day : 26/06/2024 12 results

VIDEO: Promises made, concerns voiced at Alki/Harbor community-safety meeting, four days after deadly shooting

| Neighborhoods | Safety | West Seattle news

(WSB video and photos)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

The Alki-area community advocates who co-hosted tonight’s public-safety meeting with District 1 City Councilmember Rob Saka have long been pushing for as much action against street disorder as the city can muster. Last weekend’s shootings at Duwamish Head were just the latest flashpoint.

Perhaps that’s why the first actions promised tonight by city reps – but, they insisted, not the last – had to do with street design: Lane-narrowing and more speed cushions are on the way, per SDOT managers. The action most requested by attendees, installing speed cameras, isn’t so easy, panelists explained. Same with the matter of “holding people accountable.”

Above is our video from the nearly-two-hour meeting inside the sanctuary at Alki UCC; below, our recap:

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WEST SEATTLE CRIME WATCH: Man hospitalized after shooting in apartment

June 26, 2024 8:52 pm

| 5 COMMENTS

| Crime | West Seattle news

(Photo sent by Kevin)

8:52 PM: Police are investigating a shooting inside the Stewart Manor apartment building at 34th/Morgan. A man was taken to the hospital after the shooting was reported inside one of the units around 7 pm. No suspect or circumstances information so far; we’re checking with SFD to find out what condition the victim was in when transported.

11:11 PM: SFD says the victim, in his mid-20s, was in serious condition when transported to Harborview.

ADDED THURSDAY MORNING: SPD has since posted this about the incident; the only specific beyond what we reported already was that the man was found in a hallway.

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Mayor says CARE responders will expand to West Seattle later this year

June 26, 2024 7:57 pm

| 3 COMMENTS

| Safety | West Seattle news

When we first introduced you to the CARE response team – part of the city’s “third public-safety department” – we noted that their small size limited their response area downtown, but CARE Chief Amy Smith vowed they would make it to West Seattle. Now there’s a commitment, from Mayor Bruce Harrell, who formally announced the CARE RespponseTeam’s planned expansion today. From the announcement:

The expansion plan calls for hiring an additional 18 responders and three supervisors in the coming months and will immediately extend the current service area from Downtown, SODO, and the Chinatown-International District to additional neighborhoods including Capitol Hill, Central Area, First Hill, Judkins Park, Madison Park, Montlake, and upper Pike/Pine. This coverage will align with the Seattle Police Department (SPD) West and East precincts. The phased expansion – based on an analysis of 9-1-1 call volume and requests – targets this fall for expansion into North Seattle, followed by South and Southwest Seattle by the end of 2024.

The proposal for an additional 21 positions will be included in Mayor Harrell’s Mid-Year Supplemental Budget request, with 2024 costs fully funded through $1.9 million in federal funding due to Congressman Adam Smith and Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal’s support. The mayor also announced that he will nominate CARE Acting Chief Amy Smith to serve as the department’s permanent Chief, which is subject to City Council approval.

The CARE department includes both the responders and the city’s 911 center. (Here’s more about what the response team does.)

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WEST SEATTLE CRIME WATCH: 3 bikes stolen from garage; 1 white Elantra stolen from street, found

June 26, 2024 5:03 pm

| 4 COMMENTS

| Crime | West Seattle news

Two more West Seattle Crime Watch reader reports this afternoon:

STOLEN BICYCLES: Sent by Laura in Seaview:

Sometime last night (between 6/25-6/26) thieves forcefully broke into our garage and stole $10k worth of bikes: 2 pedal assist e-bikes and 1 gravel/road bike.

What makes this crime particularly egregious is that the thieves tried multiple points of entry on the garage (crowbar, broken windows, etc.).

The thieves were also in the garage for quite a while because they took the batteries that were stored separately from the 2 e-bikes. … The makes and models of the bikes are:
1. 2020 Yuba Boda Boda pedal assist cargo bike. Bright teal with monkey bars on the back for a child’s seat. Can’t miss it. Serial # (ends in) 019
2. 2021 Canondale Tesoro neo x1 pedal assist. Graphite color. Serial #(ends in) 888
2. 2020 Specialized Diverge e5 gravel/road bike. Dark red with lighter orange Specialized logo. Serial #: (ends in) 87p

We’ll add the police-report number when we get it.

