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TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: Friday updates; bridge ramp crash; weekend previews, including 99 closure
December 5, 2014 7:15 am
|      19 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

(WS high/low bridges and Highway 99 views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
7:15 AM: Again this morning, we head into the heart of the commute without anything unusual in or from West Seattle.

VIADUCT CLOSURE SATURDAY NIGHT: WSDOT updated the plan to BOTH directions from 11:59 pm Saturday night until about 5 am Sunday.

CITYWIDE WEEKEND ALERTS: Here’s the SDOT roundup of what’s happening tonight through Sunday.

WEST SEATTLE HOLIDAY EVENTS: Check out the WSB West Seattle Holiday Guide for the many, many big events this weekend, including the Junction Tree Lighting (5 pm Saturday, Junction Plaza Park at 42nd/Alaska).

7:29 AM UPDATE – BRIDGE CRASH: Thanks to the commenter on board a C Line bus for the firsthand report on why there’s an SFD response to a crash on the eastbound bridge “just before the Delridge merge.” As our commenter notes, the bus was not involved, but some on board might have seen the crash.

7:38 AM UPDATE: Commenters say another bus has stopped to help (possibly to take on some passengers) so right now TWO buses are stopped on the ramp. If you have to get on the bridge, Fauntleroy or Delridge would be better, or wait a while.

7:51 AM UPDATE: Commenter CKelly says four people on the bus have minor injuries from the sudden stop to avoid hitting the cars involved in the collision ahead. From the scanner, police called for more help to get witness statements since “about 70 people” are on the bus.

8:10 AM: Most recent tweet from SDOT:

8:21 AM: And now SDOT says, all clear:

8:37 AM: On-peninsula traffic note – City Light is continuing its pole-replacement work and will be in the California/Holden, California/Ida area of Gatewood between 9:30 am and 2:30 pm (some residents have been warned of outages) today.

9:07 AM: Also on-peninsula – scheduled start today of concrete pour with up to 20 trucks an hour at the Murray Combined Sewer Overflow Control Project by Lowman Beach. We’ll be checking on its status shortly.

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Another orca death: Southern Resident Killer Whales down to 77
December 4, 2014 11:45 pm
|      11 COMMENTS
 |   Seen at sea | West Seattle news | Wildlife

(Possibly the last photo of J32 – at right – by Melisa Pinnow, provided by Orca Network)
11:45 PM: Another death reported tonight among the endangered orcas whose home is Puget Sound and adjacent waters. The orca found dead in British Columbia is identified as a member of J Pod, J32, known as “Rhapsody,” an 18-year-old female. According to reports including this one published by the Vancouver Sun, she might have been pregnant – a necropsy will reveal whether that’s true. J32’s death comes less than two months after the death of baby L120 was reported. The Southern Resident Killer Whales’ total number is now down to 77, much lower than the triple-digit population the official “recovery plan” had envisioned by now, as discussed at this recent talk presented by The Whale Trail.

11:53 PM: We have the full Orca Network news release about J32’s death – click ahead:

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Southwest Design Review Board doubleheader, project #1: 4515 41st SW sent back for second round of Early Design Guidance
December 4, 2014 10:04 pm
|      2 COMMENTS
 |   Development | West Seattle news

(The project team’s “preferred” configuration, which didn’t meet the board’s favor)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

The first half of tonight’s two-project Southwest Design Review Board meeting ended with board members telling the proposed memory-care facility at 4515 41st SW in The Junction to come back for a second Early Design Guidance review.

It’s on a site surrounded by ongoing redevelopment of other one-time single-family sites, such as the new Oregon 42 mixed-use building to the west, and among other criticisms, the early proposal was deemed too “suburban” to fit into the shape other projects are taking.

Here’s the design packet as published to the city website.

PROJECT TEAM’S PRESENTATION: Denis Bryant, president of Living Care Lifestyles, spoke first, saying they own 8 properties in 5 states, and are building a 9th one; Lynnwood is their only property in Washington so far. “We call this a residence, it’s not a facility; it’s meant to be residential in fit and finish,” Bryant began, “… to remove the guilt that families often feel” about placing loved ones in this kind of center. He said it would be “low impact .. our residents don’t drive; our staff will be provided ORCA cards and other mass-transit opportunities.” The building will have three 22-bed floors.

