West Seattle, Washington
15 Wednesday
Last night we sat in on the monthly meeting of the Delridge Neighborhoods District Council, one of two district councils in West Seattle, each including representatives of neighborhood groups and other major noncommercial organizations. This time around, the Delridge Council hosted two guests from City Hall: Council President Richard Conlin (who’s made two other high-level appearances in WS recently, at the Southwest District Council and at the Alki Community Council), and Mayor Nickels’ community-outreach director Pamela Green. Both had a lot to say – as did the regular attendees – and we’re going to break it out into several updates, starting with this one about two ways the city’s looking for YOUR opinion right now:Read More
Thanks to Lillie for the tip that this taco truck has turned up at the Orchard/Sylvan road fork west of Delridge (map), across from the northwest corner of Home Depot. We previously hadn’t noticed any taco trucks closer than White Center/Burien, as discussed in this WSB post (and ensuing comments) a year ago.
Thanks to the WSB’er who texted us about this — the other half of the team has just been to the scene and is returning with pix — the southbound lanes of Delridge are closed between Thistle and the Westwood Village turnoff because of some kind of spill involving a Metro bus that started leaking oil in a huge way. Avoid that area for a while. ADDED 9:38 PM: Replaced previous photo of the absorptive stuff put on the street, with video of same, showing just how far it stretched:
We get e-mails now and then asking what’s going on with the Pacino’s Coffee location at 5605 Delridge, which abruptly closed not long after opening. Just happened onto city permit filings indicating the building is being re-equipped as a restaurant – the filing lists Olympia Pizza and Pasta as the name.
Two months ago, we covered a hearing in West Seattle about permits the Nucor mill (Delridge/Andover) requested to modify a crane so it can add operating hours. (The red arrow in the photo above points to where that will happen.) For anybody keeping track, the official decisions are starting to roll in – just got a note from the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency that it’s issued a permit required for this; you can read the associated fine print by following four links here.
In east West Seattle, Cottage Grove Park “needs a tot lot,” according to North Delridge community organizers who are determined to make one happen. They say the park originally was supposed to have play equipment for 2- to 5-year-olds as well as the older kids, but the “tot lot” didn’t make the $ cut; now they’re ready to make it happen anyway. Can you help them — with ideas, materials, time? Join them for their first discussion tomorrow at Bubbles on Delridge (map), 4:30 pm. (If you can’t be there but might be able to help, e-mail betsy@hoffmeisters.com)
FOR TEENS: Think you can find anything online? Delridge Library invites you to test your skills – and win prizes! – at the Teen Internet Scavenger Hunt this Wednesday, 4 pm. Find out more here, including how to preregister.
FOR ADULTS: The Madison Middle School PTSA is extending an open invitation to anyone interested in attending its next meeting featuring two UW researchers who are looking into how teens use tech — specifically, instant messaging and blogging, and video games. After the presentations, Madison PTSA co-president Adrian Lee tells WSB, “the researchers will lead a discussion of youth and emergent digital technologies.” That meeting is 7 pm March 12 @ the Madison library; more info here.
If you lose track of either of these events, just keep an eye on the WSB Events page, where they’re listed along with dozens of other West Seattle events for the days, weeks, months ahead.
Time to toss out that old mental image of your local public library as a hush-or-else quiet temple of bookshelves. Today’s libraries have a lot more going on. Last weekend, for example, we told you about an adult Wii-gaming class at Delridge Library — nice turnout, we’re told, and now we have another activity at that branch — one of four Seattle Public Library branches in West Seattle – that we want to tell you about: “Wonderful Ones.”Read More
GAMES PEOPLE PLAY: Wii is not just for kids, and the Delridge Library will show you why at 10:30 this morning; other one-time-only West Seattle events today/tonight include the Seattle Majestics‘ karaoke contest — see the West Seattle Weekend Lineup for the full rundown on what’s up.
