West Seattle, Washington
21 Wednesday
12:44 AM: Big response in the 8400 block of California SW for a report of a car going down the dead end (which leads to a hillside over Fauntlee Hills). Updates to come.
12:49 AM: SFD says the driver, a man, got out OK and is now “being evaluated by medics.” However, towing the crashed car up a 25-foot slope will apparently be a challenge, responders warned dispatch.
1:03 AM: An AMR ambulance has arrived, which indicates the driver’s injuries are not major.
1:20 AM: Most of the responders have departed; a tow truck has arrived.
7:32 AM: Police are investigating the driver for DUI.
Now there are TWO upcoming chances for dropoff electronics-and-more recycling in West Seattle:
(WSB photo, September 2020)
SATURDAY: We’ve told you about this one several times already – now it’s already here! The West Seattle Junction Association and Chamber of Commerce are presenting a spring recycle/reuse/shredding event 9 am-noon this Saturday (March 20th), different location this year – the north parking lot of South Seattle College (6000 16th SW; WSB sponsor). Drive up, ride up, walk up! This preview explains how it’ll work as well as what they will and won’t take. Masks required!
APRIL 25: Just announced, Fauntleroy Church is bringing back the Recycle Roundup – usually held in spring and fall, but last year both were skipped because of the pandemic. Details on what will and won’t be accepted are still in the works but the time/date is set – 10 am-3 pm Sunday, April 25, in the church parking lot (9140 California SW).
(WSB file photo, Fauntleroy WSF terminal)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
“We have to do something – we can’t just sit on our thumbs and hope it’ll be OK.”
That’s how Washington State Ferries director of terminal engineering Dave Sowers explains the need to replace the Fauntleroy dock, a project its neighbors have been long anticipating/dreading.
He was one of several WSF managers who took part in a midday community meeting today to “launch the planning process” for what will likely be the largest West Seattle transportation project between the city’s bridge repair/reopening and Sound Transit‘s light rail. The meeting, which was one-third presentation and two-thirds Q&A, was the first of two online kickoff meetings, with the second planned for 6 pm tomorrow (Thursday, March 18th). Here’s the slide deck with toplines:
Though the terminal is part of West Seattle’s Fauntleroy neighborhood, it’s not seen as a solely West Seattle project, the WSF reps made it clear.
4:35 PM: Thanks to Ethan for the tip via Twitter – M/V Kittitas on the Triangle Route is out of service for a while. Email alert from WSF says at least its next four runs are canceled due to a crew shortage – “the 4:30 pm from Southworth to Vashon, the 4:50 pm from Vashon to Fauntleroy, the 5:20 pm from Fauntleroy to Vashon, and the 5:45 pm from Vashon to Southworth.” Ethan says people on board Kittitas now are being dropped off at Southworth to await the arrival of M/V Cathlamet in half an hour.
6:50 PM: WSF’s latest email alert says Kittitas is back in service but still short on crew and “will sail at reduced capacity for the remainder of the service day. This may limit a customer’s ability to sail on the sailing they prefer. Customers are encouraged to arrive early.” Vessel Watch shows it is still at Southworth, while Cathlamet has just left Vashon for Southworth, 30+ minutes late.
7:51 PM: The latest email update from WSF:
Both vessels are an estimated 35-45 minutes behind schedule due to an earlier service disruption. This delays the following sailings:
7:05 p.m., 7:25 p.m., 8:25 p.m. and the 8:40 p.m. from Vashon to Fauntleroy
7:35 p.m., 7:55 p.m., 8:50 p.m. and 9:15 p.m. from Fauntleroy to Vashon
8:00 p.m. and 9:20 p.m. from Vashon to Southworth
8:20 p.m. from Southworth to Vashon
Toplines from the Fauntleroy Community Association‘s March board meeting ranged from ferries to police to a spring celebration:
WASHINGTON STATE FERRIES: WSF’s Hadley Rodero was there to talk about the kickoff of the planning process for the replacement of the circa-1950s Fauntleroy ferry terminal.
