West Seattle, Washington
12 Friday
Just published on SPD Blotter by Jonah Spangenthal-Lee – news that a West Seattle murder case dating back to 1984 is now closed. 36-year-old Michael Vanderpool was shot and killed in an alley in Highland Park. An SPD detective reviewing cold-case files this summer – who says, “We want to make it clear to suspects, we never give up” – tracked down witnesses and determined who the killer was. Read the whole story on SPD Blotter here.
(UPDATED 4:45 PM with comment from lawyer for two of the people the city is suing)
(April WSB photo – south end of area where trees were cut)
12:04 PM: Last week, City Councilmember Lisa Herbold told the 34th District Democrats that she’d learned the City Attorney’s Office would have something to say this week about last winter’s illegal tree-cutting in West Seattle’s Duwamish Head Greenbelt.
Here it is:
The Seattle Times just broke the news that the city has filed lawsuits “seeking more than $1.6 million in combined damages and fines.”
We’re following up with the City Attorney’s Office and checking court files.
12:15 PM: We’ve obtained City Attorney Pete Holmes‘s statement from his office:
City Attorney Pete Holmes: “Earlier this year, the City learned of unpermitted improper tree cutting on City property in West Seattle near the 3200 block of 35th Ave. SW. Today, the City filed two lawsuits, naming people the City believes were involved in the tree cutting. The property is in an environmentally critical area on a steep slope. Approximately 150 trees of varying sizes, including many big-leaf maples and Scouler’s willows, were felled.
“My office has been involved in the City’s response. We launched an investigation to assess the extent of damage and identify the responsible parties. To that end, we retained a consulting arborist to assess the damage and prepare a comprehensive restoration plan.
“No one has yet come forward to give the City the full story of what happened despite SPD’s best efforts and extensive investigation. However, we are satisfied that we now know enough to proceed with civil lawsuits. We expect to learn that additional people, beyond those named in the lawsuits, were involved with the cutting as the suits progress. Between the lawsuits, the City seeks over $1.6 million in damages and fines. The City seeks relief on several grounds, including timber trespass, damage to land, trespass, negligence, environmentally critical areas violations, violations of the parks code and violations of the city’s tree and vegetation management in public places code.
“On its damages theories, the City generally alleges that the defendants and/or their agents cut down trees on City property without permission when they should have known better. The extensive tree cutting damaged the trees and the underlying land. On its code violation theories, because the cutting took place on City property and some occurred in City right of way, the cutters or their employers were required to obtain a number of permits before they cut any trees. No permits were issued to authorize the cutting and penalties and fines are therefore appropriate.
“The SPD criminal investigation of this matter is ongoing, and it is possible that SPD will refer this matter to the King County Prosecutor or my office in the future for potential criminal prosecution.”
We also have the court documents and are going through them for additional details. More to come …
12:27 PM: Two suits are filed. The first one, involving “the northern site” (off 35th), names Stanley Harrelson and Mary Harrelson, who are residents next to one of the cut zones, and Martin Riemer and Karrie Riemer, who live across the street to the east from the Harrelsons. That suit also names Forrest Bishop and John Russo, who the city alleges “were hired by the Harrelsons and Riemers to cut trees on city property located adjacent and/or across from (theirs).” The same suit also names “Defendants John and Jane Does 1-10 (who) may have retained Bishop, Russo, or others to cut trees on (two city parcels) or may themselves have cut trees on those parcels.”
(added) This suit alleges that “55 trees 6 inches in caliper or greater were cut down on the Parcels in Exhibit 1 Area A (which) are located in an environmentally critical area that contains steep slopes and landslide-prone areas. None of Defendants sought permission from any City department to cut trees on the Parcels. The cutting of trees increased the likelihood of landslides on the Parcels, and thereby damaged the land itself.” It alleges six “causes of action”:
*Timber trespass
*Damage to land
*Trespass
*Negligence
*Violations of the Environmentally Critical Areas Code
*Unauthorized use of park property
The damages sought in this suit are listed as:
… a principal judgment against Defendants, jointly and severally, including treble damages of $678,180 on the City’s timber trespass claim or in such other amount as may be proven at trial; penalties in the amount of $275,000 for cutting down 55 trees of six inches or more in diameter and an additional $500 for each tree cut …
… as well as other costs including legal fees and “enforcement costs.”
