West Seattle, Washington
28 Sunday
Sent by Shawn:
I live in Sunrise Heights and I had a small fiberglass camper stolen out of the alley sometime early morning of the 18th. I wanted to report to you that even with everything going on right now, an officer arrived about 15 minutes after I called the non-emergency line to take a report. Luckily it had a flat tire, and no spare, so he said it probably couldn’t have gotten far and may leave marks in the road. He said he’d take a quick drive around to see if he could find it. About 15 minutes later, I received a call that it had been found about a half-mile away. It was near a van that a neighbor said showed up a couple nights earlier but did not belong to anyone living nearby and was filled with stuff and had a broken window. Not sure if it was a coincidence or if it was connected but the police were having it impounded. I wanted to share how thankful and impressed I was for the quick resolution and hard work done by the SPD even with all that is going on right now.
When you stop to think about it, the historic E.C. Hughes school at 7734 34th SW – now the home of Roxhill Elementary – really does look like a classic school building you might find in many locales. Today, it’s starring as a backdrop for a student film production. We went over to inquire after a texter first thought the people outside the school were protesting, and then told us it looked lke a “movie shoot.” The students are from the Seattle Film Institute.
1 person was taken to the hospital by private ambulance after that crash near (corrected) 30th and Holden this evening. The street was blocked off because a power line came down with the streetlight after the driver hit the pole.
Just hours after we visited The Best of Hands Brewery and Barrelhouse, looking ahead to its Friday grand opening (here’s our story from last night), the iconic cow has reappeared atop the 35th/Webster building. Thanks to the readers who tipped us! The Best of Hands website tells the cow’s backstory. (When the brewers took over the former John’s Corner Deli building, they promised it would stay, but it went out of view last spring because of the remodeling.)
(WSB photos by Patrick Sand)
As announced a month and a half ago, Friday (March 8th) is the big night for The Best of Hands Brewery and Barrelhouse (7500 35th SW) – its grand opening! The proprietors took a break from intensive preparations to invite media in tonight, so we stopped by for photos.
Above are Chris Richardson, Gregory Marlor, and Nicholas Marianetti. They’ll have 17 beers on tap when they open – 12 ar theirs.
Best of Hands is focused on “farmhouse and sour ales inspired by those of Belgium and France but with an emphasis on Washington state ingredients, mixed-culture fermentation, and some spontaneous fermentation.”
Best of Hands is not a restaurant, but food trucks will be visiting – Falafel Salam this Friday, Buddha Bruddah on Saturday, Plum Bistro on Sunday. Best of Hands is a 21+ space; hours will be 3 to 10 pm, Thursdays through Mondays.
P.S. If you’re wondering about the rooftop cow, inherited from the space’s previous tenant John’s Corner Deli – it’s not back in place yet, but, the proprietors tell us, soon!
ADDED TUESDAY: The cow’s return turned out to be REALLY soon – hours later!
Only one thing is crystal-clear on that security video: Only one minute elapsed between another vehicle pulling up alongside Christine‘s husband’s black 1995 Pathfinder, and a thief driving the Pathfinder away. It happened in Sunrise Heights early Saturday, and we just got the report and video from Christine late Monday night. We’re awaiting the plate # so we can add it, but there’s a distinguishing feature: “KU stickers on the back window.” If you see it, call 911.
Two more West Seattle Crime Watch reports:
STOLEN CAR: Katharine‘s green 1999 Honda CR-V EX was stolen from the Westwood Village QFC parking lot last night (Sunday, November 25th) at 9 pm.
The plate starts with BJQ and the vehicle has bumper stickers “West Seattle” and “Plant-Powered.” SPD incident #18-440904. Call 911 if you see it.
STOLEN MAIL: From Morgan:
We returned on Sunday afternoon around 1:00 pm from the holiday weekend to discover our mail had been stolen. Our mailbox is a locked box, not a great one, and it was open and our mail was gone. A few hours later a nice neighbor returned it saying they found it in the gutter by 29th Ave SW and Myrtle. We are on 34th Ave SW and Webster Street in the Sunrise Heights neighborhood. Just wanted to get the word out since our neighbors’ cars were also vandalized (windows smashed) between Webster and Othello on 34th while we were out of town.