(WSB photo – maintenance work at Fauntleroy dock last month)
The current dock’s problems include deterioration and its low level. She memtioned next week’s public meetings (March 17-18, details here) and a process that will follow to recruit Community Advisory Group members for the project.
(WSB file photo)
Between the reopening of the West Seattle Bridge in 2022 and the opening of Sound Transit light rail in 2031 (or later), at least one more major West Seattle transportation project looms: Overhauling the Fauntleroy ferry terminal. Washington State Ferries has been talking about it for years, and terminal neighbors have been girding for battle over potential expansion as part of the plan. Now WSF says it’s ready to start the official “community engagement” part of what it says will be a “multi-year planning process, and has announced two online community meetings for later this month – 11 am Wednesday, March 17th, and 6 pm Thursday, March 18th. WSF’s announcement notes:
The Fauntleroy terminal was built in the 1950s and needs substantial work to address deficiencies of the aging and seismically vulnerable structure to maintain safe and reliable service on the Fauntleroy/Vashon/Southworth ferry route. The meetings will include information on why the current Fauntleroy terminal needs to be replaced, how project plans will be developed and how the community can expect to be involved.
You’ll have to pre-register to get the meeting links – go here for March 17th; go here for March 18th. (WSF says the presentations at both meetings will be the same.) The project is expected to be built around 2025-2027.
The state ferry MV Cathlamet has just returned to the Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth much sooner than expected, after repairs were completed quickly, so that route is now back to two Issaquah-class vessels.
6:55 PM: Thanks for the tip. A “car fire” callout in the 4000 block of SW Barton is actually a solid-waste truck fire, says our texter, and police are being dispatched for traffic control – the dispatcher described it as a “large trash fire in the roadway.’ We’re on the way to check it out.
7:11 PM: Adding reader video sent by Eric Nordlund. As it shows, and as our crew reports, the truck had to dump trash in the street after the truck broke out – and that’s where the trash burned. No injuries.
(Photo by Mike George)
Now they have to figure out how to get it cleaned up.
(WSB photo)
7:24 PM: Police have just told dispatch that the road is likely to be blocked “for several hours.”
A(M/V Cathlamet approaching Fauntleroy during last Saturday’s windy weather – photo by Jerry Simmons)
Two questions during the first of two Washington State Ferries community meetings dealt with a major WSF project that’s just a few years away in West Seattle – the Fauntleroy dock overhaul.
“We’re just starting to look at (it),” said WSF’s Nicole McIntosh. I-976 and COVID pushed back planning but “the 2025-2027 biennium” is when they expect construction, “but we have a lot of planning to get there.” Will WSF consider separating passenger and vehicle loading? McIntosh said they’ll be looking at a wide range of alternatives as they plan – those could include overhead loading, a larger dock, even relocating the dock. She promised the process would include “interacting with our customers and stakeholders.”
At the start of the meeting, Patty Rubstello, new WSDOT assistant secretary in charge of WSF, introduced herself. She said she spent most of her career – with an engineering background – “on the highways side of WSDOT.” She’s been in charge of the WSDOT toll program. She mentioned the recently reported ridership drop – 41 percent, lowest since 1975, first time since 1951 that the systems carried more vehicles than people. They’re still stressing travel “for essential trips only.”
(WSB photo, September 2019)
In overall highlights, ferry-system electrification – spotlighted when Gov. Inslee visited Vigor on Harbor Island a year and a half ago – remains a priority. A new hybrid Olympic-class ferry starts construction later this year, to go into service in 2024. In Q&A, more details came up – one is funded, they could build four more. They’re expected to run on the Mukilteo-Clinton and Seattle-Bremerton routes. WSF’s Matt von Ruden said they’ve just completed preliminary design and haven’t yet negotiated the price.
WSF’s Stephanie Cirkovich reviewed service plans for this spring and summer, after a quick review of how service changed and was reduced because of the pandemic. It’s still too “unpredictable” to set service-change dates like in the past, so now they are focused on the “four pillars of service.” That’s why they are expecting to make a few changes on May 9th, including returning a third vessel to the Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth route, to operate “8 hours a day on weekends.”
