day : 30/09/2024 10 results

Separately from current budget crisis, Seattle Public Schools plans to ask voters to approve $2.4 billion in levies

Even while dealing with an immediate budget shortfall that might lead to school closures, Seattle Public Schools is moving ahead with renewal/expansion plans for two levies, the operations levy and the capital levy (BEX). The recommendations for both are currently scheduled to go before the School Board next week, at its October 9 meeting, and some information already is available via the early version of the meeting agenda. They are both proposed to go to voters next February.

The biggest of the two is the six-year BEX VI capital levy, proposed for $1.8 billion, up from the $1.4 billion voters approved in 2018 in its predecessor BEX V. This one includes many projects around the district; the biggest in our area would be a $50 million addition for Chief Sealth International High School, described only as “CTE addition” (Career and Technical Education). The board resolution also mentions smaller local projects including $1 million for fire-alarm work at Highland Park Elementary and athletic-field work at district-owned Nino Cantu Southwest Athletic Complex and Denny International Middle School. (The spending breakout starts on page 7 of the resolution.)

We haven’t yet found documents with full details on these projects; the process leading up to this list has included a lot less public involvement than the previous capital levies. BEX V, in comparison – the levy that funded the Alki Elementary rebuild and West Seattle Elementary expansion, among other things – had myriad public planning meetings, WSB archives show.

As for the Educational Programs and Operations levy, it’s proposed for $673 million over three years; the one that’s expiring raised $646 million. The text of this resolution has not yet been added to the board agenda. The page for the current EPO levy says it provides funding for some staff, support programs, athletics, and the arts. That page also noted, “Local levies, which must be approved by Seattle voters, provide 15% of the SPS operating budget.” We’ll be following up with the district for more information before the board meeting.

P.S. The board has a special online meeting tomorrow to consider extending superintendent Dr. Brent Jones‘s contract.

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UPDATE: Rescue response for car-on-side crash at 39th/Raymond

September 30, 2024 8:47 pm

| 4 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | WS breaking news

8:47 PM: Seattle Fire is sending a “rescue extrication” response to the 5900 block of 39th SW [map] for a crash involving a vehicle reported to be on its side. Updates to come.

8:50 PM: The vehicle on its side is said to be a pickup truck that went sideways after hitting a parked vehicle “at high speed,” dispatch has told officers.

8:53 PM: Responders on scene confirm the driver is trapped in the truck and will have to be extricated.

8:57 PM: The driver is reported to be a suspect police were seeking in an earlier domestic-violence incident.

9:07 PM: Firefighters have finished cutting him out of the truck.

(Added: Reader photo)

9:22 PM: He’ll be taken to Harborview.

ADDED TUESDAY MORNING: The driver, 39, was in critical condition when transported, SFD spokesperson Kaila Lafferty tells WSB.

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WEST SEATTLE CRIME WATCH: Would-be robber tries to shoot his way into locked 7-11

September 30, 2024 5:54 pm

| 5 COMMENTS

| Crime | West Seattle news

Thanks for the tip on one more incident of note today, early-morning gunfire at the 7-11 at 16th/Holden. We just obtained the summary from SPD:

On 9/30/24 at 3:01 a.m., patrol officers responded to a report of an attempted armed robbery at a 7-11 in the 1600 block of Southwest Holden Street. When they arrived, they spoke with the victim; he was not injured.

According to the officer’s report, the door was locked for cleaning when the suspect(s) arrived in a dark sedan. The clerk was in the back room when he heard a disturbance at the front door. When he went to the front of the store, a possibly teenage male produced a handgun from his waistband and pointed it at him.

The clerk ran for cover and hid in the back of the store. The suspect attempted to gain entry by using some firewood to break the door window open but was unsuccessful. He then fired multiple rounds inside of the store causing damage. The clerk did not sustain any injuries from the shooting.

The suspect fled the area in the vehicle and was not located. Multiple shell casings were recovered from the scene. Video footage was also collected as evidence.

Detectives with the Robbery Unit have been assigned to this case. This is preliminary information and is subject to change as they complete their investigation.

The initial description, according to archived police-radio audio, was “possibly Hispanic teenage male, face mask, dark down jacket, dark jeans, black shoes.” If you have any information, the police tipline is 206-233-5000, and the incident # is 24-277630.

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WEST SEATTLE CRIME WATCH: Arson investigation; truck and car break-ins

September 30, 2024 3:57 pm

| 16 COMMENTS

| Crime | West Seattle news

Three notes in West Seattle Crime Watch this afternoon:

ARSON INVESTIGATION: In our coverage of a small fire at a vacant house in Westwood on Saturday night, we noted that SFD’s investigator had requested police assistance. Today SFD confirms the fire was determined to have been “intentionally set.” No other information so far but if you have tips for investigators, the SPD incident # is 24-276472.

