit, recapping the newest information presented regarding the West Seattle light-rail extension – early station designs. ST is still on track to publish the West Seattle project’s Final Environmental Impact Statement “the middle of this year,” Leda Chahim said – the board (which is getting some new members) will vote after that on final routing and station locations. The presentation went through the station-planning info shown at recent meetings including the West Seattle Transportation Coalition in November (WSB coverage here) and October’s “open house” in The Junction (WSB coverage here). ST’s station-planning lead Sloan Dawson headed up the recap, showing what were largely the same station design outlines presented at WSTC (with a few extra notations about bus access), starting with the Delridge station, northwest of the Delridge/Andover intersection.

Questions included how many buses the stop zone at the station would hold simultaneously – answer, three. Also: How is Metro involved in planning? Dawson said they’re “closely coordinating.”

The Avalon station is where the line starts going underground, with a “retained cut” station and then the tunnel leading into The Junction.

This station “straddles” 35th SW, with an entrance on each side of that street. Barker noted that Metro will be visiting the WSTC this year, so watch for that if you have questions about how bus service will interface with light rail. Dawson said that among other things, they’re working on street cross-sections to show more clearly how the station areas are supposed to work..

The Junction station will be “cut and cover,” spanning 41st SW.

Buses from California, Alaska, and Fauntleroy would converge on the station. There would be a new signalized intersection at 41st/Alaska. Jefferson Square would be “acquired and demolished.” That led to one commenter voicing concerns about how business tenants would be compensated compared to property owners; Chahim said it’s a complex conversation and that they haven’t discussed specific dollar amounts with specific businesses yet.

Time ran too short for detailed discussion but ST reps also noted “concepts” for projects to enhance walking and biking access to the stations. Next up in the process – they’re analyzing more than 2,000 responses to the station-planning survey that closed just before Christmas. They also promised another “engagement” event in West Seattle in the months ahead.

‘NO-BUILD ALTERNATIVE’: Another light-rail-related agenda item later in the meeting – Marty Westerman spoke on behalf of the Rethink The Link group advocating for this alternative to Sound Transit light rail. They contend that the light-rail extension “will make West Seattle to downtown rider experience worse” and that the massive expense and construction-related pollution, among other aspects, are not worth it. They say ST only projects 400 fewer car trips as a result and contend that beefing up bus service would “make more sense.” One attendee asked how the ST3 vote could be “undone” to allow this. Westerman said that’s not necessary, as the ST Board has the power to “ignore the voters” and do whatever they think is right, for example.

TRIBAL ART UNDER THE BRIDGE: Here’s our previous coverage about this. Facilitator Barker recapped how she found out about this by reading a City Council agenda back in November. The new City Council will have to make a final decision on the matter, which involves $133,000 for the Muckleshoot and Suquamish tribes to create art on columns under the west end of the West Seattle Bridge. The Duwamish Tribe – whose longhouse is barely a mile away from the site – was not consulted, though the city said a different art project would involve the Duwamish. Barker invited Ken Workman of the Duwamish Tribe to the meeting. He said that “to our shock, this proposal was going through” on the “last Duwamish Village site in Seattle.” He said the two tribes involved “are good people” and do have some Duwamish ancestry, adding that his tribe supports native art, but “this place is home for us and for somebody else to come in and say they’re going to establish their territory (here) … doesn’t sit well with us.” He said they were grateful to Barker for bringing it to their attention. He was asked how the fight for federal recognition is going; “we continue this fight … our attorneys are pushing forward for an acknowledgment, a summary judgment that (the Duwamish) would be recognized … My fear is that if we as a Duwamish people fail to get our names on the registry of recognized tribes, we will go the way of the Aztec and Inca and people will say they have ‘ancestry’ but there won’t be an actual Duwamish people any more.” Back to the art matter, city reps said at the time of the bridge proposal that they would work with the Duwamish on a separate public-art project; Workman said that will involve sidewalk art. No date set yet for the council’s next consideration of the project with the Suquamish and Muckleshoot, Council Bill 120726; the Transportation Committee shelved it on December 5th and will have to vote before it could go to the full council.

CITY COUNCIL VACANCY: This is now open to applicants as noted in our coverage Tuesday of the council’s first meeting – but you have to apply by end-of-day Tuesday (January 9). Barker noted that a public forum will be held as part of the process and wondered if D1CN participants might be interested in sending in questions. When a similar forum was held in 2019, it was noted, 18 groups asked questions.

COMMUNITY NOTES AND ANNOUNCEMENTS: Kay Kirkpatrick from HPAC said they’re excited about the construction of the permanent signal at Highland Park Way and Holden … Facilitator Barker said her organization, Morgan Community Association, will have a hybrid meeting at 7 pm January 17th, at Westside Unitarian Universalist (7141 California SW) … The Fauntleroy Community Association expects a guest from Parks at its 7 pm meeting Tuesday (January 9) to talk about the Lincoln Park pickleball-court plan. That’ll be at The Hall at Fauntleroy (9131 California SW).

D1CN’S NEXT MEETING: 7 pm Wednesday, March 6, in-person, location TBA.