More questions: Will WSF require vaccination for employees in customer-facing roles? No, replied McIntosh. But they’ll continue requiring masks for everyone.
When will galleys be reopened on the ferries? Their vendor is ready to get back up and running, said Cirkovich, but it’s not safe yet. When they do return to service, it’ll be gradual. “At this time we’re still telling people to stay in their cars,” for example.
Has the staffing shortage stabilized? Short answer, no. WSF’s Kim Monroe said training has been difficult during the pandemic which means hiring has been tough. They used to have 18 people per training class – now they’re limited to 5. And of course COVID has affected existing staff, too.
What’s the remaining lifespan on the Issaquah-class ferries (three of which usually serve Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth)? They’re just past midlife, said von Ruden. “They’re very good designs … the workhorse of the fleet.” No vessel-replacement plan for them yet.
Future changes? Cirkovich hopes they’ll be good ones but the pandemic is still unpredictable – hoping to get back eventually to something that resembles “normal, regular service.” No plan to restore late-night sailings any time soon since there aren’t events that would require them. Jon Vezina added that funding is uncertain too – since budget matters aren’t final and the legislature runs to April.
Eleven WSF managers were there to answer questions, so if you have one, tonight’s 6 pm meeting is an excellent chance to ask yours – register here to get attendance info. Or you can send questions any time to wsfcomms@wsdot.wa.gov.
10:49 AM: Even if you don’t use Washington State Ferries, if you’re within view of the Fauntleroy dock, you might be wondering about that crane. It’s there for maintenance work that is scheduled to continue through Friday. WSF says the work “will require single-lane loading/unloading” 7:30 am-4:30 pm each day. We have a message out seeking more details on the work that’s being done.
1:12 PM: In response to our inquiry, WSF’s Hadley Rodero explains the work:
The work at the Fauntleroy terminal is preservation work to replace three steel H-piles near the terminal building. The piles were identified as needing replacement during a routine inspection, and replacing them allows WSF to avoid weight restrictions or other operational impacts in the future. All of this is to be expected for a terminal built in the 1950s.
The crane will be onsite until Friday to install the new piles and then crews will be doing welding and other work under the dock. We’re working to complete the installation before restrictions on in-water work begin on Feb. 15 to protect migratory salmon. We will be loading and unloading ferry traffic in a single lane during work hours for the rest of this week. Work hours will be 7:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. (there won’t be any night work). Neighbors may hear some noise as the contractor vibrates in the new piles – each of the three piles takes about 15 minutes of vibratory pile driving.
Two months ago, Endolyne Joe’s in Fauntleroy announced it would close until “this nightmare is at least close to over.” Now that our area is in Phase 2 and indoor dining is allowed at 25 percent capacity, the restaurant at 9261 45th SW has decided to reopen next week, starting Tuesday, February 16th. The restaurant’s announcement says, “We have been freshening up our dining room and are having our wood floors refinished this upcoming week in anticipation of us giving indoor dining another roll of the dice!” Hours “for both in-house dining and low-contact curbside pickup” will be Monday-Friday 11 am-8 pm, Saturday and Sunday 8 am-8 pm.
(Triangle Route ferry, photographed from Lincoln Park by Theresa Arbow-O’Connor)
Like other transportation/transit modes, Washington State Ferries has seen reduced traffic/usage during the pandemic. That’s meant two-boat service on the Triangle Route – Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth – and WSF says it’s not planning on adding a third boat for three more months:
As Washington State Ferries continues to operate under the constraints of the COVID pandemic, it is extending the Fauntleroy/Vashon/Southworth route’s current 2-boat schedule through May 8. However, WSF plans to restore three-boat service to the route beginning May 9 as part of a modified “peak season” schedule. The peak season schedule will be posted online in the coming weeks.
The route’s usage was down more than a third last year. Got questions about this or another aspect of WSF operations? Community meetings are coming up next week, as previewed here.
