West Seattle, Washington
21 Friday
(WSB photo)
Thanks to this WSB commenter for mentioning that those “no parking” signs had been placed near the 1st/Cloverdale encampment, one day after a gunfire report led to this arrest and weapon seizure. We’ve reported before on the encampment, which is on both state and city land; representatives of both governments said at last month’s meeting of HPAC, the nearest community coalition, that a resolution was in the works. After hearing about the “no parking” signs today, we checked with WSDOT spokesperson James Poling, who replied, “Our collaborative monthslong work with our partners at this site has led to the final steps of a site resolution taking place at this location, with the city’s no parking signs part of that process.” The signs are marked with the dates March 29 (Friday) through April 2 (Tuesday). HPAC also says they’ve been told the site will be cleared within a week.
TC reports seeing mail theft happen just before 4 pm today:
Two men smashed the window on the mail truck parked on my block and drove away with a tray of mail. The men were white but I couldn’t say how old they are or anything like that. Both wore face masks and hoodies pulled up. I got a picture of their SUV and submitted a police report online, and I talked with the postal worker and helped clean up the glass.
We’re at 47th and Andover. The mail carrier told me that there’s a shortage of mail trucks because so many are out of commission, waiting on window replacements.
… the answer is “tentatively.” A few readers asked us if a flyover is planned tomorrow night as the M’s open the season vs. the Boston Red Sox (7:10 pm Thursday, T-Mobile Park), so we asked the team. M’s spokesperson Sarah Alamshaw replied, “Weather dependent, there will be a flyover tomorrow.” Right now, the late-afternoon weather looks unsettled, like today, but we’ll see how things go. We don’t know (yet) which aircraft will be waiting in the wings – but we’re checking around and will add to this whenever we find out. (Last year, the flyover featured helicopters from Joint Base Lewis-McChord‘s 16th Combat Aviation Brigade.)
The long-in-the-works East Marginal Way Corridor Improvement Project has begun, on a path many West Seattleites take into downtown. If you have questions, the West Seattle Transportation Coalition‘s meeting Thursday is the place to get answers – SDOT will be at the online meeting to talk about the project. The agenda for WSTC’s every-other-month meeting also includes a representative from the office of City Councilmember Rob Saka, who chairs the council’s Transportation Committee. All are welcome at the 6:30 pm meeting; see our calendar listing for online/phone connection information.
The West Seattle/Fauntleroy YMCA (WSB sponsor) is taking the first step toward expanding its hours, a key community request in the past few months’ discussion of the location’s future. Here’s the flyer in circulation today:
(Reader photo)
West Seattle/Fauntleroy Y branch executive Cleveland King tells WSB that the April 1 change will be a “soft open,” giving members the chance to adjust their schedules to new hours (50 percent more than the hours Fauntleroy’s been open in recent years). He says they’ll also be announcing new programs when the expanded hours are finalized in mid-April. And he says community members can help by showing support: “As we continue to grow, we will need the community to re-engage with our Fauntleroy YMCA.”
ORIGINAL WEDNESDAY REPORT: Just received – this West Seattle teenager is missing (updated flyer):
That’s all the information we have right now – will add anything more, including the police report #, when we get it.
ADDED THURSDAY: The police report number is 24-079360. We received an updated flyer today and substituted it for the original one.
SATURDAY: The flyer has been updated again.
Today we welcome Just in Case Disaster Preparedness Services as a new WSB sponsor – here’s what to know about what they can do for you:
Alice Kuder is on a mission. She wants every household in West Seattle to be prepared for the next, inevitable, natural disaster. Her goal is to see an emergency Flee Bag™ in every home.
A Flee Bag™ (aka, Go Kit or Bug-out Bag) is a portable tote such as a duffle bag, backpack or luggage containing basic emergency supplies to get you through the first 1-3 days following a disaster. And assembling a Flee Bag™ is a first, important step toward disaster preparedness.
“Everyone wants to be prepared for disasters, but many, if not most people allow fear and procrastination to prevent them from taking even the first steps,” Alice explains. “It’s just human nature. It may not be completely rational, but disaster preparedness has a lot in common with buying insurance and writing a will. Everyone knows that they are things you should do, but sometimes we get afraid that preparing for bad things will bring them on. It’s not true, of course, but that fear is still an obstacle. In reality, preparation provides peace of mind.”
Alice founded her business, Just in Case, to help people surmount those common hurdles and propel them toward preparing for disasters.
One means of achieving her goal of “a Flee Bag™ in every home” is to offer a series of free, Ready Freddy Prep Parties at various times and locations throughout West Seattle. Participants are invited to BYOB (bring your own bag) and begin creating Flee Bags™ on the spot with inexpensive supplies she will make available at cost.
The first prep party will be 7 PM Easter Sunday, March 31 at West Seattle Coworking, 9030 35th Ave SW. The second will be 7 PM, Sunday, April 7 at The Missing Piece Cafe, 9456 35th Ave SW.