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Another traffic alert: ‘Heavy rescue’ call at Olson/Myers
December 4, 2014 9:16 pm
|      4 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | WS breaking news

9:16 PM: Another crash to report – this time at 4th and Roxbury (Olson vicinity), and our first tipster tells us roads are blocked. It’s a “heavy rescue” call, which means a major SFD response too. More to come.

9:20 PM: The location’s been updated on the 911 log to Olson/Myers.

9:37 PM: The SFD response has closed out, but we don’t have an update yet on the detour situation.

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Update: Suspected drunk driver arrested after crash at 35th/Alaska
December 4, 2014 8:13 pm
|      14 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

8:13 PM: Avoid 35th SW in the Alaska/Edmunds vicinity – a car took out a pole and hit at least one other car, and traffic is being rerouted. No major injuries reported so far. More to come.

8:28 PM UPDATE: WSB’s Katie Meyer reports that if you’re headed eastbound on Alaska, you’ll be detoured onto 36th. If you’re headed southbound on 35th, you’ll have to turn westbound onto Alaska. This reportedly is a hit-and-run that damaged at least one other vehicle, which Katie says has just been towed.

8:35 PM UPDATE: Katie reports the roads have reopened.

9 PM UPDATE: Metro has confirmed via text alert that buses are back on their regular routes.

11:05 PM UPDATE: Tipsters on Twitter reported seeing someone in handcuffs near the scene, and we’ve confirmed with police that the suspected drunk driver, a man in his 20s, was indeed arrested, and had minor injuries. Some passengers in the vehicle were reported to have fled on foot. And police confirm that after the pole was sheared off, another vehicle was hit but its occupants weren’t hurt (see this comment).

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New leaders for Southwest District Council, as year wraps up
December 4, 2014 5:26 pm
|    Comments Off on New leaders for Southwest District Council, as year wraps up
 |   Southwest District Council | West Seattle news

Meet David Whiting and Eric Iwamoto, new co-chairs of the Southwest District Council:

Passing the torch was part of the short official agenda for last night’s monthly meeting of the SWDC, which includes reps from community councils and other key organizations around western West Seattle. Whiting is president of the Admiral Neighborhood Association and Iwamoto co-chairs the Westwood-Roxhill-Arbor Heights Community Council.

This past year’s co-chairs got a fond farewell – Sharonn Meeks of the Fairmount Community Association and Vlad Oustimovitch from the Fauntleroy Community Association.

The major item on the short agenda was a followup on proposed Neighborhood Matching Fund grant changes, which have drawn concerns from district councils around the city, especially because those groups would be removed from their role vetting applications for grants before they move to citywide review. (We covered last month’s discussion at the SWDC and, before that, to the Delridge District Council, as well as the letter written and sent by the latter.)

So far, no changes have been implemented, reported Neighborhood District Coordinator Yun Pitre, city liaison to the SWDC.

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Traffic alert: 5-hour Highway 99 closure this weekend now both ways
December 4, 2014 4:08 pm
|      2 COMMENTS
 |   Alaskan Way Viaduct | West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

Update on the five-hour closure planned for the Alaskan Way Viaduct this weekend – WSDOT says it will close in both directions, not just southbound as originally announced. The time frame is the same, 11:59 pm Saturday night until about 5 am Sunday morning, closed between the West Seattle Bridge and the Battery Street Tunnel. WSDOT says the closure “will allow crews to move heavy equipment across the roadway and conduct survey work.”

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Alki Surf Shop: Aloha, new West Seattle Blog sponsor!
December 4, 2014 2:56 pm
|      44 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle businesses | West Seattle news

Just in time for your local holiday shopping, we’re welcoming Alki Surf Shop to the WSB sponsor team. Here’s what they’d like you to know:

Ever since Alki Surf Shop opened, people have been asking, “What’s a surf shop doing at Alki Beach?” The standard answer is, “No waves, no worries.”* But there’s more to the story than that.