(Photo by Theresa Arbow-O’Connor)
In the wake of a change at the top, Washington State Ferries has scheduled two online community meetings “to provide updates and answer questions.” New WSF head Patty Rubstello will lead the meetings with her predecessor Amy Scarton (now WSDOT deputy secretary), at 11 am Tuesday, February 9th, and 6 pm Wednesday, February 10th. WSF’s announcement says, “Both meetings will cover the same material and are designed to give participants the option to join the meeting that best fits their schedule. Meeting participants will be able to ask questions and provide comments.” Pre-register by going here for the February 9th meeting, here for the February 10th meeting, You can also attend a meeting for Ferry Advisory Committees at 6 pm Thursday, February 4th “to discuss issues related to their role in advising WSF on customer service and schedules”; preregister here.
Toplines from the Fauntleroy Community Association board’s first 2021 meeting, online last Tuesday night:
FERRY TERMINAL: Frank Immel, the board’s point person for ferry issues, said the Fauntleroy terminal-replacement project is now expected to start construction in 2025. (WSF’s official name for it is “terminal preservation project.”) The budget will be $93 million and the project will address issues such as sea-level rising and seismic safety. A meeting with WSF in early December was informational but, he observed, did not seem to be open to comments or dialogue. FCA will “develop a list of what we will and won’t accept” regarding elements of the long-anticipated project. They also are considering seeking other West Seattle community groups’ support once they have an official position. A major concern is that the state will seek to expand the dock; environmental sensitivities on both sides – including the mouth of Fauntleroy Creek immediately south – might preclude that, he said. The board debated for a while about how much the rest of the peninsula might or might not care, while some members pointed out that in the end this boils down to traffic, and almost everyone cares about that. The FCA’s ferry subcommittee will discuss further.
COMMUNITY SURVEY: FCA’s every-two-years community survey is complete. Postcards went out to 3,000 households. 450 responded (including 100 on the final day after we published a “last chance” reminder, coordinator Catherine Bailey noted). 333 of the 450 respondents were nonmembers; more than half said they weren’t previously aware of FCA, while others cited reasons from not knowing how to join to not being interested in membership. Almost half the community, responding to one of the questions, reported they’d been a victim of a car prowl. Burglaries and car prowls were the crime issues respondents reported interested them most – though it was noted, the question wasn’t open-ended. Many other insight/summaries from the survey will be rolled out soon on the FCA website and in the quarterly “Neighbors” newsletter.
COMMUNITY CONCERNS: The survey did not address current issues such as housing and food insecurity, observed a community member who implored the board to diversify its membership and agenda. Members agreed the board needs to “open up.” One pointed out that the group has already broadened its interest and membership in the relatively short time she’s been involved. They talked about setting aside time at a future meeting to strategize. One member noted that schools in the area are very diverse, so reaching more community members through the schools might be one tactic.
POLICE UPDATE: Southwest Precinct Operations Lt. Sina Ebinger is retiring and will be leaving within the month, she told FCA (as noted here earlier this week). Joining her at the start of the FCA meeting was the precinct’s new second-watch Lt. Dorothy Kim, who spoke about the recent tire-slashing suspect arrest and how an officer compiled evidence to both find the suspect and solidify that it was a felony crime. “Auto thefts are up everywhere in West Seattle – 75% – 23 in 2019, 40 in 2020 – in Fauntleroy. Everything else is down,” including burglaries, which are down citywide. Lt. Kim said they hope to have SPD represented at future meetings by an officer who patrols the area.
NEXT MEETING: The FCA board meets, online TFN, most second Tuesdays at 7 pm, so February 9th will be the next meeting. Watch fauntleroy.net for updates and the link to register to attend.
(WSB file photo, Fauntleroy WSF terminal)
As with other transit/transportation, Washington State Ferries has seen usage fall during the pandemic. Today WSF went public with its year-end report, showing just how much. Systemwide, 2020 ridership was down 41 percent from a year earlier. That includes 2020 becoming the first year ever – since WSF began operations in 1951 – that the system carried fewer passengers (6.4 million) than vehicles (7.6 million). The two routes serving downtown Seattle, from Bremerton and Bainbridge Island, saw the biggest drops. For Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth, WSF reports that total riders were down 39%, vehicles down 31% (of the three legs of the so-called Triangle Route, Fauntleroy-Southworth saw the biggest drops). The other route serving Vashon Island – Tahlequah-Point Defiance – was the route with the smallest drop. See the full 2020 report here. P.S. WSF says ridership has been rebounding, lately back to 60 percent of pre-pandemic levels, with vehicle usage at 70 percent of 2019 usage levels.