The suit involving “the southern site” (off City View) names Kostas Kyrimis and Linda Kyrimis, as well as “defendants Jane and John Does 1-14 (who) resided at and owned property within a two-block radius of the intersection of 35th Ave SW and SW Hinds Street and had views that were previously impaired by trees … (and) Defendants Jane and John Does 15-20 (who) were hired by the Kyrimises and/or Jane and John Does 1-14 to cut trees on property owned by the City …”
(added) This suit alleges that “72 trees over 6 inches in caliper” were cut in the area involved and makes the same allegations as the other suit, that no permission was sought, and that damage included the increased likelihood of landslides on the steep slopes.
Along with the same six “causes” as the northern-area lawsuit (listed above), this one adds a seventh:
*Tree and vegetation management in public places
And the damages sought in this suit, along with various costs such as enforcement and attorneys’ fees:
… A principal judgment against Defendants, jointly and severally, including treble damages of $362,760 on the City’s timber trespass claim or in such other amount as may be proven at trial; penalties in the amount of $360,000 for cutting down 72 trees over six inches in caliper and an additional $500 for each tree cut pursuant to SMC 25.09.460.A; land restoration costs …
We’ll add any comment we get from those targeted in these two lawsuits.
1:32 PM: Councilmember Herbold’s statement:
“I thank the City Attorney’s Office for filing two civil lawsuits this morning to address the illegal cutting of 150 trees in West Seattle earlier this year. I appreciate the use of a full range of the legal remedies available for civil suits, including timber trespass, which allows for 3x damages.
“The $1.6 million total in damages and fines sought by the City speaks to the seriousness of the claims. The damages and penalties must be significant enough to deter this kind of activity in the future, so that those with financial means don’t see unauthorized tree cutting as a cost-effective way to increase their views and property values.
“These trees played an important role in maintaining soil stability in an environmentally critical area, and lessened the risk of landslides onto a major arterial, SW Admiral Way. They also helped maintain air quality by absorbing carbon—an important issue in West Seattle, which sits adjacent to SODO and the Duwamish industrial area.
“I understand the Seattle Police Department’s criminal investigation is ongoing. My hope is that the Department will eventually be able to establish probable cause for pursuing criminal charges. However, I appreciate the difficulty they face, given that persons believed to be involved are declining to cooperate with investigators, and the legal standard needed to establish probable cause for criminal charges and to prove those charges beyond a reasonable doubt.”
ADDED 4:45 PM: Just received a statement from Clayton Graham, lawyer for two of the people the city is suing:
We are disappointed by the City Attorney’s decision to file the lawsuit today. Our clients, Stan and Mary Harrelson, deeply regret the tree cutting which happened next to their property. At no point did our clients request, or condone, the extent of the work that was done by the contractor.
The Harrelsons have acknowledged their role in this mistake but the City has been non-responsive to our attempts to reach a settlement in this matter. We believe the damages sought in the suit are excessive, given our clients’ limited role in the cutting that took place. While the lawsuit claims that none of the homeowners has come forward with the full story, our clients have fully cooperated with the City’s efforts since they, themselves, disclosed this work to the City early this year, and hired a former City of Seattle arborist to develop a restoration plan. The Harrelsons remain ready and willing to work with the City to remedy this matter.
We had published a statement from Graham in this March 28th story on behalf of his then-unidentified clients, saying they and also-then-unidentified neighbors had “hired a landscaping business to top and prune some trees to improve the view from their respective residences” and that his clients had come back from a trip to find out the landscapers had gone beyond their mandate.
