West Seattle, Washington
29 Tuesday
A convicted child-killer is in jail in lieu of a million dollars bail, charged with raping a woman who was incapacitated because of an untreated injury, and court documents say it happened in February in West Seattle.
The suspect is 40-year-old Chayce A. Hanson, convicted of killing his girlfriend’s 2-year-old daughter, Nenah Walters, in 2000, by kicking her down a flight of stairs. In 2001, he was sentenced to 25 years in prison. Five years later, a Supreme Court ruling led to a lesser conviction and shorter sentence.
Hanson was booked into the King County Jail Friday night, eight days after the filing of a second-degree rape charge in an incident that court documents say happened February 1st-2nd in West Seattle. The case was first reported by The Seattle Times; we learned of it when a reader sent us the link, and we subsequently obtained the court documents. Read More
8:12 PM: Seattle Fire and Police are on their way to a crash reported to have injured a motorcycle rider in the 900 block of SW Holden, west of Highland Park Way [map]. Dispatch radio indicates this was reported as a hit-run with a driver having left the scene. More as we get it.
8:17 PM: The crash is now described as closer to 11th SW/Holden, blocking eastbound Holden in that area, and a private ambulance is being dispatched, suggesting non-life-threatening injuries.
8:29 PM: Police at the scene confirm that the rider, described only as male, is being taken to the hospital by an AMR ambulance, and that they are looking for a hit-run driver in connection with the crash. No description so far.
(WSB photo from last month: West Seattle Water Taxi vessel Doc Maynard)
If you’ve missed the reminders in our weekday traffic coverage – tomorrow (Monday, April 10th) brings the annual return of the West Seattle Water Taxi‘s all-day, 7-days-a-week schedule. In the offseason, the service runs weekdays only, am and pm commute periods only, with no extended service for evening sports events, but starting tomorrow, that all changes. The spring-summer schedule includes later evening runs on Fridays and Saturdays. You can preview it at the bottom of this page.
P.S. The free Water Taxi shuttle buses expand service tomorrow to match the boat schedules, too.
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
One final community meeting to recap from this past week – here’s what happened as the Southwest District Council discussed three transportation-related projects – including issues such as Fauntleroy Boulevard construction vs. Sound Transit 3 planning – and received a crime-trends update.
NEIGHBORHOOD STREET FUND PROJECTS: SDOT outreach lead Natalie Graves said she was there to “take feedback” as the project leads weren’t available. West Seattle’s projects were two of 12 chosen for funding in this round of the every-three-years Neighborhood Street Fund proposal/selection/construction process.
Tuesday night (April 11th) brings the next meeting of the Admiral Neighborhood Association, and president Larry Wymer has announced that three topics are at the heart of the agenda:
*Light rail: What’s happened since the Sound Transit 3 vote? Light-rail plans for West Seattle will be discussed with the advocacy group Seattle Subway.
*Chelan combined-sewer-overflow project: A 4-million-gallon storage tank needs to be built to prevent overflows into the Duwamish River near Terminal 5, though the site has not yet been chosen. A project rep from King County will be at the meeting.
*Also: “Residents living to the immediate southeast of the current ANA ‘Sphere of Influence’ area (as included within our by-laws) will present their proposal to the group for consideration of officially expanding our boundaries to include their neighborhood.”
ANA’s meeting will start at 7 pm Tuesday at The Sanctuary at Admiral (42nd/Lander), all welcome.
This year’s West Seattle Junction Day of Giving – with many businesses giving part of their proceeds to local nonprofits – is coming up in less than three weeks. For most, all you have to do is show up and shop that day. For salon/shop VAIN (4513 California SW), you also have the chance to make appointments now for an extra round of giving during the week before. Here’s the announcement:
As part of the Junction Day of Giving, VAIN will be donating 10% of retail sales on April 29th to the West Seattle Senior Center. We will have sales specials and gifts with purchase.
