West Seattle, Washington
07 Tuesday
Back when we talked to Councilmember Lisa Herbold to look back at her first year in office and ahead to her second, the proposal for a citywide renters’ commission is one of the “what’s next” items she mentioned. The proposal went before a City Council committee for the first time today, and Herbold sent out this update:
Did you know that 53.8 percent of Seattle’s housing units are occupied by renters, and approximately 48% of residents in the city are renters? Renters are an important part of our city. The Affordable Housing, Neighborhood and Finance Committee held its first discussion on proposed legislation to create a Renters’ Commission this morning, March 3, 2017.
The proposal to create this Commission was first advocated for by Zachary DeWolf of the Capitol Hill Community Council. I am excited to join Councilmembers Burgess and O’Brien in responding to this proposal because we need to ensure that, as our city grows and changes, the renters’ voice will be heard as a part of our decision-making.
Some people have expressed concern that we are creating a special interest group. The City has 45 Boards and Commissions representing special interest groups. With so many people in Seattle being renters, it’s appropriate to have a commission committed to lifting the voice of renters. The formation of this Commission will not minimize the input of property owners; rather it will broaden the opportunity for more inclusive input from a significant portion of Seattle’s population.
The Renters Commission will represent a diverse set of renter voices from across the city. The Commission will be empowered to advise on a variety of issues ranging from transportation, land use and community development, to monitoring the implementation of the city’s new landlord tenant legislation, like Source of Income Discrimination and the Move-In Fees legislation, as well as watchdogging enforcement of older laws like the Just Cause Eviction Ordinance, Rental Housing Registration and Inspection Program, the Tenant Relocation Assistance Ordinance, and the Rental Agreement Regulation Ordinance.
The AHNF Committee plans to vote on this legislation, Wednesday, March 15, 2017, at 9:30 am.
This was part of the councilmember’s weekly update, which just went out to her mailing list, addresses several other topics, and will eventually appear online at herbold.seattle.gov.
A former South Delridge dispensary owner was sentenced today to nine years in prison and five years of supervised release for gun and drug crimes, some of which happened in West Seattle. Federal court documents say 24-year-old Devontea Rosemon owned People’s Choice Marketplace, formerly located in the 9400 block of Delridge Way SW, with some of the crimes happening there, and one at a local park. From the U.S. Attorney’s Office news release:
Rosemon pleaded guilty to four felony charges in November 2016: Conspiracy to distribute cocaine, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and two counts of unlawful possession of a firearm. Between January and June 2016, Rosemon repeatedly sold guns and drugs to a person working with law enforcement. At the sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge Robert S. Lasnik said, “Truly dangerous weapons were being trafficked in a community where a rise in shootings is simply shocking …. There must be consequences for funneling weapons into the hands of people who commit violent crimes.”
“This defendant was a one stop shop for multiple firearms, including high powered assault style weapons,” said U.S. Attorney Annette L. Hayes. “I commend ATF for their ongoing work to identify and stop sources of firearms that end up being used to harm our communities.”
According to records filed in the case, Rosemon repeatedly sold cocaine from a marijuana dispensary he operated in Seattle and from his car. After a few of the sales, Rosemon offered to sell a firearm. Rosemon first sold the person working with law enforcement a .38 caliber pistol. Between March and June 2016, Rosemon sold the informant several more firearms including a Ruger with an extended clip, a Century Arms rifle, a Smith and Wesson .40 caliber pistol, a Walther PPK .380 caliber pistol, a Canik55 pistol, a Sig Sauer .38 caliber pistol, a Zastava .762 caliber pistol and a Springfield Armory .45 caliber pistol. Rosemon also sold body armor. When law enforcement searched Rosemon’s apartment after his arrest, they found a Norinco MAK 90 Sporter 7.62X39mm assault rifle, equipped with a 100-round drum. The weapon was simply stored on the floor of a bedroom closet where Rosemon’s two nieces (both under the age of 5) could have accessed it.