Kaari Higgins died 10 years ago today, the victim of one of West Seattle’s unsolved murders.
One of her two children, now a grown woman, continues trying to find justice for her mom. Lindsay Higgins asked that we publish her plea:
Kaari Higgins was found brutally beaten in her Fauntlee Hills home on December 31st, 2010, and succumbed to her injuries one week later on January 7th, 2011. The attack occurred sometime between 6 am and noon on that New Year’s Eve. On the 10th anniversary of her death, I want to remind the West Seattle community of this unsolved homicide. I was 12 at the time, and now that I am older I still hope to find answers.
Unfortunately, my mom’s case was not widely covered in the media, but there were a few articles published. This Seattle PI story most accurately reported the key details surrounding the case:
It was a few minutes past noon on New Year’s Eve 2010 when a medic dispatcher received a call about a woman unresponsive in West Seattle.
“There’s someone unconscious bleeding from the mouth, face down on the floor in the hallway,” a man said, directing medics to the 4000 block of Southwest Concord Street.
Homicide detectives were unaware of Higgins’ case until after her death – more than a week after her injuries were reported. It was only when her body was examined that investigators realized that it was unlikely her injuries came from a simple fall.
Police say Higgins had a split lip, two black eyes, a bruise on her lower left back, a bruise on her shoulders and a fractured bone. Investigators think she was beaten that New Year’s Eve – her 47th birthday.
I hope that somebody knows something, and that this post might trigger a memory. I urge anyone with possible information or tips on Kaari’s death to contact SPD’s Homicide Tip Line: 206-233-5000.
We reported on Ms. Higgins’s death in 2012, after SPD brought the case to light via a list of unsolved murders.
(WSB photos)
Despite the disruption in school operations, the pandemic isn’t stopping the Salmon in the Schools program. Local volunteer organizers Judy Pickens and Phil Sweetland obtained hatchery eggs this week for participating teachers, and arranged a distanced pickup from their home near Fauntleroy Creek, into which fry will be released this spring.
Stopping by while we visited for a photo were Rita Gazewood, first-grade teacher at Our Lady of Guadalupe, and Claudia Rodriguez, preschool teacher at The Cove School. In “normal” years, volunteers led by Phil and Judy deliver the eggs to schools.
This year, Judy tells WSB, “The eggs are destined for eight tanks – four elementaries, three preschools, and the volunteer who rears fish for schools that have crop failures. Some teachers and their tank volunteers have moved their tanks into garages and others have arranged access to their tanks in school buildings. All will be following COVID protocols to keep themselves safe while engaging students remotely in the rearing process. If all goes well, at least 1,300 coho fry will be ready to release into upper Fauntleroy Creek in May. They will have the habitat to themselves as we had no spawning last fall to produce ‘home hatch’ in the lower creek.”
These items are generally too big to be simply “lost” so we’re mentioning them here rather than in our Lost/Found (non-pets) forum board:
T. found that bicycle abandoned on a Fauntleroy sidewalk. Older bicycle with a blown tire. Recognize it? Let us know and we’ll connect you. Meantime, in Seaview, Gwyneth found this:
She says, “It doesn’t seem like it’s in the best of shape but it got dumped on my corner either last night or this morning and in case someone is missing it, it’s sitting on the corner of Raymond and 47th SW.”
(Republished with permission from the Fauntleroy Community Association’s December 2020 newsletter Neighbors)
By Judy Pickens
When the Fauntleroy Children’s Center opened as the Fauntleroy Day Care Center in September 1978, Kim Seaman Sheridan wasn’t there to welcome the eight children as they entered a room at Fauntleroy Church.