(WSB photos)
ORIGINAL MONDAY REPORT: We usually don’t fully show graffiti vandalism.
The West Seattle residents who found this vandalism outside their homes contacted us about it and asked that we do show it.
They wonder if it has happened to anyone else.
The vandalism appeared behind their homes along an alley in Sunrise Heights – in red paint on a garage, “JEW,” and on the pavement, “F— JEW THIEVE.”
The residents believe it was painted overnight.
The residents say they are Jewish, but they haven’t had problems or threats and have no idea who would do this and why.
Police have been to the scene and photographed the vandalism (here’s background on hate-crime laws), and they are investigating. If you have any tips, call SPD.
TUESDAY UPDATE: We talked a little while ago by phone with the neighbor who first contacted us. She wanted to convey that they are all grateful for the expressions of support and offers of help, but neighbors painted over the vandalism soon after police had been there to investigate, and there’s nothing they really need. She also wanted to convey that the neighbors directly affected by the vandalism are of multiple faiths, including Judaism.
The playground built in summer sunshine was celebrated tonight during a break in the fall rain outside Roxhill Elementary‘s new home at EC Hughes in Sunrise Heights. Before the ceremonial ribbon was cut, Jenna Sandoval from Friends of Roxhill – parents and other community members who led the campaign to create the playground – told the story, along with Henry Luke, the artist who created a mural on the campus wall:
The celebration included pizza and sushi.
Though the school district spent an eight-figure sum on renovating EC Hughes, there was no money for a playground overhaul, so Friends of Roxhill led a campaign to make it happen, going back more than a year before this fall’s school move. The plan included a community-inspired mural. Their hard-fought successes along the way included getting a city Neighborhood Matching Fund grant and the volunteer work parties to build the playground
(WSB photo from June)
Four months after that work party – a ribbon-cutting party! Everyone is invited to Roxhill Elementary @ EC Hughes (34th/Holden) this Thursday for a celebration of what the community added to the renovation project before the school’s move – a playground and mural. Here’s the announcement:
Friends of Roxhill Elementary invites one and all to the grand opening ceremony for our Seattle Department of Neighborhoods-funded and community-built playground and a celebration of our new mural by artist Henry Luke on Thursday, October 25, at 5:30 p.m. at Roxhill at E.C. Hughes. We’ll meet by the playground behind the school. Parents and school community members are invited to continue on to curriculum night.
On June 2, more than 75 people came together to put together and install the playground equipment. Then, over the course of the summer, more than 50 volunteers installed and laid the safety surface and wood chips, and Henry painted the community-designed mural. Both projects are public amenities because of how they’re funded — that’s right, we can all play on the playground now!
To make it all happen, Friends of Roxhill engaged in a public process to select the playground vendor and held an open call for artists for the mural. The projects had to each go through the Landmarks Preservation Board, with multiple meetings required to gain approval. The whole project required the work of hundreds of community volunteers to be successful—if anyone at any time had faltered, it would not have come together in the short time it did. If you worked on the project in any way, please come help cut the ribbon and celebrate! You helped make this happen!
If you can’t make the event but would like to support Friends of Roxhill in another way, Roxhill teacher, parent, and FoRE member Shawna Patterson Lystra is running this November’s Seattle Marathon to raise money for the nonprofit. With a goal of $2,620 (like those 26.2 miles of the marathon), Ms. Lystra wants to raise money for field trips, materials and programs important for the Roxhill learning community. Check out her GoFundMe here.
Have questions about any of this? Contact friendsofroxhill@gmail.com. Thank you for your support and generosity. See you on the playground!
Maybe you can help find this stolen bicycle:
Erin reports, “Please keep your eyes peeled for this bike. It was stolen from our back yard [30th/Webster]. Last seen Tuesday night. It’s been in our family since the ’80s. Schwinn Chameleon. Has old-school spokey-dokes on both wheels. Has three red reflectors in back.” We’ll add the police-report # when it’s available.
UPDATE: See comments – police found the bicycle!