Alice is also a residential real estate agent with Berkshire Hathaway Northwest Real Estate. She sees a symbiotic relationship between selling homes and making them safe for their inhabitants. Her passion for promoting preparedness is obvious. “The resources for DIY disaster preparedness are easy to find online, but they are scattered all over the internet and none of them do a good job of helping you figure out how to customize a plan for your particular situation. One-size-fits-all emergency supply kits really don’t cut it.”
The Just in Case website offers a combination of free resources and paid services. The free, downloadable resources (e.g. supply checklists) make it possible for most anyone to do their own preparations. The paid services are intended for those who lack the time, energy and interest to do it on their own.
“Just in Case is a truly unique approach to helping with disaster preparedness, in that I meet with clients one-on-one in their homes, and conduct a Readiness Assessment. Together, we review what they have, what they need, what they know and what they need to learn in order to be fully prepared for the next disaster. Following that assessment, we tour their home and property to determine where they can store the supplies and where to shelter in each room if the ground starts to shake.”
But the service doesn’t stop there.
“After the in-home visit, I prepare a customized action plan, dividing the tasks up into manageable chunks over the course of eight weeks. I check in with the homeowners at the beginning of each week to see what they have accomplished, and what’s on their list for the coming week. Most people tell me that this accountability significantly contributes to their success.”
You may recognize Alice as the orchestrator of the free community events Winter Wander Scavenger Hunt and Summer Scramble Treasure Hunt, both of which entice hundreds of West Seattelites to participants each year. Why does she sponsor these events for free? “It’s my way of giving back to a community that I love. I don’t have kids of my own, so my neighbors are even more like family to me. ”
Alice admits that maintaining the “free” aspect is more challenging as she heads into her lower-income, retirement years. She is counting on Just in Case to succeed and produce the income necessary to “keep all these balls in the air.”
“The folks in the Office of Emergency Management tell us that it is likely to be at least two weeks before the public can expect to get any help following a major earthquake. A real catastrophe will require everyone working together and sharing resources, so when one person prepares for emergencies, it benefits us all. I want Just in Case to be a valued leader in our community’s efforts to be prepared, not scared.”
We thank Just in Case Disaster Preparedness Services for sponsoring independent, community-collaborative neighborhood news via WSB; find our current sponsor team listed in directory format here; email patrick@wsbsales.com for info on joining the team!
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11:30 AM: SPD has released information today on the Tuesday investigation that blocked traffic at 1st/Cloverdale, alongside Highway 509, as mentioned by a commenter following our daily traffic roundup. Police say it started as a domestic-violence report just before 6 am. Officers talked to a woman near “an RV trailer close to an encampment” who reported that she was almost hit by a bullet when a man shot at her. They arrested the suspect “after several calls for others to come out of the RV” and booked him into jail, eventually recovering the weapons shown below in a photo from SPD, which describes them as “an AR-15 without a serial number, a bow gun, arrow, and ammunition.”
Police say the suspect is “lawfully prohibited from having any guns.” We are checking on his status; since he was booked yesterday, he would likely be scheduled for a bail/probable-cause hearing today. The victim was not injured.
12:28 PM: The suspect is still in jail, and we discovered in past court documents that he was already wanted in another case in which he is charged, so we are identifying him: 42-year-old Pascual Ferrer-Gonzalez, whose last known address on one document was in Burien. That other case is an auto theft in which he was charged in October 2021 but had yet to go to trial – there’s a long case history online; we downloaded some of the documents. He was found with the stolen car on I-5 in SeaTac in December 2020, and charged in October 2021. (One document notes that was two months after he was convicted in an assault, domestic violence, and burglary case.) He didn’t appear for arraignment in the auto-theft case, so a warrant was issued, and he was arrested two months later. Judge Veronica Galvan granted his release on personal recognizance. Various case delays ensued; he ended up in jail again for four weeks last November and December, until he was granted release again on personal recognizance, this time by Judge Johanna Bender, on condition he show up for a day-reporting program. A little over a week later, court documents show, he didn’t, so another arrest warrant was issued. He didn’t show up for a hearing this past January, either, so a warrant from that hearing was still in effect when he was arrested yesterday.
7:55 PM: We don’t yet have the documents from this afternoon’s hearing, but the jail docket shows Ferrer-Gonzalez’s bail is now set at $305,000 – that’s $5,000 for the unresolved auto-theft case, $300,000 for this new case.
(Barred Owl – staying out of the rain? – photographed on Bonair by Nathan May)
Mostly from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar, here are reminders for the rest of today/tonight:
SEATTLE PUBLIC LIBRARY CLOSURE: All branches are closed today for a staff in-service day. Book drops remain open.
HOLY WEEK SERVICES: Our list is here; there’s still time to send your church’s list (westseattleblog@gmail.com).
DROP-IN CREATIVITY: Bring your art/craft project to West Side Presbyterian Church (3605 California SW) 9:30-11:30 am Wednesdays!
TODDLER READING TIME: Wednesdays at 10:30 am at Paper Boat Booksellers (6040 California SW).