Rosemon is prohibited from possessing firearms due to three prior robbery convictions. Rosemon was arrested in June 2016 following the last of the gun sales.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Seattle Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Todd Greenberg.
We looked up some of the federal court documents; they list a White Center address for Rosemon’s apartment and also say that the last firearms transaction between Rosemon and an undercover agent happened in June 2016 at Roxhill Park. The documents say that in that transaction, Rosemon sold the agent two guns – described as pistols, .762 and .45 caliber – for $2,300 and 18 cartons of cigarettes.
Dutchboy Coffee proprietor Jenni Watkins is looking for artists interested in a new monthly show and sale she’s planning at her stand in Highland Park:
Every month Dutchboy Coffee will be hosting an art show.
Novice artists or people that want to share their talent: 75% of sales will go to the artist and 25% to the charity of the artist’s choice.
First show: Saturday 4/1 from 7-9 at the Dutchboy coffee stand, 1513 SW Holden St.
It’s a small stand, so it’ll be a cozy show – if you’re interested in participating, please e-mail photos of your work to dutchboycoffee@gmail.com.
As we’ve reported in recent months, West Seattle Hi-Yu – with an 80+-year history – is working to decide if it has a future. Community participation is vital. Your next chance is Monday – here’s the announcement:
The next West Seattle Hi-Yu general meeting will be held on Monday, March 6th, from 6:00 pm to 7:45 pm at the Seattle Public Library, West Seattle branch, 2306 42nd Ave. SW. The topic of discussion will be the 2017 budget.
The West Seattle Hi-Yu Board is proposing two (2) versions of the budget: a barebones budget and a re-organization budget. The re-building version focuses on taking a year away from parades and a court(s) to re-build the organization and create a lasting program. The barebones version maintains some semblance of the legacy program with limited participation in events and parades assuming we have a court(s) to participate. Both proposals call for a significant increase in revenue. The proposed budgets can be viewed on Hi-Yu’s Facebook page.
The Hi-Yu Board would like to invite you to come and discuss these proposals. Although there has been some interest from the community to assist in our volunteer efforts, after the October 2016 meeting, interest and attendance at the general meetings has dropped significantly. While we very much appreciate those who have reached out and are willing to help us continue the organization, it is clear that in order for Hi-Yu to continue, we need to have more involvement from the community, both in terms of volunteer hours and financial support. Hi-Yu is an all-volunteer organization, so while financial support is greatly appreciated and needed, it’s the people that make it run.
The Board is working under the question “What will be missed if Hi Yu is gone?” For many, it’s the nostalgia of the wonderful courts that were for years, the mainstay of Hi-Yu. For some, it’s the scholarship opportunity. For others, it’s the opportunity to represent West Seattle in wonderful summer festivals around the region. If you have your own personal answer to the question, what will be missed, and you don’t want to see Hi-Yu go away, please join us in working toward re-building Hi-Yu.