11:31 AM: We’ve been checking on an odd situation from early today – automatic fire alarms going off simultaneously at three Seattle Public Schools buildings in West Seattle. Between 2:41 am and 2:45 am, the alarms went off, and Seattle Fire Department units were dispatched to, West Seattle High School, Madison Middle School, and Genesee Hill Elementary. After e-mailed questions from readers who either heard the alarms or noticed the three adjacent listings on the automated real-time 911 log, we followed up this morning with both SFD and SPD. SFD verified, first, that its crews found no sign of fire and no other obvious reason the alarms had gone off. SPS spokesperson Luke Duecy tells WSB, “According to maintenance, there was a pressure change in the city’s water system that triggered the fire alarms. It was investigated by security and maintenance and cleared. Systems are functioning.” (We’re now checking with Seattle Public Utilities about the pressure change, but in the meantime, wanted to share what we’d found out so far.)
4:25 PM: Andy Ryan from Seattle Public Utilities says they’re still investigating this: “It is true that a sudden change in water pressure can trigger a fire alarm. Some alarm systems interpret low pressure as high flow — indicating that a sprinkler system is going off. In the case of alarms sounding at West Seattle schools today, it is possible that the problem was caused when we switched pumps this morning at our Spokane Street Pump Station. Our system data shows outlet pressure from the pump station went from 162 pounds per square inch (PSI) down to a minimum of 126 PSI, and then settled out at 151 PSI within 15 minutes of the pump switchover. That pressure drop — not huge — might have caused the fire alarms to go off. However, other nearby school alarm systems did not sound. Lafayette Elementary is essentially across the street from West Seattle High School and its alarm didn’t go off. The alarms at Schmitz Park Elementary, a block away from Madison Middle, didn’t go off either.”
Thanks to JayDee for the radiant view of last night’s sunset. Can’t guarantee anything that gorgeous again tonight, but if you want to watch in realtime, sunset’s just after 7. The WSB West Seattle Weather page has sunset/sunrise/moonset/moonrise times any time you want to check. Meanwhile, from our calendar (which you also can check 24/7/365 to see what’s coming up):
ENDOLYNE JOE’S, ORIGINAL BAKERY REOPEN: After a week-long closure because of roof work in their building, Endolyne Joe’s (WSB sponsor) and The Original Bakery are open again. (45th SW/Wildwood)
‘DOG DAYS’ SWIM SESSION #1: It’s postseason “pooches in the pool” time at the Arbor Heights Swim and Tennis Club. This is the first of five days for the annual furry fundraiser – 5-7 pm today; details in our calendar listing. (11003 31st SW)
LIVE MUSIC @ SALTY’S: 5-8 pm, Justin Kausal-Hayes performs at Salty’s on Alki (WSB sponsor). (1936 Harbor SW)
WEST SEATTLE CRIME PREVENTION COUNCIL: 7 pm at the Southwest Precinct, bring your neighborhood crime/safety concerns to local police, who also will talk about current crime trends; plus, a special guest from Seattle Public Schools will talk about student-safety issues including bullying and harassment. (2300 SW Webster)
LIVE MUSIC @ WHISKY WEST: 7-9 pm, Siggie the Vintage Man performs at Whisky West in Morgan Junction. No cover; 21+. (6451 California SW)
LIVE MUSIC @ PARLIAMENT: 8-11 pm, South Sound Tug and Barge performs at Parliament Tavern in The Admiral District. No cover; 21+. (4210 SW Admiral Way)
Something for our calendar? editor@westseattleblog.com – text in the body of your e-mail, please, NOT in a doc or image – thank you!
Thanks to Judy Pickens for the file photo and reminder: You have five days to get your recyclables ready to drop off at Fauntleroy Church:
The fall Recycle Roundup at Fauntleroy Church is this coming Sunday, September 25, 9 am to 3 pm in the church parking lot (9140 California SW). The list of what you can bring for responsible recycling (and what not) is here. Plan to avoid coming at the last hour, else you may have to wait several minutes for the crew from 1 Green Planet to unload your recyclables. The twice-yearly event is free but the church’s Green Committee won’t turn down a donation.
Last spring’s RR brought in 11.5 tons of recyclables.