STOLEN WHITE ELANTRA: Sent by a friend of the stolen white 2015 Hyundai Elantra’s owner:

My friend that lives on 60th in Alki came home from work at 1 am last night and parked on the street north of Admiral. After she and a friend came back from lunch … they noticed her car was not there and was stolen. This was around 3 pm today. She filed a police report already and they are investigating.

Just as we finished writing this, we got word that the car’s already been found, in Kent, so consider this a report for neighborhood awareness.

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FOLLOWUP: Admiral Way Bridge work, with months-long Fairmount Avenue closure, could start as soon as Monday

June 26, 2024 3:03 pm

| 11 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

(Slide from SDOT presentation at May 2024 Admiral Neighborhood Association meeting)

One month after the Admiral Neighborhood Association got an update on the Admiral Way Bridge seismic-strengthening project (WSB coverage here), SDOT has just announced that work will start as soon as Monday (July 1). The bridge over Fairmount Ravine is actually two bridges; they’ll have some closures during the project, but, as explained in the ANA meeting, the biggest impact will be under those bridges, with a months-long around-the-clock closure of Fairmount Avenue. Here’s the SDOT announcement:

As early as Monday, July 1, SDOT is set to begin seismic retrofits on the Admiral Way North and South Bridges. These essential improvements will enhance the bridges’ ability to withstand earthquakes. The construction is expected to last approximately 7-8 months, but schedules may change due to factors such as weather and availability of crews and materials.

To ensure the work is completed safely and efficiently, there will be lane closures on SW Admiral Way at the bridge throughout the construction period. Additionally, there will be full 24/7 closures of the bridge on two weekends, with specific dates to be determined. Fairmount Avenue beneath the bridge will be closed to all traffic, including pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers, for the duration of the construction.

We understand these closures will impact those who regularly use the bridge and Fairmount Avenue, and we will strive to minimize these disruptions.

This update didn’t mention the specific detour plans for the closures, nor did last month’s briefing, so we’re following up about those.

ADDED FRIDAY: SDOT says they haven’t finalized those plans but that the work potentially starting Monday won’t require “traffic control.”

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MISSING: Update – teenager found

June 26, 2024 1:30 pm

| 8 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | West Seattle people

Andre has been found, so we’ve removed his photo.

Earlier:

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WEST SEATTLE CRIME WATCH: Thief steals component of Highland Park Elementary play structure

June 26, 2024 11:32 am

| 4 COMMENTS

| Crime | Highland Park | West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

What you see in the foreground of that photo is new netting for a play structure at Highland Park Elementary. You won’t see it there today – because somebody stole it between 6 pm last night and 6 am today. HPE’s Patti Bunting explains, “Someone cut the lock off the gate and dragged the netting off the playground using some sort of cart.” And that wouldn’t have been easy – she says the plastic-fiber rope is “so heavy the installation company was planning on using their front loader to move it.” That installation WAS supposed to happen within days. If you see the stolen netting, please contact the school – plbunting@seattleschools.org – we’ll add the police-report number when it’s available.

ADDED THURSDAY: The stolen netting is worth $17,000. Police report number is 24-933987.

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UPDATE: Power outage in Luna Park/North Delridge

June 26, 2024 11:05 am

| 2 COMMENTS

| Utilities | West Seattle news

11:05 AM: Thanks for the tips. Seattle City Light‘s outage map shows 139 homes and businesses out of power in the area shown in the screengrab above, east of Luna Park and on the edge of North Delridge. We haven’t yet heard what might have caused it.

1:35 PM: The map shows the outage has since been resolved. We’re checking with SCL on its cause.

5:23 PM: SCL’s Jenn Strang says it was a “brief unplanned outage” that happened during a “pole transfer.”