But she was there the following year as a teacher, and she has been there every year since as the center’s director, welcoming nearly 5,000 infants and children over her 42 years of service.
Come January 1, Kim will begin the next chapter of her life – one not so abundantly populated with children.
She sees a change in directors as a plus for the center, enabling new leadership to run with new ideas. Also, she said, “After 42 years, it’s time to be home.”
Just heard from Mary Jane near Lincoln Park – we published her Camry theft report on Saturday; now, another vehicle’s just been stolen from her home:
We were just hit again. We had my Toyota Camry stolen from outside of our house last night and we just woke up to someone stealing our Dodge Ram 2500 from our driveway. There was a van or hatchback following it as they pulled off and headed south on Fauntleroy. The police were called and just left.
(Photo added)
DARK BLUE DODGE RAM 2500
BLACK TOOL BOX and HEADACHE RACK
2002
License Plate #: C65590T
Call 911 if you see either vehicle.
STOLEN CAMRY: Keep watch for Mary Jane‘s silver 4-door 1987 Toyota Camry, stolen late last night or early this morning near Fauntleroy/Monroe, across from Lincoln Park. License plate BSG2643. Call 911 if you see it.
UNDER-THE-CAR THEFT #1: From Laura:
Heads up to folks in North Delridge:
Sometime between 2 am and 4 am on 12/19/2020, someone in a dark colored SUV was pulled up close to my Prius in front of my residence near the Dragonfly Pavilion. A friend woke up to the sound of some sort of pneumatic tool and yelled at them out the window. They crouched down, got back in their car and took off. Unfortunately, my friend wasn’t able to see anything identifiable about the person or vehicle. By the sound of my car when I turn it on, I assume they got away with my catalytic converter and/or muffler but I have to have it looked at to know for sure.
UNDER-THE-CAR THEFT #2: This summary is from SPD’s Significant Incident Reports file:
On 12-18-2020 at 0355 hours, a male was inside his house sleeping located at the 9000 BLK of 3 Ave SW. The victim heard a loud noise outside his window. The victim saw that a male was under his truck cutting something, and there was a second male standing up being the lookout. The victim saw the suspects get in a green small van, and one of the suspects shot a round in the air. The suspects drove away Southbound on 3 Ave SW. The suspects took the muffler from the victim’s vehicle. Officers checked the area for the suspects and evidence, but nothing was located. King County was notified about the suspect’s vehicle.
INTRUDER ARRESTED: Also from the Significant Incident Reports:
On 12-17-2020 at 1723 hours, officers responded to a burglary in the 6300 block of 34 AV SW. The suspect, who does not live at this apartment building, made entry via the south stairwell door and then proceeded to the 2nd floor. Once on the 2nd floor, the suspect forcibly kicked in the victim’s front door after she refused to let him in and then entered the apartment. Suspect was still inside the victim’s apartment when officers arrived on scene. Suspect was arrested and booked into the King County Jail for Investigation of Burglary without incident.
Endolyne Joe’s in Fauntleroy is temporarily closing, until indoor sit-down dining is back again. Libby Bills from Chow Foods, which owns the restaurant, tells WSB, “Endolyne Joe’s is temporarily suspending service. We tried to make a go of the curbside/delivery services that we have been offering for the last several months, but we are at a point that we need to preserve enough capital to re-open when this nightmare is at least close to over.” Joe’s general manager Jeff Andrew adds, “We did not come to this decision easily and want to thank the West Seattle community for all their support. We look forward to having our West Seattle family back in our restaurant enjoying our food and drink the way it was meant to be enjoyed.” (added) The restaurant’s last day for now will be Tuesday (December 22nd).
Our area’s only neighborhood group with a regular community survey has a last call for participation:
If you live or work in Fauntleroy, the Fauntleroy Community Association would like to hear from you through their every-other-year community survey. First announced last month, the window is closing to participate with the deadline set for today (December 13). This year’s survey includes questions about transportation, traffic, car prowls and break-ins, police funding, and historic preservation. Survey responses help the FCA to establish priorities for action and most of all, to hear about what is important to community members. If you haven’t already participated, start the survey here.
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