(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)
6:53 AM: Good morning! No incidents in/from West Seattle right now.
LOOKING AHEAD: In the stadium zone, Mariners are home vs. Toronto again tonight (7:10 pm) … Remember that next Sunday (September 25th) the water-side lane of Alki and Harbor Avenues will close all day for Seattle Summer Parkways between 55th and Don Armeni, and Alki will fully close between 63rd and 55th. Our next detailed update is coming up later this morning.
SPEED LIMIT @ CITY COUNCIL COMMITTEE TODAY: 2 pm today, the City Council Transportation Committee takes up the proposal to make 20 mph the speed limit for non-arterial streets around the city.
8:17 AM: Washington State Ferries says Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth is running 15 minutes late because of “a disabled vehicle.’ And a texter reports a collision st 26th/Andover.
9:54 AM: Thanks to the caller who just pointed out that there’s a heavy rescue on NB I-5 at Mercer – big backup. Two lanes open now, according to WSDOT.
(Photo courtesy BaaHaus, from the geese’s trip to a vet)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
A week and a half after the famous Fauntleroy white geese were relocated to Vashon Island, the rescue group that is now housing them says they “are both doing great.”
We promised to follow up on our original September 9th report of their sudden removal, and in keeping that promise, have learned more about how that unfolded, and about how they had come to live in Fauntleroy in the first place.
We have communicated by e-mail with the rescue group, BaaHaus, and Seattle Parks, and have spoken by phone with the man who says he is the person who originally brought geese to the Fauntleroy shore and is sad that they are gone. Read More
Two West Seattle Crime Watch notes tonight:
ATTEMPTED GARAGE BURGLARIES: From Darren, who lives in an Alki townhome complex near 60th and Admiral: “Last night someone attempted to break into 3 of our neighbors’ garages (after 7 pm, as one of our neighbors didn’t notice damage to his garage when he was taking garbage and recycling out to the curb). They didn’t get in but did some damage to the doors. Our neighbor who reported it to the police isn’t able to open her garage now as the damage affected the sensor.” SPD case number is 16-339756.
CRIME PREVENTION COUNCIL TOMORROW: One last mention before the Tuesday highlight list – the West Seattle Crime Prevention Council returns from summer hiatus tomorrow night. 7 pm Tuesday at the Southwest Precinct (2300 SW Webster), bring your neighborhood concerns to local police, and hear from them about local crime trends. Plus, this month’s special guest is Lisa Love, manager of Health Education for Seattle Public Schools, who WSCPC president Richard Miller says will “discuss the topic of harassment, intimidation and bullying in our schools.”
The photo is courtesy of the office of County Council chair Joe McDermott, sent with his announcement of two new bus shelters. We’ve already reported one – the RapidRide stop on southbound 35th SW, just moved back to its permanent spot south of Avalon, after more than a year at SW Snoqualmie during construction of mixed-use Aura. The newly installed shelter in the photo is on westbound SW Morgan, just west of 35th. McDermott’s announcement points out that this is kitty-corner from the West Seattle Food Bank and was the last shelter-less stop at 35th/Morgan: “The West Seattle Food Bank serves some of our most vulnerable residents. This new shelter will make it both easier and safer for those who use the bus as transportation to and from the Food Bank.” He tells WSB he first heard about the shelter-less stop at a fundraiser for the WSFB, whose executive director Fran Yeatts is quoted as adding, “Having a covered bus stop so these individuals can wait for the bus out of rain will be a very, very big help.” According to Metro’s website, fewer than a fourth of the system’s more than 8,000 stops are sheltered.
Change of seasons tends to bring out the coyote sightings. We have two to share:
NEAR LUNA PARK: Jason sent the photo and report:”I was walking up Andover from Avalon toward the Fauntleroy pedestrian bridge [map], and I spotted what looked like a good-sized coyote across the street from the east entrance to the bridge. It saw me and froze, sat on its haunches, and watched me for 3-4 minutes. I took this photo (blurry since it was zoomed in on my phone), and shortly after that it disappeared when I looked away. It did not seem very afraid of me.”