On this date 92 years ago, Seattle Public Schools‘ Tom Redman told the 100+ people gathered to celebrate Roxhill Elementary’s new home, the Sunrise Heights school opened its doors as EC Hughes Elementary. Now, after $14 million in upgrades, it’s Roxhill at EC Hughes, and classes start tomorrow. “Welcome to THIS Roxhill,” declared principal Tarra Patrick, exuberantly.
While this morning’s ceremony honored the past – including an invitation to Hughes and Roxhill alums to stand (Redman noted the presence of a 1949 Hughes alum) – it also looked to the future. Not just the school’s future, but also the levies that SPS will send to the city’s voters in February. School Board president Leslie Harris (who represents West Seattle and South Park) lamented “levy confusion” among voters.
She also noted that one of the levies, BEX V (which has yet to be finalized – more on that in a separate story), is expected to include money for playgrounds, something that hopefully will alleviate the problem that forced the independent community group Friends of Roxhill to raise money to upgrade the Hughes playground, which wasn’t part of the renovation project. Friends of Roxhill president Shawna Patterson Lystra, a second-grade teacher at the school and parent of a third-grader, was also a speaker at today’s ceremony.
She hailed the school/community partnership, saying she was “excited about today and excited about what the future has in store for us.” New SPS superintendent Denise Juneau – attending what we believe was her first Seattle ribboncutting – also voiced excitement: “We are excited for this new chapter in the life of your school … Go, Roxhill Stars!”
We recorded all the speeches on video (added Tuesday evening):
Then it was on to the ribboncutting, with all the kids in the room invited to join the dignitaries (who included members of the project team, too):
Tours followed, starting along the hallway displaying reminders of Roxhill’s history as well as the renovations readying its students for a bright future:
We didn’t tag along for the rest of the tour – we brought you a look inside after the work was done earlier this summer. (Backstory on the Roxhill-to-Hughes move was also part of our preview published Monday.)
The renovations are done and classes start Wednesday at what is now Roxhill Elementary at EC Hughes (7740 34th SW). But first – you are invited to the ribboncutting ceremony tomorrow, followed by school tours. It begins at 11 am, with Roxhill principal Tarra Patrick providing a welcome, followed by speakers including new Seattle Public Schools superintendent Denise Juneau and three West Seattleites, School Board president Leslie Harris, Seattle Council PTSA co-vice president Manuela Slye (who shared tomorrow’s program – thank you!), and Friends of Roxhill president Shawna Patterson Lystra. The school’s renovation was completed earlier this summer (here’s our report with a look inside), as was the separate community-led playground upgrade.
BACKSTORY: It’s been three years since we first reported on the possibility that Roxhill would move to Hughes. Roxhill’s original building has long been in bad shape – as discussed at this 2012 meeting – and a $73 million rebuild remains on the long list of possible projects for next February’s BEX V levy. In the meantime, as reported here in June, the district will use the Roxhill building for special-education and alternative-high-school programs. The city-landmark EC Hughes building, meantime, had long been used as a district surplus/interim building until independent Westside School (WSB sponsor) leased it for five years until building its own campus in Arbor Heights.
From Friends of Roxhill:
About 25 volunteers finished leveling the wood chips Monday night at the new playground for Roxhill Elementary at E.C. Hughes. The new playground must be inspected by Seattle Public Schools before it will be open. The district hopes to conduct orientation and safety training during our back-to-school barbecue on Aug. 30. More information on when it will be open to the public will be available soon.
Thank you to everyone who came out in support of Friends of Roxhill Elementary’s efforts to bring a new playground to our school. Without community pledges and hard work, none of this would have been possible. Also, take a look at the corner of 32nd and Kenyon, where the mural (also designed through a community process) is taking shape.
If you have questions or want to get involved, contact friendsofroxhill@gmail.com.
6:03 PM: Thanks for the tips. A police search in Sunrise Heights followed a 2-car crash at 31st and Elmgrove. Readers report one person was taken to the hospital and the other driver bolted, which led to the search.
6:23 PM: We’re in the area. Elmgrove is blocked off, with police cars and crime-scene tape. Traffic Collision Investigation Squad detectives are here; police confirm one driver was transported to the hospital and the other is being sought.