The owners, Kahuna Dave and Terri Nakamura, are both from Seattle. Terri grew up on Beacon Hill and Dave claims to hail from “the ancient Hawaiian kingdom of Burien.” Longtime veterans of the Seattle graphic design and advertising industry, they wanted to use their skills to launch a local business of their own – something fun. And what could be more fun than a surf shop, right in the heart of Seattle’s favorite beach?

“Alki Surf Shop is a dream come true for us,” Terri says. “We’ve been able to create a unique, inviting experience to add to the Alki Beach neighborhood in West Seattle. People come in and say, ‘Wow, what a cute shop. How long have you been open?’”

The shop features their exclusive Genuine Alki brand tops, designed and produced in Seattle. A great selection of Alki gifts, including mugs, shot glasses, totes, cards, and wall art. Beach essentials, such as sunglasses, volleyballs and kites. Plus jewelry and cool new gifts for the holidays.

Kahuna Dave also wrote “The Alki Beach Song” and produced a short music video to go with it, which can be seen on YouTube:

It’s all part of the fun at one of West Seattle’s newest businesses, located at 2622 Alki Avenue SW (between Homefront Smoothies and Alki Beach Miniatures.) If you hear the sound of someone blowing a conch shell, you know you’re getting close. At the Alki Surf Shop, that’s how they say mahalo!

Alki Surf Shop can be found at alkisurfshop.com and on Facebook at facebook.com/alkisurfshop. Or join them for a holiday Tweetup by following them at twitter.com/alkisurfshop.

We thank Alki Surf Shop for sponsoring independent, community-collaborative neighborhood news via WSB; find our current sponsor team listed in directory format here, and find info on joining the team by going here.

*No waves, except…

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West Seattle holiday giving: Warm clothes @ Dave Newman’s State Farm office; coats @ M2S Outfitters
December 4, 2014 1:23 pm
|    Comments Off on West Seattle holiday giving: Warm clothes @ Dave Newman’s State Farm office; coats @ M2S Outfitters
 |   Holidays | How to help | West Seattle news

As the list of what’s in the WSB West Seattle Holiday Guide gets longer, that includes the section with local opportunities for holiday giving. Including:

COLLECTING WARM CLOTHES: That’s State Farm agent Dave Newman (longtime WSB sponsor) standing next to two bins that he and his staff hope you will fill with warm clothes for West Seattle Helpline. Their collection drive is now officially under way, continuing until the last day of the year. You can drop off donations at their office, 3435 California SW (map), 9 am-5 pm Mondays-Fridays (9 am-noon on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve)

COLLECTING COATS: In The Triangle, Mountain to Sound Outfitters is collecting coats for a donation drive culminating in a visit by Santa on December 14th – but you can drop one (or more!) off any time before then, too, at 3602 SW Alaska (map).

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Two Seattle Fire updates: Medic response at Westwood Village this morning; what caused Beach Drive fire on Saturday
December 4, 2014 12:15 pm
|      1 COMMENT
 |   West Seattle fires | West Seattle news

Two updates from the Seattle Fire Department:

MAN COLLAPSES AT WESTWOOD VILLAGE: Teresa e-mailed about frantic efforts to assist a man who had collapsed at Westwood Village early this morning, near the Starbucks store. We asked SFD spokesperson Kyle Moore, who says the 55-year-old man collapsed in the parking lot while either headed to or from the nearby 24-Hour Fitness gym: “A citizen witnessed the collapse and immediately started CPR. Firefighters arrived and continued CPR for an hour. Also, they used the AED multiple times to get a heart rhythm. Medics transported the patient to Harborview Medical Center with life-threatening injuries.”