IN SEAVIEW: Deb saw one early Friday along 47th SW between Findlay and Erskine [map]: “I was out around 1:30 in the morning when a lanky coyote with a thin tail came trotting down 47th. When the animal spotted me he wheeled and ran down the alley. I promptly went back in the house.”
WHAT TO DO IF YOU SEE ONE: Best thing to do is to scare it away, experts say. Other tips on coexisting with coyotes are in this fact sheet from the state Fish and Wildlife Department. Our off-and-on archive of West Seattle coyote sightings, meantime, is here.
Even if you don’t have kids in Seattle Public Schools, you probably know that many schedules changed this year. West Seattle High School now starts about an hour later than it used to, and the WS Booster Club says the resulting district transportation plan “is unacceptable” – forcing students to leave class too early on “away” game days, so they’re marshaling support to go to the School Board. Here’s their message for you:
Dear Seattle Public School Families and Community:
We want to invite you to a very important meeting on Monday, September 26th, 7 pm, in the West Seattle High School library. We will be discussing the transportation issues affecting our students.
Our high school student athletes currently have to leave school at 1 pm for away events because of the Seattle School Districts transportation plan. This means they have to be dismissed at 12:45 pm, missing all of 5th and 6th periods, lunch, and part of 4th period as well. This is unacceptable and we need to do something about this.
The West Seattle Booster Club invites you to join us in taking our concerns to the Seattle School Board. We are inviting families, staff, PTSA, Booster Clubs, and community members from all of the Seattle High Schools to join our efforts.
On Monday, September 26th, we will learn more about these issues, discuss our plans moving forward, and coordinate our actions for the School Board meeting we will attend as a group. Please join us. The more voices they hear, the better the impact.
Thank you for your support!
~ West Seattle Booster Club
WSHS is at 3000 California SW.
(Seattle Channel video of today’s meeting. “Secure scheduling” starts at 51:22)
3:59 PM: “Heck, yeah!” exclaimed City Councilmember Lisa Herbold during the roll call less than an hour ago that brought unanimous approval to her “secure scheduling” bill for large companies’ employees.
She’s been working on it in a unique manner for almost seven months, with open “stakeholder” discussions during meetings of the committee she chairs, Civil Rights, Utilities, Economic Development, & Arts, and with the partnership of the council’s other West Seattleite, at-large Councilmember Lorena González.
An overview is on this city webpage. Here’s how Herbold summarized it in her most recent online post, looking forward to today’s vote, following its commission passage last week:
Businesses are only covered if they have 500+ employees (and 40 locations for full-service restaurants)
14 days advance notice for schedules
Written good-faith estimate of hours at time of hire
10 hours right to rest between closing and opening shifts (similarly to overtime, this can be voluntarily waived for time and a half wages for the time less than 10 hours)
Predictability pay of one hour of wages only for non-employee requested schedule additions
Half time pay for involuntary reduction in scheduled work hours and on-call shifts
Access to additional hours for existing employees before outside recruitment and hiring
Exceptions for diversity and seasonal hiring
Read the legislation here. Its provisions will take effect July 1st of next year.
10:38 PM: We’ve added the Seattle Channel video of this afternoon’s meeting, which ended about 10 minutes after this vote, because of an unrelated protest.
A new all-volunteer group in West Seattle is rising from the grassroots to support “positive aging” – and the Westside Neighbors Network needs you. 6-7 pm on Wednesday, September 28th, at the West Seattle (Admiral) Library, you can find out what it’s all about. From the WNN planning committee:
We are working to create a Village on the westside.
A Village is a member-driven, intergenerational, grassroots organization bringing neighbors together to help each other stay in their community as they age. Members have one-call access to volunteer help for in-home services, transportation, and vetted service providers as well as social and educational events that support connectedness and friendships.
At its core, a Village is based on reciprocity – with Village members using their skills to help other members while receiving the support they need to remain in their community.