(WSB photo, above right: Hi-Yu Youth Ambassadors and court members at Hi-Yu Concert in the Park last summer)
(Looking north over West Seattle from SW Roxbury vicinity – photo by Long Bach Nguyen)
You don’t have to be airborne to see that the weekend’s almost in view. Here’s what’s ahead for today/tonight, from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar and inbox:
BLANKET DRIVE, FINAL DAY: Final day of this donation drive, blankets for children served by Mary’s Place are being collected at Gatewood Elementary until 3:30 pm today. MP says twin-size blankets are what they need most. (4320 SW Myrtle)
LORRAINE BANNAI @ WORDS, WRITERS, WEST SEATTLE: 5-7 pm at Barnes & Noble/Westwood Village, Lorraine Bannai talks about her book “Enduring Conviction: Fred Korematsu and His Quest for Justice” in this month’s Words, Writers, West Seattle event – here’s her video invitation:
As the author notes, what Mr. Korematsu fought for is far more than history – its relevance continues to this moment. WWWS is a free drop-in event, coordinated by the Southwest Seattle Historical Society. (2600 SW Barton)
WSHS BIG BAND DINNER DANCE: 6 pm tonight at West Seattle High School, student-prepared food, student-performed music, AND the West Seattle Big Band, all part of this fun(draiser). Details in our calendar listing, including the ticket link. (3000 California SW)
’60s/’70s MUSIC: That’s what you’ll find with the Five Buck Band at C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor), 7-9 pm. (5612 California SW)
CANASTA AND CLASSIC CARDS: 7:30 pm Friday is open gaming for card players at Meeples Games (WSB sponsor) – click that link and check the right sidebar on the Meeples home page for info. (3727 California SW)
‘BECKY’S NEW CAR’: Ever want to escape your life? Go see what happens in this comedy presented by Twelfth Night Productions, 7:30 pm at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center. Info’s in our calendar listing. (4408 Delridge Way SW)
‘MILK LIKE SUGAR’: 7:30 pm at ArtsWest, it’s the second night for the new production “Milk Like Sugar” by Kirsten Greenidge. Info’s in our calendar listing. (4711 California SW)
PRESCHOOL FUNDRAISER @ THE SKYLARK: Tonight’s second school fundraiser features three bands at The Skylark, starting at 9 pm, $10 cover starting at 8 pm, to benefit Arbor Heights Co-op Preschool: “Rockin’ Night Out featuring West Seattle bands: Gravel Road, Sweet Jesus, and Michael Work.” Here’s the flyer. (3803 Delridge Way SW)
HIGH-SCHOOL BASKETBALL: After last night’s win, the West Seattle High School boys continue state-tournament play at 9 pm tonight at the Tacoma Dome, vs. Garfield HS. Brackets and ticket info are here; for directions and parking information, go here.
NEIL YOUNG TRIBUTE: Rubies in the Dust, 9 pm-midnight at Parliament Tavern. $7 cover. 21+. (4210 SW Admiral Way)
AND MORE … just check our complete calendar!
Two years ago, we reported on two suspected bobcat sightings. This morning, another one. Randy just e-mailed to say:
I think I saw a bobcat this morning at 6:00 AM on 39th and Marine View (Arroyos) on the hill. Pretty cool
They’re more common than you might think, according to the state Fish and Wildlife Department‘s infosheet about bobcats (which includes a photo).
(SDOT MAP with travel times/video links; is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE)
(Click any view for a close-up; more cameras on the WSB Traffic page)
7:06 AM: Good morning and happy Friday! No incidents in or from West Seattle so far this morning.
VIADUCT WEEKEND REMINDER: Remember that the Alaskan Way Viaduct is scheduled for inspection closure 6 am-6 pm Saturday and Sunday, with additional closures on 99 north of The Viaduct on Sunday morning and early afternoon because of the Hot Chocolate 15K and a Battery Street Tunnel walk. If the Viaduct closure ends early (as it does sometimes during inspection closures), we’ll have the update here on WSB.
WEATHER REMINDER: A Special Weather Statement is still in effect, warning that cold, showery conditions could drop some snow in the metro area almost any time, anywhere, Saturday-Monday.
7:38 AM: If you are headed back this way – there’s an incident on southbound 99 at the exit to the westbound West Seattle Bridge. Thanks for the tip; SDOT is on this, too:
Collision on ramp from Alaskan Way Viaduct to West Seattle Bridge WB. Expect delays. pic.twitter.com/TlBUzZqEjb
— seattledot (@seattledot) March 3, 2017
7:44 AM: And if you’re coming in from the south, headed northbound, we just heard an SPD dispatch for trouble on the East Marginal Way section of NB 99 (that’s south of the WS Bridge).
8:05 AM NB 99 has a crash partly blocking the transit lane at Lander.
8:33 AM: SDOT says that’s cleared.
8:42 AM: By the way, here’s the SDOT roundup for the weekend – besides the Viaduct closure, some big events elsewhere in the city.