TRUCK BREAK-INS: Sent by a reader:

On 1600 block of 42nd Ave SW and on Palm Ave SW, we had vehicle prowls last night with windows broken out and one vehicle we know of had the ignition punched out. From what we heard from other neighbors urther north on Palm Ave, it appears that these criminals are only targeting trucks. Other vehicles were not touched. The vehicles on 42nd and Palm hit were all trucks. We know for sure of 6.

CAR BREAK-IN: Sent by Katie:

We live on SW Grayson near 51st and someone went through our unlocked Honda Accord last night, parked on the street in front of our house – nothing to take except there might have been some loose small amount of cash.
Saw at least 3 cars with smashed out windows along 49th on our way to/from school at Schmitz Park/Alki Elementary.

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WEST SEATTLE ART: Your annual chance to show your work at Southwest Library is almost here!

September 30, 2024 2:28 pm

| 2 COMMENTS

| West Seattle libraries | West Seattle news | WS culture/arts

Artists of all skill levels and talents are invited to be part of the annual Southwest Artist Showcase at Southwest Library. The four-day window to bring in your creations for display starts tomorrow – here’s the invitation we received today:

It’s that time of year again: the 32nd annual Southwest Artist Showcase is gearing up for October 6 – November 4! This free, month-long event features artists from all over west and southwest Seattle.
We welcome submissions from people of all ages and experience levels for our non-juried, non-profit showcase. Submit up to 3 pieces of art between Tuesday, October 1 – Friday, October 4 at the Southwest Branch during our open hours.

Artwork will NOT be offered for sale at the Library. All works must be picked up by 6pm on Sunday, November 10. You may have another person drop off (or pick up) your art. If you have an easel or display structure that you’d like us to use to display your work, please bring them along with your art.

Please note: we strive to display all submitted works, as space allows. Some works may not be included if their size or construction prevents their effective display in the library. Library staff will determine the placement and display of each piece, and artwork will not be moved once it has been placed.

For more information about the Southwest Artist Showcase, please visit spl.org/southwestartistshowcase or call the branch at 206-684-7455.

The branch is at 9010 35th SW; its hours are listed here.

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UPDATE: Multi-state Verizon outage affecting some in West Seattle

September 30, 2024 12:54 pm

| 7 COMMENTS

| Utilities | West Seattle news

12:54 PM: Verizon customers in multiple states have been reporting service interruptions today. At least some are in West Seattle – reader Katie told us via email that she had been out since 7:45 am and others in her neighborhood’s online group reported the same. It’s not universal – our hotline (for which we use Verizon mobile service) is still working – but the outage is believed to be affecting thousands. Verizon says only that they’re working on it; the FCC says it’s aware too.

2:17 PM: Update from Verizon – “Verizon engineers are making progress on our network issue and service has started to be restored.”

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CONTINUING TUESDAY: Highland Park Improvement Club demolition, 3+ years post-fire

September 30, 2024 12:04 pm

| 2 COMMENTS

| Highland Park | West Seattle history | West Seattle news

Highland Park Improvement Club trustee Kay Kirkpatrick sent that photo from early this morning, as demolition of HPIC’s fire-gutted building began at 12th/Holden. As previewed here last night, this is a long-awaited step toward rebuilding, 3+ years after the fire. It’s still bittersweet for onlookers to see a century of history come down in a matter of hours; several were watching – including Kirkpatrick – when we stopped by less than an hour ago.

(This photo and next two by WSB’s Patrick Sand)

(added) Thanks to Scott Bessho for this video from right before we arrived, when the entry-side facade came down:

The Fed Excavation demolition crew is making fast work of the building; that’ll be followed by debris-clearing. Kirkpatrik says one challenge this morning was dealing with a ton-and-a-half steel beam. Its fate hasn’t been determined yet; some of the old timber from the building will be reclaimed. As will the site, in the interim time before its replacement is built (fundraising continues) – Kirkpatrick says a work party will be planned to clean it up and beautify it a bit once the building debris is gone.

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Free family food & film, trivia, soccer, more for your West Seattle Monday

September 30, 2024 9:27 am

| 1 COMMENT

| West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

(Photo by Theresa Arbow-O’Connor)

Here’s our highlight list for the hours ahead, mostly from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:

CITY DEPARTMENTS PRESENT THEIR BUDGETS: The City Council’s review of the 2025-2026 budget proposal continues all day today, with sessions at 9:30 am and 2 pm. Right now they’re getting individual departments’ presentations; scheduled today are the Office of Sustainability and Environment, SDOT, Parks Department, and the Department of Early Learning and Education. Their slide decks are all linked on the agenda, which explains how to comment. You can watch live via Seattle Channel.