The Village movement began in Boston’s Beacon Hill neighborhood in 2002 and has since spread to over 200 communities nationwide. There are currently 3 Villages in Seattle and several other neighborhoods are in various stages of planning theirs. Our village is called Westside Neighbors Network.
Our stated mission is: To nurture a lively and engaged community that celebrates and supports positive aging. Village members connect with each other, with knowledge and with resources to enable them to live full lives as they age in their westside neighborhood.
For more information, please visit our website: westsideneighborsnetwork.org or email westsideneighborsnetwork@gmail.com
The September 28th meeting at West Seattle Library will be in the downstairs meeting room.
(Photo courtesy {POST}MODERN)
Still struggling to be successful at the messy business of food-waste composting? Lots of different ways to make it work – and now, West Seattleite Glenn Geisendorfer has something you might want to try. After a few years in development, he and collaborator Gabe Goldman are going wide with their compostable compost bin. {POST}MODERN is on the shelf at West Seattle Thriftway (WSB sponsor). Geisendorfer says it’s “molded out of pulp made from recycled cardboard boxes, and designed with a vacuum-like seal to be extremely moisture- and odor-resistant.” The starter kit ($9.99) is a three-pack with an under-sink hanger, and you can buy refills (5 for $11.99). Once it’s full, just put the entire bin into your yard-waste container, or your backyard compost pile if you are a DIY composter. Provided what you put in isn’t too wet, you should be able to use it 4 or 5 times before composting it. Here’s the {POST}MODERN backstory; Geisendorfer is also partner in the West Seattle-headquartered design agency Platform.
(Multicolor area is what Denny/Sealth attendance area will look like with Sanislo – here’s what it looks like now)
Seattle Public Schools is about to launch a round of citywide community meetings to talk about boundary changes for next school year. Most were approved three years ago, but some “amendments” are proposed, and that includes one in West Seattle – moving Sanislo Elementary back to the Denny International Middle School/Chief Sealth International High School feeder zone, just two years after it was moved out of that zone and into the Madison MS/West Seattle HS zone. From the district website:
Staff recommends that the entire Sanislo Elementary School attendance area be re-aligned with the Denny International Middle School attendance area and feeder pattern. This would return the Sanislo feeder pattern to Denny for middle school.
Additionally, staff recommends that the addition of Sanislo into the Denny feeder pattern be aligned with the high school boundaries. This would mean that the Chief Sealth International High School attendance area would include Sanislo beginning in 2017-18. Currently Denny feeds into Chief Sealth and Madison feeds into West Seattle High School, thus this alignment would be necessary if Sanislo is in the Denny feeder pattern.
Why these amendments are being recommended:
Sanislo moved into the Madison Middle School feeder pattern in 2015-16; since then, Madison has become an option site for the Highly Capable Cohort. Updated enrollment and capacity information for Madison (and Denny) support returning Sanislo into Denny.
The district has also received school community feedback in support of this move. Over the past two years, many rising 5th grade Sanislo students have completed choice applications to attend Denny for 6th grade. With this amendment, only Sanislo’s middle school feeder pattern would change. Sanislo’s elementary attendance area will remain the same.
The district says it is NOT planning on grandfathering middle-school students in change areas, so anyone in the Sanislo attendance zone who would be at Madison next year will be reassigned to Denny (unless they get a “choice” spot). The West Seattle meeting to discuss this change (and any in the rest of the city, if you’re interested) is set for 6:30 pm Tuesday, October 11th, in the library at Denny (2601 SW Kenyon). That’s the last of the meetings around the city, and shortly after that, the boundary-plan amendments including this one will go to the School Board for approval.
Thanks to those who e-mailed and texted the rainbow photos from downtown, looking toward West Seattle, first thing this morning! No names with either one, so we don’t have credits – anytime you text us, or send e-mail from your phone, please consider including your name so we can give credit where credit’s due!