Police say the car below is the one whose driver was taken to the hospital; they’re looking for the driver of the one above.
They expect Elmgrove will be closed another hour or so.
7:10 PM: Updated which car was which, after neighbors corrected us.
8:17 PM: We asked SFD about the driver taken to the hospital. Tge man’s believed to be in his early 30s and his injuries were not life-threatening.
The photo and report are from Friends of Roxhill:
Artist Henry Luke has started working on the community inspired mural for Roxhill Elementary at E.C. Hughes at the corner of 32nd and Holden. The mural has been designed through a community process, with 75 comments through West Seattle Blog outreach alone. Friends of Roxhill Elementary, the 501c3 booster club for Roxhill Elementary, received a $100,000 grant from the Department of Neighborhoods, which funded both the recent playground for Roxhill at the renovated, updated E.C. Hughes (built by community volunteers) and the mural. Stop by and say hello if you see Henry at work! Questions? Contact friendsofroxhill@gmail.com.
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
Almost 30 years after Seattle Public Schools stopped using EC Hughes as a full-time elementary school, it will return to that status this fall. A September 4th ribbon-cutting ceremony will officially open the Sunrise Heights campus (7740 34th SW) as Roxhill Elementary at EC Hughes.
But first, the $14 million renovation project is wrapping up.
Back in October 2016, when plans were being finalized both for the Roxhill move and the Hughes renovation, we toured the historic school – a city landmark – with Seattle Public Schools’ Mike Skutack and DLR Group architect Ariel Mieling. We previewed the renovation plan in our report on that tour.
This week, we toured EC Hughes with them again, to see how the work has turned out. It’s not entirely done, but close. Throughout the building, as promised, there is homage to the past as well as new features for the future:
Lots of new mural art happening around West Seattle – but you don’t always hear about it until it’s done. This time, not only has there been lots of advance word, now you have a chance to voice your views on the design options! It’s about the mural going on the corner shown above, as Roxhill Elementary moves to EC Hughes in Sunrise Heights:
Friends of Roxhill Elementary invites the community to view and share feedback on three options for a public art mural to be painted at the intersection of 32nd Ave SW and SW Holden St. Artist Henry Luke has been working with the Roxhill and southwest West Seattle community to identify themes and create a concept for the mural. Informed by hours of interviews, outreach and personal conversations, Henry has imagined a story of migration and resilience, with connections to history and our shared sense of home in the shadow of Mt. Rainier.
Share your thoughts in the online form linked here [where you can see the three options]. This is the story of Roxhill, told by our community members, featuring images and people important to our history and our future. We want the mural to be a beacon of safety, comfort and hope for all people, and reflect a shared sense of identity and meaning as we move into our new school. Please keep our community’s goals in mind as you share feedback and thoughts. Thank you!
This project has been made possible by a partnership between Friends of Roxhill Elementary and Seattle Public Schools, with funds provided by the Seattle Department of Neighborhoods Neighborhood Matching Fund. The mural will be painted later in the summer and unveiled in the fall.
Work is getting close to wrapping up at the renovated EC Hughes – we’ll take you inside the school in another story coming up!
(WSB photo, May)
One month ago, we reassured you that the future Best of Hands Barrelhouse would be keeping the iconic cow atop its building at 35th and Webster, while warning that it might disappear for a while for some sprucing-up. Part of its absence was unplanned, the Best of Hands crew says – it was briefly cownapped last week and taken to Chief Sealth International High School as what they say was a “senior prank.” They got it back but not without complications, according to this open letter they sent us today:
While we appreciate a good senior prank as well as the next person, I’m reaching out to the community here because in the process of stealing the cow, the kids broke one of the legs. Those who were involved with the prank also scaled our brand new electrical install in order to get on the roof (we now need to inspect this for any damage they may have caused). As many in this community know, we have spent over a year and tens of thousands of dollars bringing the iconic building up to code so that it can house a new endeavor. The actions of these individuals is highly disappointing, as it shows a complete disrespect for personal property, private property, and the West Seattle community at large. To add insult to injury, we had just finished cleaning and re-painting the cow the Monday before she was stolen. We will now have to take hours out of our busy schedules to do so again.