In addition, we have select haircut appointments available April 23-29th, with 100% of the service cost to be donated. For more information or to book an appointment please call VAIN at 206-535-2595 and request a haircut to support the Senior Center. Haircuts are available with the following stylists; Sam, Jason, Angie, Della, Ivy, Jessie, Ashlee, TT, Peyton, Misa, Nicola, and Janae. A style appointment is available with Zoe. Stylist profiles can be viewed at vain.com/stylists
VAIN loves the Senior Center and we are excited for this opportunity to lend our support to this important community resource!
A celebration of life is planned April 21st for John Prentice, whose family is sharing this remembrance with the community:
On the morning of March 30, 2017, John Prentice packed up his tools, grabbed his saxophone and a handful of tulips, and headed for greener pastures. John’s 91 years ended after a mercifully short battle with cancer, but he met every day to his last with humor, kindness, and curiosity.
John was one of 5 brothers born in Portland, OR, and upon early graduation from high school, enlisted in the Navy and served in WWII as a radioman on ships in the South Pacific. After his discharge, he graduated from Portland University with an engineering degree, was quickly hired by The Boeing Company, and moved to West Seattle to start his family.
He outlived two wives — Mary, who passed in 1986, and Ava, who passed in 2013 — but never lost his ready smile, his drive to understand the world around him, and his joy in sharing his knowledge with anyone willing to learn.
He is survived by his 3 children — John Jr., Mary, and Paul; 3 grandchildren — Brianna, Shandra, and Ian; and 2 great-grandchildren — Miles and Lucy.
A celebration of his life will be held in the Pigott Chapel at Providence Mount St. Vincent on Friday, April 21st at 1:00 pm. Remembrances can be made to The Providence Mount St. Vincent Foundation in West Seattle.
(WSB publishes West Seattle obituaries by request, free of charge. Please e-mail the text, and a photo if available, to [email protected])
(Winged Space Needle? Elliott Bay photo by Lynn Hall)
First, a traffic alert if you are using Highway 99 today:
SOUTHBOUND 99 CLOSURE: WSDOT is scheduled to close southbound Highway 99 for construction work between Valley Street (lower Queen Anne) and the south end of the Battery Street Tunnel, 7 am-5 pm today.
Now – what’s happening in West Seattle today; most of our highlights are from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:
PALM SUNDAY: Holy Week services for which we’ve received listings, today through Easter, are on our Easter & More page.
WALK THE LABYRINTH AT TIBBETTS: At Tibbetts United Methodist Church (WSB sponsor), “We will have our rainbow labyrinth up all during Holy Week as a place of meditation and centering. The Labyrinth is made of heavy canvas and we ask that walkers remove shoes before starting. We will have hand-held labyrinths available for those who are mobility challenged and music will play softly in the background. Tibbetts welcomes ALL to come walk the labyrinth during one of the open times.” Today’s open time is noon-2 pm. (Entry through Fellowship Hall doorway off 41st SW/SW Andover)
FRESH FLOURS TURNS 1: As previewed here, today is the first-anniversary celebration at Fresh Flours Bakery in South Delridge. Dollar-off drinks and free heart cookies. Open 7 am-4 pm. (9410 Delridge Way SW)
WEST SEATTLE FARMERS’ MARKET: 10 am-2 pm in the street, in the heart of The Junction. (California SW between SW Oregon and SW Alaska)
WEST SEATTLE RUNNER’S 7TH ANNIVERSARY: Third and final day of the anniversary celebration at West Seattle Runner (WSB sponsor), open 11 am-5 pm today, with free massage noon-2 pm. (2743 California SW)
AT C & P COFFEE: Brazilian music with Choro Tocando, 3-5 pm. (5612 California SW)
FREE CLASSICAL CONCERT: 3 pm at West Seattle (Admiral) Library, the Ladies Musical Club presents music for oboe, bassoon, and piano. Program details are in our calendar listing. (2306 42nd SW)
ARTISTS’ RECEPTION: 4-8 pm at Brace Point Pottery in Arbor Heights, it’s the Alki Arts “Old Home Week” exhibition reception – details in our calendar listing. (4208 SW 100th)
AT PARLIAMENT TAVERN: Cooking Churchill, Amy Denio. 7-10 pm: “A night of groove improv. Amy Denio of The Tiptons Sax Quartet opens.” 21+. No cover. (4210 SW Admiral Way)
(Seal Sitters photo by Robin Lindsey)
When we first mentioned Seal Sitters Marine Mammal Stranding Network‘s concerns about a seal pup nicknamed Taffy, who’s been coming and going from a stretch of Alki Beach for two weeks, they described her as healthy. Now, that’s changing, and they are asking you to please keep your distance:
This morning she tried to come ashore, but was scared away repeatedly by people gathering on the sidewalk above her – this, even though they were standing behind the yellow tape – still far too close to the 7- to 8-month-old weaned pup. The pup is terribly sensitive to activity even 50 yards away, much less 20 feet. She gave up after about 5 attempts and we did not see her the remainder of the day and on into this evening. It is imperative that harbor seal pups get stress-free rest out of the water.