BABY STORY TIME: Bring little ones up to 2 years old to Southwest Library (9010 35th SW), noon-12:30 pm, for story time!

SPORTS: The Chief Sealth International High School girls’ soccer team (4-1-2) hosts Evergreen HS from White Center at Nino Cantu Southwest Athletic Complex (2801 SW Thistle), 3:30 pm.

FOOD TRUCK IN ARBOR HEIGHTS: Neighbors want you to know there’s a new location for the rotating weekly food-truck visit, 4000 block of SW 107th.

FAMILY FUN – FREE DINNER AND A MOVIE: Come enjoy dinner and watch “Inside Out 2” (trailer above), with a discussion afterward, at Admiral Church (4320 SW Hill), 5:30 pm – free, RSVP requested, link and more details are in our calendar listing.

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

D&D: Weekly D&D at 6:30 pm at Meeples Games (3727 California SW). All welcome, first-time players too.

MONDAY NIGHT TRIVIA! Three places to play as the week begins – 7 pm at The Good Society (California/Lander); 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)

MEDITATION IN FAUNTLEROY: All are invited to free weekly Zen sitting/meditation in the chapel at Fauntleroy UCC (9140 California SW), 7 pm-8:30 pm.

MEDITATION IN ALKI: The Alki Dharma Community also hosts Monday night meditation at Alki UCC (6115 SW Hinds), 7-8:30 pm.

MUSIC AT THE ALLEY: The Alley in back of Bonjour Vietnam is open – tonight you can listen to live music from The Westside Trio, 8 pm at The Alley (behind 4509 California SW), 21+, no cover.

SING! 9 pm start for Monday night karaoke at Talarico’s Pizzeria (4718 California SW).

If you have a West Seattle/White Center event to add to our calendar, please send the info to westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!

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READER REPORT: Recognize these glasses?

September 30, 2024 9:00 am

| 4 COMMENTS

| Seen around town | West Seattle news

Last time we published a photo of prescription eyeglasses found by a reader, it turned out they had been stolen in a car prowl … on Lake Union. Somewhere out there, whether via car prowl or simple misplacement or some other unforeseen circumstances, somebody is missing these glasses, and the finder is hoping to return them:

A nice pair of glasses was found on Sunday afternoon 9/22. They were in the middle of the road at SW Charlestown and 53rd SW, but luckily they were not run over. They are gold-rim prescription glasses in a hard black rectangle case.

The finder has posted myriad other places, including the Lost/Found/non-pets board in our Community Forums, so this is one last try. Email westseattleblog@gmail.com if yours & we’ll connect you.

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TRAFFIC, TRANSIT, ROAD WORK, WEATHER: September’s last morning

September 30, 2024 6:01 am

| 0 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

6:01 AM: Good morning. It’s Monday, September 30.

WEATHER + SUNRISE/SUNSET TIMES

So far, this week’s forecast looks promising. Today: Sunny, high in the low 60s. Today’s sunrise will be at 7:08 am, while sunset will be at 6:49 pm.

SPOKANE ST. VIADUCT & OTHER ROAD WORK

*After another abbreviated weekend work session, we’re awaiting this week’s schedule for the Spokane Street Viaduct resurfacing project – for which SDOT tells us a “bit” of work remains to be done.

*For the Admiral Way Bridge seismic project, the north half of the bridge remains closed, with one lane each way on the south side, until the project switches sides, likely in mid-October; Fairmount Avenue remains closed under the bridge.

*The Delridge pedestrian-bridge earthquake-safety project also continues, with narrowing at Delridge/Oregon.

TRANSIT

Metro buses today – Regular schedule.

Water Taxi today – Regular schedule.

Washington State Ferries today – 2 boats on the Triangle Route, plus the “unscheduled third boat,” now available on weekends too. Check for alerts here, where you’ll also find information on the fare increases that start tomorrow (Tuesday, October 1).

SPOTLIGHT TRAFFIC CAMERAS

High Bridge – Here’s the main camera, followed by the Fauntleroy-end camera:

Spokane Street Viaduct – This view usually looks westward, with eastbound lanes at left and westbound lanes at right:

Low Bridge – Looking west:

1st Avenue South Bridge:

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

MORE TRAFFIC CAMS: All functioning traffic cams citywide are here; West Seattle and vicinity-relevant cameras are on this WSB page.

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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