TRAFFIC REMINDERS: SDOT will be doing significant work today at two sites in West Seattle, as announced yesterday afternoon: California/Othello paving here, Admiral medians here.
LOOKING AHEAD TO VALENTINE’S DAY? The latest newsletter from Skylark offers this: “Skylark is hosting a Valentine’s Day ‘Cheap Date Night,’ filled with free music; homemade spaghetti & meatballs; garlic bread and a bottle of red or white wine all for just $32 per couple from 5 pm to 10 pm.” Read more here.
PICTURES WE’VE BEEN MEANING TO SHARE: During a busy week full of news, they wound up on the back burner, but if you’ve got a minute, take a look:Read More
So says KIRO TV. Looking for more details now, such as where they found him; other citywide media are now (12:23 pm) confirming the arrest, but no location yet. Slog says police will announce more details at 1:15 pm. 12:29 PM UPDATE: KING just reported the arrest was made at 40th & Cloverdale – they didn’t include a street direction (S or SW) though – we’ll check further – our money’s on S since SW is within earshot of us and we haven’t seen/heard anything. 12:37 PM UPDATE: Tony says in the comments on this item that KOMO reports MLK/Elmgrove as the arrest location (here’s a map), which isn’t far from 40th/Cloverdale, so we seem to have established it happened in South Seattle. 12:42 PM UPDATE: Confirmation on that. 1:43 PM UPDATE: More details in a just-updated Times story, which has yet another slightly different version of the arrest location (3700 block Cloverdale). (Previous reports: Here’s the original coverage yesterday; here’s the update early today about police finding the suspect’s car.)
So says KOMO (location shown on this map). However, as of now, the suspect is still on the loose (see his photo in our earlier coverage). 6:40 AM UPDATE: No arrest reported yet.
ADDED 3:20 PM: Thanks to WSB contributor Sage K for this photo of the bullet holes in the window at Longfellow Creek Apartments (map), from the shots 23-year-old Rey Alberto Davis-Bell (photo at bottom of this post) is suspected of firing (nobody was hit/hurt) before the deadly Central District shooting in which he may also have been involved:
ORIGINAL 2:19 PM POST: OK, here’s more of what we’re piecing together from various sources regarding who police are looking for in the shots-fired case at the Longfellow Creek Apartments a few hours ago that is apparently linked to the shooting that seriously injured two people at a restaurant in the Central District (2:50 PM UPDATE: one of the victims there is now reported to have died):
-According to Scott from Central District News, police are looking for “a 2002 black Lincoln, 4 door, with license 210 XMJ.”
-Another source tells us that the suspect, 23-year-old Rey Alberto Davis-Bell, 23, has a long rap sheet. Police say he’s who they’re looking for in the Delridge shots-fired case, though they’re not yet ready to definitively link him to the CD shootings. Here’s his photo as posted on Slog:
Police are investigating shots fired at the Longfellow Creek Apartments at Delridge and Juneau. Nobody hit but some damage done. Updates later. 1:30 PM UPDATE: Thanks to the commenters who pointed out that this is believed to be connected to a shooting in the Central District – we were downtown at the courthouse for the Dillard/Coxwell verdict and away from our usual immersion in the rest of the mediasphere.
Not the kind of potluck you’re probably thinking of – though there will be cookies! It’s a writers’ reading and music event tonight at Cafe Rozella (on the southern edge of West Seattle, 9434 Delridge), 7-9 pm. Here are more details, forwarded from Cafe Rozella’s Ricardo Guarnero:
This Spanglish Potluck features readings in Spanish & English by Hedgebrook alumnae Wendy Call & Maria Victoria. Also featured will be traditional Cuban music from Irene Mitri & her Charanga Danzón. This will be a reading like none other. There will be live words & music along with freshly-made Hedgebrook cookies and an opportunity to sing Las Mananitas (the traditional Mexican Birthday Song) to Wendy’s godchild. So come, bring a friend, bring your family and be a part of the fun!