FOLLOWUP ON SATURDAY’S APARTMENT FIRE: When we checked with SFD on Monday, they still didn’t know what had caused the Saturday fire that gutted a waterfront apartment in the 3800 block of Beach Drive; we published this followup, including a request from one resident to help her daughter find a new place to live. Today we’ve learned from spokesperson Moore that SFD has ruled the fire accidental, “caused by combustibles placed too close to an electrical baseboard heater.” We also have learned that two firefighters from Engine 29 were injured – previously, one injury was mentioned; their injuries are described as “minor burns.” As reported Monday, damage totaled $180,000. With the update, Moore also offered a link about fire safety for apartments – see it here.

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West Seattle Thursday: Design Review for 4505 42nd SW and 4515 41st SW; ‘Judy’s Scary Little Christmas’ opens; McLaren @ Lafayette
December 4, 2014 10:14 am
|      10 COMMENTS
 |   Development | West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

In the spotlight topping today’s list of calendar highlights, a Southwest Design Review Board doubleheader looking at two Junction projects:

DESIGN REVIEW X 2: First up, 6:30 pm in the big upstairs room at Senior Center of West Seattle, it’s the first meeting for 4515 41st SW, a proposed 48-unit memory-care facility (here’s our June report). Here’s the “packet” with project details and renderings:

At 8 pm, the board is scheduled to move on to the third review for 4505 42nd SW, now proposed for 50 apartments, 9 units of “lodging,” and 3,600 sf commercial space. Here’s its info/images “packet”:

Here’s our report on the previous review for that project. Both meetings will have time for public comment. (Oregon/California)

Now, here’s what else is on our calendar and/or in the WSB West Seattle Holiday Guide:

INTERNATIONAL HOLIDAY POTLUCK AND SWIM … at Southwest Pool, noon-1:30 pm swim, 1:30 pm potluck, details in our calendar listing. (2801 SW Thistle)

HOMETOWN HOLIDAYS’ SHOP LATE THURSDAY! First of three December Thursdays during which you’ll find many Junction shops open late, until 9 pm, so you can enjoy more local holiday shopping. (Full HH schedule here)

BEER TASTING: “Winter Is Coming Fest“ from 11 am opening time on, “five tastes of winter favorites” at Elliott Bay Brewing Co. in The Junction. (4720 California SW)

COOKBOOK LAUNCH: During Shop Late Thursday, Click! Design That Fits (WSB sponsor) is hosting a launch party for Michelle Babb‘s new anti-inflammatory cookbook – details in our calendar listing. 6-9 pm. (4540 Californai SW)

HELPING JASMIN: 6:30 tonight at Feedback Lounge (WSB sponsor), it’s the start of a fun night, silent auction included, to help Jasmin Egan, a West Seattle native and mom of 3 who is battling leukemia. Music and more – see our preview here, including dream auction items for that golfer in your life – or you! (6451 California SW)

SCHOOL BOARD REP @ LAFAYETTE: As previewed here on Wednesday, the Lafayette Elementary PTA invites you to its first community forum with local representatives. **6:30 pm** tonight in the school cafeteria, West Seattle’s school-board rep Marty McLaren is the first guest. (California/Lander)

MEET & GREET & TALK FISHING: 7-9 pm tonight, also during Shop Late Thursday, it’s a “women’s meet-and-greet” at Emerald Water Anglers (WSB sponsor) with wine, cheese, and info about local fisheries – details in our calendar listing. (42nd/Oregon)

JUDY’S SCARY LITTLE CHRISTMAS: The holiday production at ArtsWest (WSB sponsor) opens tonight, 7:30 pm – get tickets here. (4711 California SW)

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Remembering Mary Annie Belle Taylor, 1919-2014
December 4, 2014 9:00 am
|      10 COMMENTS
 |   Obituaries | West Seattle news | West Seattle people

From Texas to West Seattle over the span of 95 years, Mary Annie Belle Taylor lived a good life, as shared by her family in this remembrance:

Mary Annie Belle Taylor
May 17, 1919 – December 3, 2014

Mary Annie Belle Taylor was born on her family’s ranch in Brookshire, TX on May 17, 1919. The youngest of six siblings, she loved ranch life, especially riding horses. She began documenting her family in photographs with a Brownie camera she received for her fourth birthday. Her collection of photographs documenting three generations of the Hughes family is part of the Smithsonian Institution’s collection of Americana.