9:04 PM: Just in from the Tacoma Dome – the West Seattle High School boys won their first game at the state 3A basketball tournament, 62-54 over Wilson HS (Tacoma), and that means they’re in the semifinals! Tomorrow (Friday) night at 9 pm, head coach Keffrey Fazio and the Wildcats will face the winner of the game that’s just about to start, Rainier Beach vs. Garfield.
P.S. Thanks to Tami Denton for score updates (added – and a photo) from the Dome! Our photographer took ill at the last minute so we couldn’t go to Tacoma tonight, but we will be there for tomorrow night’s big game.
10:59 PM UPDATE: Garfield beat Rainier Beach, 59-58, so that’s who West Seattle plays Friday night in the semifinals.
(California SW-facing side of the project proposal by Hewitt Architects)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
The mixed-use project planned on the current West Seattle PCC Natural Markets (WSB sponsor) site is done with Design Review.
It got final Southwest Design Review Board approval after three meetings – one more than the minimum, two fewer than, for comparison, were needed seven-plus years ago for the nearby Admiral Safeway project (evoked repeatedly during these reviews for its less-than-ideal features).
Along with more than 20 members of the public, four board members were present – chair Todd Bronk, T. Frick McNamara, Alexandra Moravec, and Matt Zinski – as was the project’s assigned city planner, Crystal Torres.
Here’s how it unfolded: Read More
Winter still has two-plus weeks to go, and a National Weather Service alert warns us all that snow could hit again “at almost any time” Saturday through Monday:
… A return to cold and showery weather is expected from Friday night through Monday morning. The air mass should be sufficiently cold to support snow showers over the lowlands, especially during the cooler morning hours from Saturday through Monday.
It is too early to pinpoint specific snowfall amounts and locations. So the main message right now is simply to expect hit-and-miss snowfall accumulations of 1 inch or so at almost any time from Saturday through Monday. The cooler morning hours represent the more likely time of day to get accumulating snow. Air temperatures will generally be above freezing, so any snow accumulations are likely to melt a few hours after occurring.
Read the full Special Weather Statement here. (Thanks to @westseawx for the heads-up!)
Someone asked us that question recently, recalling that a miniature-golf course was supposed to have been built at the city-owned West Seattle Golf Course by now.
Indeed, it was on page 101 of the 757-page 2015-2016 budget plan announced by Mayor Murray in September 2014.
We published a followup about it two days later, with more details from the Parks Department, including that it “would be a replacement for the driving range that had been planned for the golf course.” (The driving-range plan was canceled amid a wave of concerns in 2011, after a quarter-million dollars had been spent on its design.)
In late 2015, we checked on the project’s status. Parks told us that the miniature-golf course was in the “planning, permitting, and budgeting stages” and that a community meeting was expected soon.
And that was the last we heard of it. 2016 went by. And then, here in early 2017, a reader question. We took it to Parks, and spokesperson Rachel Schulkin replied:
I have talked with our team here at Parks and Recreation about the mini golf project at West Seattle Golf Course.
What I have learned is that project is indefinitely on hold as the funding set aside for this development were required to address the emerging safety issues at the Jefferson Park golf course on Beacon Hill.
Recently there has been an increase in safety concerns from golf-ball trespass due to the age and decline of the trees that surround the golf course. The money originally slated for the mini golf is now held in reserve to go toward addressing these imminent safety issues.
We found a mention of the Jefferson problem in a course newsletter from last June, citing ball-trespass problems after “numerous trees” along the course were “removed or topped.” The newsletter also said that the city and course operator were “working toward a permanent solution” but didn’t get into funding details. We so far haven’t found any previous public mention of the plan to shelve the West Seattle miniature-golf course plan and move the money elsewhere.
–Tracy Record, WSB editor
Reader reports, plus a community-safety meeting, in Crime Watch this afternoon:
MAILBOXES TARGETED: We have two reports today from one Arbor Heights neighborhood – 41st SW between 102nd and 104th. First Denae e-mailed to say thieves broke into their mailbox while they were at work, and then Tommy messaged us to say theirs also was broken into: “After talking with the post office – they told us that a lot of other people were broken into on 42nd Ave. I think it would be good for people to keep a lookout for suspicious people near mailboxes.” If you experience mailbox/mail-related crime, report it to SPD (911 if it’s happening NOW or just happened) as well as the Postal Inspection Service.