Taffy appears to have some kind of trauma to her front foreflippers, though we have not been able to sight any specific wounds. The first few days we observed her, she would not bear weight on her left flipper. Now she will not use either one. This makes her terribly vulnerable on land to people and off-leash dogs.
We have seen a rapid decline over the past week as she has lost weight, is dehydrated, and appears to now have some lung issues, most likely lungworm infestation. While trying to come ashore this morning, we could actually hear her hoarse breathing and cough – not a good sign.
It is unusual for Seal Sitters to leave a tape perimeter in place when there is no seal onshore. However, under this special circumstance, we have been leaving tape intact on the sea wall above small bit of beach she prefers, as well as leaving stakes and tape on the beach when the incoming/outgoing tide permits.
We ask that people please respect the perimeter – even if you can’t see Taffy inside it. Often, she crawls up in between rocks and cannot be seen. Since she is now struggling with health issues, her haulout patterns have changed and we can’t predict when she will try to find rest. If you see her onshore, please don’t gather directly above her on the sea wall. Observe her from either end of the perimeter and please call Seal Sitters’ hotline at 206-905-SEAL (7325) if volunteers are not onsite, as that means we are not aware Taffy is on land at this dangerous location. She needs space.
Seal Sitters First Responders had hopes of capturing the skittish pup today and transporting for evaluation and treatment. Capture will be very challenging because of the location and her hyper-awareness – she stays just a few feet at most from the water’s edge. Sadly, we anticipate her health will rapidly decline.
If you haven’t already noticed the taped-off perimeter in the past two weeks, the area in question is east/north of the main sandy stretch of Alki; if you are walking/running in the area, consider crossing to the inland sidewalk until you’re past where the tape is.
Thanks to Marianne McCord from the South Delridge Community Group for that photo from today’s SDCG/Westwood-Roxhill-Arbor Heights Community Council cleanup at 25th/Trenton. She reports 16 volunteers were there, as was SDOT‘s Natalie Graves from the Chief Sealth Walkway Neighborhood Street Fund project that’s planned in the area. She adds: “I want to give a shout out to our dedicated volunteers who attend monthly clean-ups around the South Delridge Neighborhood. They are making a difference!” Watch the SDCG website for word of its next meeting (usually third Sundays, but this month, that’s Easter).
Along the road and on the slope, another big haul in the annual Fairmount Ravine (north of here) cleanup today.
This was the 25th annual edition of the cleanup, this year coordinated by Matt Algieri, taking over for John Lang. Here are today’s volunteers, with Southwest Precinct Community Police Team Officers Jon Flores and Todd Wiebke:
They had piled up more than 80 bags – similar to last year – by the time a Department of Corrections community-work crew arrived for pickup and haulaway:
Here are links to our coverage from past years – 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008.