If “Hedgebrook” doesn’t ring a bell – it’s a writers’ retreat on Whidbey Island (read more here).
Happened onto an online hint weeks ago that Emerald City Smoothie was planning a permanent West Seattle location, after posting a portable trailer at Alki last year. Now there’s finally word of where they’re opening — at Allstar Fitness (Andover west of Delridge). Thanks to Ty for spotting the sign and letting us know; the location is confirmed online.
The red arrow in the photo above (from this page on the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency website) shows the spot where the Nucor steel plant (Delridge/Andover) wants to upgrade a crane so it can operate more hours. Because more hours mean more emissions, Nucor needs state and regional permits; tonight’s public hearing at the Alki Community Center provided the chance for supporters and opponents to have their say. One of the shortest public hearings we’ve ever attended:Read More
Police are on the scene of an accident that’s causing some traffic trouble if you are trying to turn northbound on Delridge from westbound on Roxbury. Doesn’t look too major; we’re just alerting you to avoid the area (map).
After the $2.4 million grant for Delridge Neighborhoods Development Association‘s Strength of Place Village project was announced earlier this week (WSB report here), we asked DNDA executive director Derek Birnie for more details. Today, we have them, starting with this early design view of the future complex:
He also provided WSB with a detailed press release. While this project will be in White Center (map), it’s noteworthy for West Seattle not just because that community continues to grow and change and may eventually be part of our city, but also because DNDA is based in WS (where it’s already been at the heart of transformational projects such as the Youngstown Arts Center and West Seattle Community Resource Center). Here are the Strength of Place Village details:Read More
Just got a tip about an accident that’s blocked off Delridge. The only thing on the 911 log is a medic response to the 5900 block. We’ll see what else we can find out. 5:55 PM UPDATE: Just drove the length of Delridge; whatever was going on, has been cleared.
West Seattle-based DNDA is receiving a $2.4 million award just announced in this King County news release, going toward the Strength of Place Village project in White Center. (Here’s some of what DNDA already has done; we have a message out to DNDA executive director Derek Birnie in hopes of finding out more about Strength of Place.)
(Dec. 3 photo along Longfellow Creek was taken by Tim, originally featured here.)
For those of us who made it through the December 3 Deluge without much if any damage, it’s just a soggy memory (albeit one reopened easily by new rounds of rain like the one we’re having right now). But some people in areas including right here in West Seattle are still working to clean up and fix up, like Gary in North Delridge, who e-mailed WSB to ask us to share with you that individual property owners in King County are now able to apply for federal assistance (governor’s press release is here — instructions on how to apply are here).
Over the weekend, we mentioned the fire that swept through this house early Saturday. Tonight, we have a followup e-mailed by Ricardo Guarnero, proprietor of nearby Cafe Rozella:
Wanted to let you know of an unsung hero in the fire that gutted the house at 9415 Delridge. Six people were sleeping upstairs where neighbor Paul saw a bright light from his window next to the house. He looked out and saw flames bursting out of the lower window. Paul immediately started yelling to wake up the inhabitants. He then ran out and saw a truck with a ladder. Wasting no time, he propped it against the house and helped out all six residents. Had it not been for his timely actions all could have perished. Paul is the owner/mechanic of 944 West, a high-end German automobile repair shop.
Thanks to Ricardo for sharing that. (Also thanks to Trina for posting a comment with similar info, below the original post.) Whatever you see/hear/find out about in your neighborhood, e-mail WSB with info (photos and video welcome too), any time.
The exterior appears intact but the charring over the broken-out windows suggests this house was gutted by the overnight fire there. It’s 9415 Delridge (map), on the north edge of the Delridge/Roxbury business district, at a location identified in county records and online searches as home to B & J Plumbing (we have left voicemail for that business to check on this); 911 logs show the fire callout was at 1:50 am. There’s no official Fire Department press release on this, so here’s hoping that means nobody was seriously hurt.
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