CAR WINDOWS BROKEN: Two reports of this, from different areas. First, from Darren, with a photo: “Happened sometime last night/this am. We live on 60th between Admiral and Stevens. Police report filed.”
And from Isaac:
Just a quick FYI – Police woke us up around 2 am last night to let us know that someone had broken the drivers side window out of our car parked on 34th just in from the corner of SW Roxbury. Nothing was taken and it didn’t look like the car was ransacked at all. Just a busted window…
ABANDONED (STOLEN?) BIKE: Dennis sent the photo at midday today:
If you can’t tell – that’s the business parking lot on the northwest corner of Delridge/Andover.
COMMUNITY SAFETY CONVERSATION: Received an announcement today of a meeting Saturday afternoon facilitated by the Seattle Neighborhood Group for people in and around the 5400 block of Delridge Way SW. It’s set for 3-4:30 pm Saturday (March 4th) at the Delridge Library, which is in that block (5423 Delridge Way SW).
If you can spare a few hours to start off your Saturday, there are rewards in this for you beyond knowing you’ve helped clean up your community: It’s the quarterly Admiral Neighborhood Association Adopt-A-Street cleanup, and volunteers are vital. Meet up outside Metropolitan Market (41st/42nd/Admiral; WSB sponsor) 8:45-9 am, then spend up to three hours cleaning up in the area, 9 am-noon. Treats and coffee are available, free, ahead of time, and you’ll be sent home with a sack lunch afterward. Tools and bags provided! Just show up.
(WSB photo from Saturday morning by Patrick Sand)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
Months before firefighters were called to engulfed-in-flames 9029 16th SW early Saturday morning (WSB coverage here), the 98-year-old house was charred and partly boarded up.
As we reported that morning, the Seattle Fire Department had sent “full responses” there for fires in 2012 – blamed on a cooking fire started by squatters – and in 2015. Neighbors wondered why what was left of the house was still standing.
As promised, we followed up.
First – the city Department of Construction and Inspections tells WSB it has issued two orders to the property’s owners since last weekend’s fire. One orders them to seal up the building on the rear of the site, deadline today. We went back to the house late yesterday and indeed found that happening:
The other order is to tear down what’s left of the burned-out main house, which now looks like this:
SDCI spokesperson Wendy Shark told WSB, “If the owner does not take steps to remove the fire-damaged structure quickly, additional enforcement action will ensue.” As for what “quickly” means, she said, “The owner must demolish (it), or obtain an engineer’s report showing the building is not unsafe, by March 28, 2017.” If they don’t? “Once the compliance date is past without compliance, the files may be referred to the Law Department for additional enforcement.”
As we also noted the morning of the most-recent fire – the cause of which could not be determined by SFD – a redevelopment proposal is on file for the site. While a mixed-use plan was filed with the city in September, county records show ownership was transferred from an individual to an LLC (with whom the same individual is listed as associated) in December, and no further activity on the proposal is shown in online files. But a document in the system related to the September proposal includes this notation by a representative for the ownership:
There is an abandoned structure on site, and might have been occupied by homeless people. The owner has got couples phone calls from city about this issue. We are wondering whether we could demolish the structure as soon as we submitted building permit.
The files don’t show how that question was answered – or even whether it was answered; the proposal had not progressed to the building-permit application stage. (We have an inquiry out to the person listed as a contact at the time. An update: The document with that inquiry, while related to the September proposal, carries the date February 17, 2017.) But it brings up the long-running issue of city policy regarding tearing down dilapidated, dangerous houses like this. It’s an issue almost everywhere such houses stand – we wrote about it back in 2009, when a North Delridge community advocate led city leaders on a tour of problem properties.