May 13th is exactly five weeks from today – and that’s the date for this year’s West Seattle Community Garage Sale Day. We’re now in our third day of registration, with 45+ sales signed up and on their way to the map already – sales of many sizes, in many areas, including moving sales, “making room for baby” sales, nonprofit sales, block sales … Anything you’re looking for, you are likely to find on sale SOMEWHERE on WSGCGSD (our 10th year coordinating it, 13th year overall). If you’re planning to sell rather than shop, registration will continue for another 2 1/2 weeks but you might as well get it done now – once you have your eye-catching 20-word listing ready, just go here – thank you!
Most years, the Seattle Parks community-center egg hunts are held simultaneously, day before Easter. This year, the Hiawatha hunt was scheduled a week early, and brought hundreds of kids out this morning.
Just one day after major wind and rain, the weather wasn’t too bad for this morning’s event, and participants were able to follow up their hunting with checking to see what they’d found.
The other local centers’ egg hunts are set for next Saturday morning, as is the legendary West Seattle Thriftway (WSB sponsor) hunt and more – see the full list for the next 8 days, including local Holy Week/Passover services/events, by going here.
Live jazz and treats await you at the grand-opening celebration for the BlueStone Apartments (9051 20th SW). The music continues until 4, the party until 5, including tours.
The 40+-unit complex, built by STS Construction Services (longtime WSB sponsor) and managed by North Pacific Properties, has variety. First-floor units, including a handful of live-works, have high ceilings (16 feet). The building includes 2-bedroom apartments (not always easy to find in new construction) as well as 1-bedrooms – more than a dozen floor plans, even 2 bedroom/2 baths. Each unit has its own laundry room. And there are unexpected touches such as built-in connections for portable air-conditioning units.
The four-story building includes some views of Mount Rainier and the Olympic Mountains, and some units have terraces or balconies.
The lighting is all LED.
BlueStone is leasing now – another tenant was moving in while we were visiting – and we’re told one of the live-work units is expected to soon have a small café. If you don’t get to stop by today, you can inquire online.
West Seattle High School baseball parent Sheree Fantz-Gut shares that photo with her report on the Wildcats’ latest win:
The WSHS Wildcats and the Cleveland HS Eagles completed completed a very WET and WINDY game yesterday at Hiawatha. WSHS 12, Cleveland HS 2.
Five players were definitely not enough to cover the mound after the game. It ended up taking almost the entire team to battle the wind!
WSHS goes for its third consecutive win on Monday, 4 pm at Hiawatha (2700 California SW), vs. Garfield.
12:39 PM: Thanks to Mark for the tip: Semitruck trouble has blocked the Harbor/Avalon offramp from the westbound bridge. SDOT says crews are on the way.
2 PM: The semitrucks blocking the ramp have been cleared and it’s open again, SDOT says.
After two arrest warrants related to violation of its terms, the Drug Offender Sentencing Alternative has been revoked for convicted burglar Jessica Detrick.
(July 2016 security-camera photo from Fauntleroy burglary)
As reported here last Saturday, she was arrested again after failing to return to residential drug treatment as ordered following a previous failure to comply. DOSA is offered to some offenders as an alternative to jail/prison, but they are warned that the standard sentence remains a possibility if there is trouble like this. This case is related to two residential burglaries for which she was charged last year, in Highland Park and Fauntleroy; at the time she was described as having a multi-state criminal history and 38 King County warrants since 2000, though this was only her fourth felony conviction. She plea-bargained and got the DOSA sentence last fall. Shortly after she ended three months in residential treatment in January, an arrest warrant was issued for failure to comply with reporting requirements; she was arrested in February and ordered to stay in jail until a new residential-treatment space opened for her, but when it did, she didn’t show up, and a new warrant was issued, leading to her arrest a week ago. At a hearing yesterday, court documents show, Detrick, 37, “agreed to voluntary revocation” of DOSA, resulting in a 15-month state-prison sentence with credit for time served.
“Reading makes us all winners.” So said Denny International Middle School principal Jeff Clark as he shared the results of his school’s annual Global Reading Challenge finals vs. Aki Kurose Middle School. As explained in our morning preview on Wednesday, since the Seattle Public Library’s citywide GRC is limited to elementary schools, the two middle schools decided a few years ago to launch their own. Two teams from each school reached the finals; each team read 10 books and answered quiz questions in competition format. The results: “The Denny Dolphins had won the 6th grade trophy! The Aki Peace Cranes won the 7th grade prize! Congratulations to all of our teams from both schools — we are proud of you!”