Now, a few highlights for what is technically the last Monday of summer:
FREE COWORKING AT OFFICE JUNCTION: It’s Coworking Week and West Seattle’s only coworking center, Office Junction (WSB sponsor), is offering you free coworking from 9 am-5 pm all week. Get out of the home office, coffee shop, wherever you hang out (or get your boss to let you telecommute for at least part of the week) – here’s the invitation, from Christine at Office Junction:
Bring your work, your laptop, and lunch and enjoy our space, good company by our members, free coffee/tea, fast internet and productive energy. We have a quiet, library-style area and a more social, chatty one. You set up where you feel comfortable. Just come, sign our waiver, log on to our fast guest network, and start working.
More info here. And look for an update about other events at WSOJ celebrating Coworking Week! (6040 California SW)
DIABETES PREVENTION: Free program at the West Seattle YMCA (WSB sponsor), 6:30 pm. See our calendar listing for info on finding out whether you qualify. (36th SW/SW Snoqualmie)
WEST SEATTLE QUILTERS: 7-8:30 pm at the Senior Center/Sisson Building. More info in our calendar listing. (SW Oregon/California SW)
MUSIC @ WEST SEATTLE BREWING: Mondays 8 pm-11 pm, Cracker Factory performs live at West Seattle Brewing Company in The Triangle. (4415 Fauntleroy Way SW)
MORE NIGHTLIFE … on our complete-calendar page!
Three West Seattle Crime Watch reader reports, plus a reminder:
STOLEN BICYCLE: From Andrew:
I’d like to report a stolen bike, which was stolen from 3809 Delridge Way. We were working on our business when the thief stole the bike from behind a fence, and walked through long parking lot with multiple unlocked cars and tools. Bike was purchased from West Seattle Cyclery, and was a Bike Marin Cortina T3 with Gum tires (52cm frame).
FOUND FRAME: From Jeff:
We found this bike frame behind OutWest on Thursday, 9/15. Looks like an expensive commuter bike. The tires are gone. We’ll leave the frame behind the building for the owner to pick up.
PROWLER ON VIDEO: From Grant:
We live in the Beveridge-Holly neighborhood near Morgan Junction.
(Last week) a neighbor had a bike stolen off an attached car rack on Beveridge near the stairs. Also, late that same night we saw a BMW parked on Beveridge with its door left wide open at night and the dome light off; not sure if the owner left it that way by accident or if a prowler had opened it earlier. We closed the door and the car seemed to lock itself.
Coincidentally I checked my security camera footage (Thursday) morning and saw a caucasian man with a goatee and backpack was going around and checking car doors at 5:37 am.
It’s a good reminder to keep your car doors locked and to be be aware of strangers wandering through the neighborhood – 5:37 am is a time when people are going to work and not a time we’d expect to see a car prowler working. This guy may have even been going to work himself or thinks he has plausible deniability looking like a morning bus commuter.
REMINDER – CRIME PREVENTION COUNCIL TOMORROW NIGHT: 7 pm Tuesday at the Southwest Precinct, the West Seattle Crime Prevention Council meeting is your chance to bring neighborhood concerns directly to local police, and to hear about crime trends. This month’s special guest will talk about school issues including bullying. The precinct is at 2300 SW Webster.
(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)
6:57 AM: Welcome to Monday. Roads are wet and while there are no specific incidents in/from West Seattle and vicinity, traffic is reported to be slow around the region, so give yourself extra time. Today’s reminders:
SPOKANE ST. PROJECT: SDOT hasn’t updated the website for the project east of the low bridge, but here’s the newest flyer, with details on this week’s plan, as the three-month project arrives around its midway point.
WSF SCHEDULE: Washington State Ferries‘ fall schedule is now in effect.
7:27 AM: Just took a spin around the live video cameras. The slow spots are the usual ones – exit lane to 99, Spokane Street Viaduct approaching the exit lanes for 5.
8:04 AM: Metro just texted that “The bus stop on Columbia Street [downtown] at 2nd Ave. will be relocated to SB 3rd Ave. north of Columbia on 9/20 [tomorrow], 9 am-3 pm.”