In this November 2016 Seattle Times story about the issue, it was mentioned that the city was considering changing the rules. So we asked SDCI’s Shark about that. She pointed us to this page of the city website, where proposed changes are detailed in this draft ordinance. Among other things, its summary says it would:
Demolition of Unfit Buildings (SMC 22.208.020)
Establish an expedited process for ordering the demolition of a vacant building that can be documented as hazardous.Demolition of Housing (SMC 23.40.006)
In instances when a final redevelopment permit has not yet been issued, reduce the length of time that rental housing must sit vacant before a demolition permit can be issued (from 12 months to 4 months), and expand to apply to commercial, industrial, and multifamily zones (in addition to single-family zones)
Shark says the City Council “will likely consider the legislation next month.”
Meantime, what’s left of 9029 16th SW is still standing as of our last check about half an hour before we published this story. This type of structure poses a special hazard to firefighters, who had to make the call upon arrival Saturday morning to deal with it as a “derelict” structure, fighting the fire “defensively.” SFD spokesperson Kellie Randall told us the assessment is made on arrival, as part of a policy developed under SFD Chief Harold Scoggins. No one was injured, and firefighters found no one in the area upon arrival, but because of how ferociously the fire was burning (see our photo atop this story), people in neighboring residential buildings had to be evacuated for a while, for fear it would spread.
We’ll continue to watch the situation, especially whether it gets demolished before the aforementioned deadline.
(Editor’s note: Updated at 1:49 pm to reflect the February 2017 date of the development-proposal-related document asking about demolition possibilities.)
(Pine siskin, photographed by Mark Wangerin)
Half a dozen highlights for the rest of your Thursday:
BLANKET DRIVE CONTINUES: As explained here, blankets for children served by Mary’s Place are being collected at Gatewood Elementary until 3:30 pm today, and again 7:30 am-3:30 pm on Friday. (4320 SW Myrtle)
FREE TAX HELP: 5-9 pm at West Seattle Food Bank/Community Resource Center – details, including who’s eligible, are in our calendar listing. (35th SW/SW Morgan)
DESIGN REVIEW FOR PCC-SITE PROJECT: 6:30 pm at the Sisson Building/Senior Center, the Southwest Design Review Board meets for what could be the final review of 2749 California SW, the four-story, 108-apartment, 158-offstreet-parking-space project that will also include a new 21,000-sf PCC Natural Markets (WSB sponsor) store, all on the site of the current store.
(Rendering courtesy Hewitt Architects)
The rendering above is from the official “design packet,” which you can see here; see our coverage of the recent “sneak peek” community meeting here; see our coverage of the previous SWDRB meeting here. The meeting will include an opportunity for public comment. (4217 SW Oregon)
HIGH-SCHOOL BASKETBALL: The West Seattle High School boys open state-tournament play tonight at the Tacoma Dome, vs. Wilson HS, at 7:15 pm. Brackets and ticket info are here; for directions and parking info, go here.
‘MILK LIKE SUGAR’ OPENING NIGHT: 7:30 pm at ArtsWest, it’s opening night for the new production “Milk Like Sugar” by Kirsten Greenidge. Synopsis, ticket info, and more are in our calendar listing. (4711 California SW)
CROSS RHYTHM TRIO: 8-11 pm, live music at Parliament Tavern, with Ben Bloom, Jason Gray, and Grant Schroff of Polyrhythmics providing “some funky, soulful grooves.” No cover. 21+. (4210 SW Admiral Way)
LOOK INTO THE FUTURE …via our complete-calendar page.
(Photos courtesy West Seattle Garden Tour)
That’s “The Sower” by West Seattle artist Sarah Mottaghinejad, just announced as the winner of this year’s West Seattle Garden Tour art competition:
The winning piece features cherry veneer, acrylic, watercolor, mica, and hollyhock seeds on a clay panel measuring 18” x 24”. The artwork will be featured on the 2017 Garden Tour’s marketing materials, including the official poster and ticket book. Ms. Mottaghinejad will also receive a $500 cash prize.