Principal Clark adds: “Thank you very much to the literacy teachers of both schools, Ms. Nestor, Ms. Clark, Mr. Treistman, Ms. Williams, and Mr. Reeve for all of the help and support that went into making this event such a success!”
(Brant along Alki, photographed by Jim Borrow, who reminds us that these are migratory geese, here for what’s left of the seagrass they need to survive, and that they are easily disturbed, “and often will avoid feeding if they are impacted by human or human-generated activity. Unleashed dogs chasing or swimming after birds on our beaches have a particularly negative impact.”)
From morning until night, lots happening! From the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:
25TH ANNUAL FAIRMOUNT RAVINE CLEANUP: 8:30-10:30 am, join neighbors in cleaning up the ravine that many use to get from Admiral to Alki, and help remove ivy from its trees. Here’s our preview. (Meet at Fairmount/Forest)
EGG HUNT AT HIAWATHA: 10 am sharp at Hiawatha Community Center, this year’s egg hunt is a week before the other city-run community centers have theirs. (2700 California SW)
25TH/TRENTON COMMUNITY CLEANUP: As previewed here, join the South Delridge Community Group and Westwood-Roxhill-Arbor Heights Community Council, 10 am-11 am, to help beautify a corner of the neighborhood. (25th/Trenton)
WEST SEATTLE RUNNER ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION: 7 years in business for West Seattle Runner (WSB sponsor), and special events today start at 11 am and continue through live music at 7 with Jared Mitchell. (2743 California SW)
SOUTH SEATTLE COLLEGE ARBORETUM CLEANUP: 10 am-noon, come help maintain your local botanical garden! Bring your own water bottle, gloves and hand tools. South Seattle College (WSB sponsor) north end. (6000 16th SW)
EGG HUNT FOR BLIND/VISUALLY IMPAIRED YOUTH: As previewed here earlier this week, the Lions Club of West Seattle is presenting its first annual egg hunt for those with vision challenges, at the Seattle Lutheran High School gym, 11 am. Also bring unneeded eyeglasses to donate! (4100 SW Genesee)
‘GREEN WALL’ INSTALLATION: 11 am at South Park Library. “To reduce the impact of air pollution, the Duwamish River Cleanup Coalition/Technical Advisory Group and Just Health Action are partnering with the South Park Branch to install 7 artistic green wall panels, each 3 feet wide by 5 feet tall, creating a free standing vegetated trellis system.” Come see for yourself. (8604 8th S.)
BLUESTONE APARTMENTS’ GRAND OPENING: Noon-5 pm, with live music 1:30-4 pm, “grand-opening celebration for the BlueStone Apartments. Take a tour of the brand-new building complete with spacious outdoor courtyard, covered parking, and Live/Work spaces in addition to the well-appointed one- and two-bedroom apartments.” (9051 20th SW)
FREE KINDERMUSIK: All kids welcome, 12:30 pm at My Three Little Birds (WSB sponsor) in south Morgan Junction. (6959 California SW)
HIGH POINT PLAY AREA OPEN HOUSE, WITH OTHER CITY INFO: 1-3 pm, drop in to review design proposals for the play-area renovation at High Point Community Center – outdoors, weather permitting. You’ll also find information about other city departments, projects, and services, as explained by the city here. (6920 34th SW)
EASTER BUNNY BAR HOP: Three bars in Morgan Junction, 4-7 pm. Starts at The Bridge. (California/Graham)
DIEGO DAVIDENKO: Singer-songwriter at C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor), 7-9 pm. (5612 California SW)
MCGUIRE SISTERS SONGBOOK: At Kenyon Hall – “Pianist extraordinaire David Duvall has put together another musical extravaganza starring Caitlin Frances, Kim Maguire, and Meg McLynn singing The McGuire Sisters’ many hits.” 7:30 pm. (7904 35th SW)
LIT END: 4-piece band from Olympia with a mix of covers and originals at Poggie Tavern, 9 pm. (4717 California SW)
AT PARLIAMENT TAVERN: Denny Blaine and Steve Pearson’s British Racing Green: “Denny Blaine features the singing and songwriting talents of Jack Johnson and Steve Aliment. British Racing Green is fresh Americana in a cool pop wrapper.” $8 cover. 21+. (4210 SW Admiral Way)
If you’re looking for somewhere to garden – a P-Patch spot might be waiting for you. The city just published a list today of community gardens that have spots open, and two of them are in West Seattle – Westcrest Park in Highland Park and Longfellow Creek in Westwood. Interested? Contact Angela Vega-Johnson at [email protected] or call 206-617-1787.