FREE TODDLER GYM: 3-5 pm drop-in playspace at the Salvation Army Center in South Delridge (9050 16th SW).
FIX-IT WORKSHOP: Repair your broken item 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).
‘MEAN GIRLS’ FUNDRAISER AT CORNER POCKET: 6-8 pm, have a special drink (21+) at Corner Pocket (California/Alaska) in The Junction, and part of the proceeds will benefit West Seattle High School‘s new production (which opens tomorrow!).
FREE GROUP RUN: Meet at West Seattle Runner (2743 California SW; WSB sponsor) for the weekly free group run, 6 pm.
FREE ART CLASS: Watercolor mixed-media class, at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center (4408 Delridge Way SW), 6-8 pm.
TRIVIA x 4: Four places to play tonight. At 6 pm, Locust Cider (2820 Alki SW) offers trivia … Larry’s Tavern (3405 California SW) hosts Wednesday-night trivia starting at 7:30 pm … Quiz Night begins at 8 pm at Beveridge Place Pub (6413 California SW) … 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)
HPAC HANGOUT: No presentations on the agenda for the Highland Park, Riverview, and South Delridge community coalition this month – just an hour to hang out online and talk about whatever’s on your mind, 7-8 pm. Connection info and other community notes can be found here.
PIANO MUSIC AT OTTER ON THE ROCKS: 7 pm-10 pm. (4210 SW Admiral Way)
MUSIC BINGO: Play weekly at The Good Society (California/Lander), 7 pm.
SKYLARK OPEN MIC: 7:30 pm signups for West Seattle’s longest-running open mic. (3803 Delridge Way SW)
If you’re planning a presentation, meeting, performance, reading, tour, fundraiser, sale, discussion, 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!
10:04 AM: Transient killer whales are in Elliott Bay again on this rainy morning – off Duwamish Head, Kersti Muul reports. Let us know if you see them.
11:16 AM: See comments for updates!
Family and friends are remembering Jo Oss. Here’s the remembrance they’re sharing with the community:
Mary Jo Reichelt Oss was greeted by our Lord on March 14, 2022 and was reunited with her husband Richard, son Rick and Brother Edward. She was 90 years old.
Jo was a lifetime resident of West Seattle and Arbor Heights. She was an active member of West Side Presbyterian Church until her later years. She was a member for almost 70 years.
Jo started working when her children were little, doing home typing. She then worked for many years at a finance company. She finished her career with City of Seattle. Jo worked for the City of Seattle for over 25 years and was an Administrative Assistant to three Seattle mayors.
After she retired, she volunteered weekly at West Side Presbyterian Church and the Seattle Aquarium.
Her favorite activity was gardening and you could always find her outside tending the hundreds of roses in her yard.
She was an advocate of animal rights and supported many animal rescue centers such as Seattle Humane and Best Friends. Her home was never without a kitty or two.
Jo was also a baker. She enjoyed keeping family and friends well stocked with cookies, especially chocolate chip. Her home would fill with the tantalizing smell of Christmas cookies every December.
She loved spending time with her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren.
Her last 14 months were under the loving care at Florence of Seattle.
She is survived by son David and Debi Oss, daughter Michele and John Malgren, grandson Ryan and Jessica (Meadowe, Maxim), granddaughter Allison and Scott (Macieo, Jack, Eleanor, Lainey and Andrew), granddaughter Lynnette and Craig (Orin, Karis), and granddaughter Olenna and David (Ezra and Georgie).
It is hard to sum up the life of a remarkable woman in just a few words. Jo is so missed and loved forever.
(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)
6:02 AM: Good morning. It’s Wednesday, March 27.
WEATHER + SUNRISE/SUNSET TIMES
Rain, maybe some pm thunder, high in the mid-50s. Sunrise will be at 6:56 am, sunset at 7:33 pm.
TRANSIT NOTES
Metro today – Regular schedule; check advisories here. Don’t forget – the twice-yearly “service change” happens on Saturday (March 30); here’s our breakout of West Seattle changes.
Water Taxi today – Regular schedule. Check the real-time map if you need to see where the boat is. Also: Metro will run the West Seattle Water Taxi late for the Mariners’ opening homestand.
Washington State Ferries today – The usual 2 boats on the Triangle Route. Check WSF alerts for changes. Use the real-time map to see where your ferry is.
SPOTLIGHT TRAFFIC CAMERAS
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:
Highway 99: – northbound side at Lander:
MORE TRAFFIC CAMS: All functioning traffic cams citywide are 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 our hotline (when you can do that safely, and after you’ve reported to authorities if they’re not already on scene) – 206-293-6302. Thank you!
Police, including a K-9 team, are searching for two people who held up the Harbor Avenue 7-11 shortly after midnight. They’re described as two Black men in their early 20s, (revised) one about 6′ and the other around 5’9″, slim to medium build, wearing black hoodies, face masks, and jeans, both armed with handguns, one with a black backpack with “rainbow numbers reading either 100 or 1,000.” They were last seen leaving on foot northbound on Harbor. If you have any information, the incident number 24-082819.
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