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FOLLOWUP: Restoration time for ‘Welcome to West Seattle’ sign

June 26, 2024 10:46 am

| 23 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | WS culture/arts

(Reader photo, April 2023)

It’s been more than a year since a driver did that damage to the “Welcome to West Seattle” sign near the southwest end of the West Seattle Bridge. A reader recently tipped us that it appeared some repair work is under way. The sign was installed in 2019 by the West Seattle Chamber of Commerce, thanks to a gift from the late philanthropist Ada Cruzen, so we asked Chamber executive director Rachel Porter about the repair status when we saw her at an event on Tuesday. She confirms that restoration is under way, with the help of an area metal-work firm, and should be complete within a month; other details are yet to come.

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The list for your West Seattle Wednesday

June 26, 2024 9:00 am

| 2 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

(California poppy, photographed by Rosalie Miller)

Here’s our list of what’s happening today/tonight, mostly from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:

FOOD DRIVE: The almost-daily summer food-donation drive continues at Admiral Church (4320 SW Hill) – you can drop off nonperishable items until noon.

WALKING FOR WELL-BEING: 10 am walk in Lincoln Park (meet at 47th/Fauntleroy) – info’s in our calendar listing.

TODDLER READING TIME: 10:30 am Wednesdays at Paper Boat Booksellers (6040 California SW).

SPRAYPARK: Highland Park Spraypark (1100 SW Cloverdale) is open every day, 11 am-8 pm, free.

COLMAN POOL: Third weekday this summer for the outdoor heated-salt-water pool on the shore at Lincoln Park (8011 Fauntleroy Way SW), noon-7 pm – session times are on the Colman Pool webpage.

LINCOLN PARK WADING POOL: Also at Lincoln Park, the 7-day-a-week wading pool is open today noon-7 pm, in the central upper part of the park near the north play area.

DELRIDGE WADING POOL: First day of the season at this pool, noon-5:30 pm. (4501 Delridge Way SW)

FIX-IT WORKSHOP: Fix it, don’t toss it! Weekly event, free (but donations appreciated), 5:30-7:30 pm at West Seattle Tool Library (4408 Delridge Way SW, northeast side of Youngstown Cultural Arts Center).

ALKI COMMUNITY-SAFETY MEETING: 6 pm at Alki UCC (6115 SW Hinds), city leaders and community advocates invite you to a conversation about community safety, after the shootings early Saturday that killed a man and injured another at the Duwamish Head viewpoint where Harbor/Alki Avenues meet. Our preview includes the link to use if you have a question to submit in advance.

FREE ART CLASS: Watercolor mixed-media class, at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center (4408 Delridge Way SW), 6-8 pm.

FREE GROUP RUNS: The weekly West Seattle Runner (2743 California SW; WSB sponsor) group run welcomes all levels – meet at the shop by 6:15 pm.

TRIVIA x 5: 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)

MUSIC BINGO: Play weekly at The Good Society (California/Lander), 7 pm.

YOGA IN THE PARK: Two West Seattle teachers lead Wednesday night outdoor-yoga events at Myrtle Reservoir Park (35th/Myrtle), 7:30 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 so we can get it onto West Seattle’s only comprehensive event calendar! westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!

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TRAFFIC, TRANSIT, WEATHER, ROAD WORK: Wednesday watch

June 26, 2024 6:03 am

| Comments Off on TRAFFIC, TRANSIT, WEATHER, ROAD WORK: Wednesday watch

| West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

6:03 AM: Good morning! It’s Wednesday, June 26.

WEATHER + SUNRISE/SUNSET TIMES

Cloudy this morning, then clearing, breezy, high near 70. Today’s sunrise was at 5:13 am, while sunset will be at 9:11 pm (and will stay there until Saturday).

ONGOING ROAD WORK

*SDOT’s Delridge pedestrian-bridge earthquake-safety project continues, with narrowing at Delridge/Oregon:

*Beach Drive: Gas-pipeline work continues at spots along the southern stretch.

TRANSIT NOTES

Metro today – Regular schedule; check for advisories here.