9:02 AM: Low-bridge problem, tweeted by SDOT:
A crash is partially blocking the EB lane on the Lower Spokane St Bridge. Use extra caution. pic.twitter.com/KEmYB2vsaX
— seattledot (@seattledot) September 19, 2016
Six months after we brought you first word that the city would revive the “car-free day” concept this year and move it back to September, we’re one week away from the Alki edition of “Seattle Summer Parkways.” The map above shows the route along which the westbound – water-side – lane will be closed to motorized vehicles all day, between 63rd SW and Don Armeni Boat Ramp, which is where the Orca Half (Marathon) will start around 9:30 am; the day’s other activities are set to officially run from 11 am to 4 pm. A long list of activity presenters is online here, and we’re expecting even more info before next Sunday arrives, so we’ll continue counting down.
ORIGINAL REPORT, 8:14 PM SUNDAY: Thanks to Richard for the tip – signage now up at Admiral Metropolitan Market (WSB sponsor) alerts customers to a temporary change in hours, starting tonight. Interior remodeling work is getting under way, so the store – usually open 24 hours – will be closed overnight starting at 10 pm on Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday nights. The sign explains it:
(In case you can’t read the gold-stamp text at left, it says the coffee shop on the south side of the store will open at 5:30 am.) We’ll be following up with Metropolitan Market management tomorrow for details of the remodeling work and how long it’s expected to last.
ADDED MONDAY MORNING, 8:28 AM: Thanks to the neighbor who shared a letter that Met Market distributed to neighbors over the weekend to let them know that the construction work would be starting. It says the work will result in “new offerings” including “house-made pizza … a new Asian Wok station … and Gelato.” The note also says the work is expected to last until November 11th. We have an inquiry out this morning with store management in hopes of finding out more about the changes.
If you noticed all the police near Delridge and Juneau – they were after a suspect who ran from what turned out to be a stolen car (white Saturn, taken somewhere in King County Sheriff’s Office jurisdiction):
Police took up containment posts and found the suspect trying to hide along Longfellow Creek south of Juneau. We confirmed with a sergeant at the scene that the suspect was in custody.
(Photo courtesy Girl Scouts of WW – Erin with one of the logs that comprise her swale system @ Lincoln Park)
Only six percent of Girl Scouts ever earn a Gold Award, the highest achievement level in the organization, created 100 years ago by GS founder Juliette Gordon Low to “challenge girls to change their communities – and the world – in a way that has a sustainable impact,” according to Girl Scouts of Western Washington, which tells us a West Seattle Girl Scout is now a Gold Award recipient:
Erin Demaree from Troop 50253 in Seattle developed a water runoff system on a hillside that stops water and dirt from washing into the public shelter at Lincoln Park. The hill had naturally grown over, but people had walked a path along the hill that caused water to run directly into the shelter deeming it unusable when it rained. She recruited a group of local volunteers to accomplish the construction of the system while also educating them on environmental impacts and erosion issues. Erin’s runoff system now allows the shelter to be used during the rainy season as a proper shelter.
She says, “Completing my Gold Award has helped me in my leadership and critical thinking skills. I really wanted to help the community and because I knew that this park gets used a lot, I wanted to give back by supporting it.”
Research has shown that Girl Scout Gold Award recipients do well in life! They rate their general success in life significantly higher and report higher success in reaching goals in:
*Higher education and career
*Life skills
*CommunityThe Gold Award inspires girls to find the greatness inside themselves and share their ideas and passions with their communities, which can have a positive, lasting ripple effect on the world!
Erin was honored during a gala at the Convention Center downtown earlier this summer.
2:32 PM: Thanks to Donna Sandstrom from The Whale Trail for the tip: She says orcas are in the area right now, between Blake Island and Vashon Island, headed south as of her call at 2:28 pm. They’re closer to the other side, so you need good binoculars to see them, but if you’d rather watch whales than football, get over to Beach Drive and points south! She says they’re believed to be transients, not the Southern Residents.
2:52 PM: We can see them from Upper Fauntleroy – heading southbound along Vashon’s east shore, just south of the ferry lane. Moving fast, and quickly out of our peek view; definitely closer to Vashon than this side.
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