(WSB photo, March 29th)
Remember our report last week about the rutted state of much of 35th SW, touched off by a reader tip about that particular hole on the northbound side, north of SW Webster? At the time, SDOT reiterated that 35th SW is not scheduled for major repaving work until 2023. City Councilmember Lisa Herbold‘s staff, meantime, told us that she was asking SDOT to move that up, and working on a letter to SDOT director Scott Kubly to formalize the request. That letter has now been sent – read it here, or below:
The letter is featured in her weekly e-mail/online update, in which Herbold elaborates:
I’ve received numerous complaints about the condition of the pavement since taking office at the start of 2016, and experienced the poor condition of the road in my travels. Complaints have increased recently.
The letter … details some of what I’ve heard from West Seattle residents, and requests, “please consider this letter a request to examine and repair potholes on 35th Avenue SW from Roxbury to Alaska. I’d appreciate an answer to this request as soon as possible.” In the longer term, the letter requests SDOT:
To reconsider their 2016-2024 paving plan, which lists 35th from Roxbury to Morgan as a planned paving project for 2023;
To provide the current pavement condition rating of 35th, according to the standards of SDOT’s Pavement Management webpage;
Provide the estimated cost for the paving work on 35th, and
Whether they have an update to the 2013 Arterial Pavement Condition map included in the 2015 SDOT Asset Management Status and Condition Report (see Figure VII, page 68 of the report, page 74 of the pdf), which shows a significant portion of 35th as dark red, the worst rating.
I appreciated SDOT’s quick response saying that “…later this month our crews will be doing a concerted effort to address potholes caused by the wet and cold winter. 35th Ave SW is on their plan as a route to be targeted.”
SDOT also indicated they would be in touch later on my larger request re: modifying the pavement plan, and acknowledged that they have begun looking at the implications, as well as my request to re-evaluate the corridor.
We had asked SDOT last week if at least some short stretches were scheduled for spot paving this year, but they had no specifics of what areas might get that attention – for example, it was repaved between Cambridge and Barton just before the rechannelization in fall 2015.
(WSB photo)
Thanks for the texted tip: A man was taken to the hospital after that crash at 13th SW and SW Henderson in Highland Park. Police say he is the driver of the black car and suffered injuries including a broken leg after crashing into the parked RV on the north side of SW Henderson. The cause remains under investigation; the weather is rainy as well as windy and was a full-on downpour while we were at the scene.
4:52 PM: Thanks to Susan for sending the tip about this while we still had a crew in Admiral, post-fire … SW Lander is blocked at 42nd SW on the north side of Hiawatha Community Center/Park while Seattle Parks crews take down a storm-damaged tree that’s near the sidewalk, by the tennis courts. This is the first notable storm damage we’ve heard of in West Seattle today; more photos to come. The National Weather Service has, meantime, extended the wind advisory to 1 am.
5:40 PM: Above, our photo of the crew working on the tree; below, nearby resident Sacha sent a wider look:
And from North Admiral, Amy sent the next photo, a fence crunched by a big falling branch:
Because the rain-saturated ground potentially has destabilized trees that are still standing, you’re advised not to go walking/running in treed areas like park while the wind is still gusting.
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