Water Taxi today – Regular schedule. Check the real-time map if you need to see where the boat is.

Washington State Ferries today – The usual 2 boats on the Triangle Route, but now with the unscheduled “bonus boat” on weekdays when available; check WSF alerts for last-minute changes and use the real-time map to see where your ferry is.

SPOTLIGHT TRAFFIC CAMERAS (Sorry about the problems – we’ll report to SDOT if they’re not working by morning’s end)

Low bridge: Here’s the main view:

Delridge cameras: Besides the one below (Delridge/Orchard), cameras are also at Delridge/Genesee, Delridge/Juneau, Delridge/Henderson, Delridge/Oregon, and video-only (so you have to go to the map), Delridge/Holden and Delridge/Thistle.

High Bridge – Here’s the main camera:

High Bridge – the view from its southwest end (when SDOT points the 35th/Avalon/Fauntleroy camera that way):

1st Ave. S. Bridge:

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 open 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!

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VIDEO: Waterway safety, ‘street racing’ proposals @ City Council’s Public Safety Committee

June 26, 2024 1:21 am

| 6 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | West Seattle politics

Twp items of extra local interest were on the agenda Tuesday for the City Council’s Public Safety Committee, for which District 1 Councilmember Rob Saka serves as vice chair.

First – starting at 20 minutes into the meeting video above – a consulting firm presented results of their commissioned study on waterway safety in Seattle, “a year in the making,” according to Councilmember Dan Strauss, who had advocated for it. You can read the full report here, and see their slide deck here. One major recommendation: More safety education for recreational boaters, who often aren’t aware of rules, laws, and best safety practices. More signage might help, they suggested. The consultants also recommended more synching between Seattle Police and Fire marine resources – they already cooperate and collaborate, but it should be more formalized. Their data could be better utilized, too.

They also noted the need for more marine-focused resources – SFD, for example, wants to build a new fire station on South Lake Union; SPD Harbor Patrol could use more staffing. And they could leverage other city personnel – perhaps the expanded Park Rangers team could help with noise enforcement, they suggested.

While the briefing didn’t touch on any West Seattle waterway-safety specifics, we noted while searching the full report that there are some local mentions – for example, on page 43, “SPD is developing a new map drawn to identify more specific Harbor Patrol ‘beat’ areas, such as Elliott Bay, Lake Union, Duwamish, Alki, and Fauntleroy.” Also mentioned (page 16), Fire Station 36 under the West Seattle Bridge at the north end of Delridge, because it “has the Marine 1 Unit, which provides landside firefighting response for fires on or near the water.”

No action was taken or proposed – the recommendations aren’t at the level of proposed policies or budget items, yet. A slightly different situation for the meeting’s second briefing, billed as the first look at “an ordinance relating to street racing; adding the crime of racing; adding the traffic infraction of vehicle participation in unlawful racing …” What City Attorney Ann Davison (who was at the meeting) announced last week, a new $500 fine for registered owners of participating vehicles, was just part of it. They’re also aligning with some new state laws, as noted in the rather sparse slide deck. Watch the briefing (which starts 54 minutes into the meeting video) for much more elaboration, including SPD Assistant Chief Dan Nelson recounting multiple “takeover” events this past Saturday night around the city, including the one on which we reported, at 2nd/Michigan/West Marginal. This recounting featured a video compilation. Nelson said it was important for SPD to use “targeted enforcement” to keep tracking and breaking up those gatherings, because some result in crime and collisions (shootings were associated with a takeover on MLK Way that same night, he said).

Saka asked why automated cameras couldn’t be more extensively used; a City Attorney’s Office rep explained that technologically, cameras could be used for much more, but state law limits their use, so it would have to change. Councilmember Joy Hollingsworth asked how people participating in driving stunts such as donuts would get ticketed; Nelson said officers would first move in to “triage” life-safety dangers, and then would start gathering plate numbers. Saka wondered where the $500 fine came from. Davison said they felt it would be “meaningful” but not “excessive.”

Before the proposed new laws can take effect, they’ll have to come back to the committee for a vote, and then go to the full council.

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