We know people have information about who is responsible for the prank, and we are asking them to step forward so we can hold the pranksters to account for their actions. If nobody comes forward, we will be getting the police involved. As for what the consequences should be for damaging our property and our landlord’s property (Clearview Eye & Laser), we have discussed compensation for the broken leg (and anything else that may have been damaged) and community service. We understand that these students will be graduating on Thursday, and would like to have a resolution before then. If college-bound, I don’t think dodging this responsibility will look good to the schools these individuals have applied to/been accepted to, as in this day and age, many colleges will revoke acceptance based on poor 4th quarter performance and extenuating circumstances.
We thank you for your time and help.
Sincerely,
Best of Hands Barrelhouse
info@bestofhandsbarrelhouse.com
Thanks to Jenny Rose Ryan from Friends of Roxhill Elementary for the photos and update from today’s wood-chip work party, two weeks after volunteers built the new community-powered playground at Roxhill’s future home, EC Hughes Elementary:
Thanks to about 30 volunteers, we made great progress moving this giant pile of wood chips underneath our new playground for Roxhill Elementary at E.C. Hughes. There’s still a bit of work to be done to prep the other half for the safety surface, so we did what we could. We are so grateful for neighbors, friends and community members who came out to chip in.
Questions, or want to get involved? Contact friendsofroxhill@gmail.com.
One more early-morning incident that woke up more than a few people early today – suspected gunfire heard in South Delridge, Westwood, and as far north as Sunrise Heights. This security video is from a camera near 17th and Cloverdale. We couldn’t find a police report number showing that any evidence of gunfire had been found; if anyone reading this knows of a related report number, the video’s owner was wondering how to call it to police’s attention in case the vehicle seen going by in the background was related. Meantime, just a reminder, if you think you hear gunfire, call 911, because the more calls they get, the more chance they have of figuring out where it happened and if there’s any damage/evidence.
(WSB photo, June 2nd)
The playground is built – now, if you can spare a little time this Saturday, the students of Roxhill Elementary – getting ready to move into their new home – will be forever grateful. The reminder/request from Friends of Roxhill:
Friends of Roxhill Elementary needs your help to move wood chips at the new playground at E.C. Hughes, where Roxhill is relocating in the fall. We need as many volunteers as possible. Right now, we only have about 20 people signed up! Bring your whole family down to 7700 34th Ave SW on Saturday, June 16, from 9 to 11 a.m or from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sign up here: signup.com/go/QixMZHL
This project has been made possible by a Seattle Department of Neighborhoods Neighborhood Matching Fund grant and a partnership between Friends of Roxhill Elementary and Seattle Public Schools. The Roxhill Elementary at E.C. Hughes playground will be open to the public in September.
(First 5 photos by WSB’s Patrick Sand)
10:59 AM: With just three months left until Roxhill Elementary students and staff move to renovated EC Hughes in Sunrise Heights, community members are busy today making sure the kids will have a great place to play.
It’s been one year since Friends of Roxhill Elementary – formerly its PTSA – started its campaign to get funding and other community support for the playground – and today they’re building it! Organizers say more than enough volunteers showed up to help, and shortly after 9 am, they got going. Roxhill principal Tarra Patrick is there to help too:
MIDDAY UPDATE: Progress!
We’ll be checking back later for another progress update. If you weren’t able to help today, stay tuned for a future work party to get wood chips in place.
7:50 PM: One more view that we took late in the day:
And the final two photos and words of thanks are from Friends of Roxhill:
What a gorgeous day to build a playground!
We had about 75 volunteers through the course of the day taking on the huge task of putting together and installing (and putting in the concrete footings!) not just a playground… But what we think is the coolest new playground in West Seattle. With a prime all-day view of Rainier, we laughed, sighed and tried to stay hydrated while our community worked hard together. Minor mistakes were made. Tools were dropped. A few thumbs are bruised. Tomorrow, we will ache. But we did this, together. This is big. It’s more than a playground. It’s a celebration of new beginnings and a stake in the ground. It’s just the start.
Thank you, community, for your hard labor in support of our labor of love.
-Friends of Roxhill Elementary
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