Ms. Mottaghinejad says she is a storyteller before anything else. As a letterpress printer and bookbinder, she mostly works with paper, but will use any medium that best tells the story. She has a master’s degree in Linguistics, but very little formal art training. She currently works as an instructional designer, practicing her art and craft on the weekends.
Read more about her and her work on the WSGT website. This year’s tour will be earlier than recent years – June 25th; the winning work will be auctioned in one of the gardens that day, with proceeds going toward this year’s nonprofit beneficiaries, which WSGT organizers plan to announce next week.
Love chili? Here’s where you’ll want to be on Saturday night:
(Video courtesy Klem Daniels Productions)
Thanks to Judy Pickens for the reminder:
The sixth annual Fauntleroy Chili Cook-Off gets under way Saturday evening at 6:00 in the Fellowship Hall at Fauntleroy Church (9140 California Ave. SW). Chili lovers of all ages will be out in force to sample the favorite meat and vegetarian recipes of competitors. $10/person or $25/family at the door will get you sampling and voting, cornbread, condiments, beverage, and a root beer float to settle your stomach.
(SDOT MAP with travel times/video links; is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE)
(Click any view for a close-up; more cameras on the WSB Traffic page)
6:52 AM: Good morning! No incidents reported in our area, or on the major outbound routes, so far this morning.
VIADUCT CLOSURE REMINDER: Saturday 6 am-6 pm, Sunday 6 am-6 pm. The second day also has event closures scheduled in and north of the Battery Street Tunnel. Full details here.
9:10 AM: Late-commute trouble in two spots – a left-center-lane stall on northbound I-5 near Seneca, and a jackknifed semi that will be closing 15th/Spokane on Beacon Hill, not far from the east end of the West Seattle Bridge – police are figuring out how to deal with a semitruck full of hay.
(Photo by Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo: Katherine Fry with zoo president/CEO Alejandro Grajal)
Chief Sealth International High School student Katherine Fry was honored at the Woodland Park Zoo‘s first-ever Thrive Leadership Awards dinner on Tuesday night. Not only did she receive the Youth Conservation Award, she also received a $5,000 scholarship. Fry was honored, the zoo says, “for contributing nearly 800 hours of volunteer service and providing leadership in the zoo’s youth programs including ZooCorps, Seattle Youth Climate Action Network, and Citizen Science Amphibian Monitoring.” She’s going to Western Washington University this fall, planning to study biology and environmental science.
The Christian observance of Lent began today with Ash Wednesday. That meant special services – and they weren’t all within the walls of churches. This morning, Katy Lloyd photographed Admiral Congregational Church pastor Rev. Andrew Conley-Holcom in The Junction this morning, where, she explained, he was offering “ashes to go.” Online research before we published the photo revealed that this is a worldwide movement involving clergy taking the Ash Wednesday tradition to the streets.
FIRST REPORT, 9:39 PM WEDNESDAY: That’s the Roger Dahl Rifle Training Range at West Seattle Stadium. Tomorrow (Thursday) at 9:30 am, the City Council’s Parks, Seattle Center, Libraries, and Waterfront Committee will consider renewing the West Seattle Sportsmen’s Club‘s long-running lease to operate it. (The photo is part of the item on the meeting agenda.)
The proposal is for a 12-year lease with an option for a five-year extension after that. The club would pay the city $1,000 a year, up from the $200 annual payment in the lease that’s expiring.
While the range is part of a Seattle Parks facility, the Sportsmen’s Club has been involved with it for more than 50 years, since it was built in 1961, and, as the proposed ordinance going before the council says, “through a series of agreements with Parks and Recreation, has continuously maintained the facility at its own cost and expense ever since.” The new release would continue that arrangement; the city says that before the club signed its most recent lease in 2003, “the Club repaired their firing line and put in new HVAC improvements.” The slide deck for tomorrow’s meeting also notes that the club provides a number of other public benefits, including “reduced-fee access for youth programs regarding safe and proper recreational use of firearms and archery tackle,” low-cost hunter-education programs for up to 120 students a year, and several types of “community outreach” regarding firearms safety.
Tomorrow’s 9:30 am meeting at City Hall starts with a public-comment period; if you can’t be there but are interested in this item or anything else on the agenda, the meeting will be live on Seattle Channel, cable 21 or online.
ADDED 2:28 PM THURSDAY: This passed unanimously at today’s committee vote, and a final vote will be on next Monday afternoon’s City Council agenda (2 pm March 6th).
In West Seattle Crime Watch tonight:
FROM THE ‘THEY’LL STEAL ANYTHING’ DEPARTMENT: Kathy reports a car prowl in North Admiral:
We discovered our car was entered last night. They rummaged through glove box and arm rest, took prescription sunglasses, new socks to go to homeless folks, and one of two bags heading to drop off at Goodwill. Do these people have a way to hack remote entry vehicles? There was no sign of forced entry and we’re pretty careful about locking. 1300 block of 44th AV SW.
Short answer, yes.
STOLEN CAR: No reader report on this, and @getyourcarback doesn’t match announcements to locations/incident numbers, but we did hear this broadcast across police frequencies as having happened in “William sector” (western West Seattle): 1996 red 4-door Honda Civic, plate BAJ8248. If you see it, call 911.
SPD’s online reports have added the narratives for two recent crimes, so we’re summarizing them here:
THE 42-SECOND THEFT: That’s how long it took two thieves to steal merchandise from the Rite-Aid pharmacy south of The Junction one week ago tonight, 8:20 pm Wednesday, February 22nd. The report says the thieves jumped over the counter, grabbed “two white square bottles of unknown liquid substance,” and ran out, last seen westbound on SW Dawson north of the store. Police got conflicting descriptions but eventually got surveillance video which showed that the two “were in and out of the store in approximately 42 seconds.” No one was hurt.
STORAGE UNIT BREAK-IN: The other local case with a narrative report now available online happened last Thursday night or Friday morning at a storage unit in the 2900 block of Avalon Way. Its manager called police to report that a unit had been pried open, but the tenant said nothing had been disturbed or taken.
Once you’ve reported a crime to SPD – 911 if it’s happening now! – consider letting us know for Crime Watch, via text (206-293-6302) or e-mail (editor@westseattleblog.com) – thank you!
(WSDOT photo taken last month – work crews in the tunnel)
WSDOT says tonight that the Highway 99 tunneling machine is expected to arrive in its “disassembly pit” in May. That news comes as they also announce that Seattle Tunnel Partners has stopped digging to get the machine ready for the “final 1,000 feet of the 9,270-foot tunnel drive.” They’re checking its position because, WSDOT’s update says:
Recent surveys show that Bertha may be several inches off of the tunnel alignment. STP is conducting additional survey work and will make adjustments as needed to complete the tunnel drive.
Adjustments are common during tunneling, including on this project. STP made a similar adjustment to correct Bertha’s course after crews mined out of the pit that was used to access and repair the machine.
Crews will continue to perform routine maintenance on the machine for the next several days. They plan to resume mining next week.
According to STP’s most recent schedule, Bertha will arrive at the disassembly pit in May. The pit is located approximately 960 feet north of the cutterhead’s current location beneath Denny Way and Sixth Avenue North. Mining rates will continue to vary based on maintenance needs and soil conditions.
Crews successfully mined under the final building of the tunnel drive earlier this week. Bertha has traveled a total of 8,310 feet and built 1,270 of 1,426 concrete tunnel rings.
Because the end-of-the-line pit is part of a construction site, WSDOT has said it’s not planning to have a big event for the public to watch the machine break through.
Meantime, yet another reminder – the Alaskan Way Viaduct is scheduled to close for inspection 6 am-6 pm each day this Saturday and Sunday, with a few other events on 99 north of the Battery Street Tunnel – full details are here.
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