Ms. Taylor moved to Los Angeles, CA in the 1950s and married the love of her life, Morris Taylor. She was among the first African Americans to attend culinary school, and became a chef and nutritionist in the 1960s. She managed a hospital kitchen until she retired in the late 1970s. Though childless herself, she served as favorite aunt to many nieces and nephews as well as neighborhood children, many of whom learned to cook in her kitchen.

Post-retirement, she moved to Silver Spring, MD, to be closer to family. A believer in action over words, Ms. Taylor worked with her local church to start a food program for elderly people living in her senior retirement community. Well into her late 80s, she used her beautiful tenor voice to telephone her “old folks,” read to them from the Bible, and sing to them.

In 2005 Ms. Taylor moved to West Seattle. Though health kept her from being an active member, she joined First AME Church in Seattle. In her final years, she was cared for by the wonderful staff at Providence ElderPlace to whom the family extends deep gratitude for their kindness, gentleness, and respect.

Ms. Taylor died peacefully the morning of Wednesday, December 3, 2014 after a long illness. Predeceased by her husband and all of her siblings, she is survived by loving nieces, nephews, and extended family throughout the country.

(WSB publishes West Seattle obituaries by request, free of charge. Please e-mail the text, and a photo if available, to editor@westseattleblog.com)

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TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: Thursday updates
December 4, 2014 7:14 am
|      6 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

(WS high/low bridges and Highway 99 views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
Heading into the heart of the commute, no problems reported in or from West Seattle, so far.

TRANSPORTATION NEWS: In case you missed them, stories here from the past 24 hours: 20-trucks-an-hour concrete pour set to start tomorrow … When will Highway 99 tunneling resume? What the ‘stakeholders’ group’ was told …

8:44 AM: First problem of the morning. SDOT reports a crash on the eastbound bridge:

So far, no medical response dispatched for this, so it’s not on the 911 log.

8:53 AM: Update from SDOT – that was cleared quickly; all lanes open.

9:56 AM: Firsthand explanation from the driver whose car was rear-ended – in this comment.

3:22 PM: Last weekend, we mentioned the plan for a partial closure of the Alaskan Way Viaduct this Saturday night. Now, WSDOT says it will close both ways: “The closure – which will last from Saturday, Dec. 6 at 11:59 p.m. to 5 a.m. Sunday, Dec. 7 – will allow crews to move heavy equipment across the roadway and conduct survey work on SR 99.”

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6 days until you can meet Seahawks’ Super Bowl MVP Malcolm Smith at West Seattle Thriftway
December 3, 2014 10:22 pm
|    Comments Off on 6 days until you can meet Seahawks’ Super Bowl MVP Malcolm Smith at West Seattle Thriftway
 |   West Seattle news | WS & Sports

Seahawks fans – in case it’s not already on your calendar: Just six days until Malcolm Smith, MVP in the team’s Super Bowl win last February, will be at West Seattle Thriftway (WSB sponsor). His visit is set for next Tuesday, December 9th, 6-8 pm. Thriftway tells us he’ll have a supply of posters to autograph. The store’s at California/Fauntleroy/42nd.

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Reader report: 1766 Alki SW demolished, former home of longtime ‘neighborhood watch guard’
December 3, 2014 8:09 pm
|      8 COMMENTS
 |   Development | West Seattle news

That 96-year-old beach house at 1766 Alki SW (map) was demolished today. It was a home with history, according to beach resident Roger Hayes (who shared the photos as well as the info):

The backstory of this house is, it belonged to Mary Starks, who was a longtime fixture in this little stretch of Alki Beach. She and her husband William “Bill” Starks, who passed away in the mid-’70s, originally bought this house in the mid-’50s. Mary was the neighborhood watch guard, avid gardener, raccoon caretaker, and beloved “grandmother” figure of our little Alki beach house community. She lived in the house up until early 2013 when her health was such that she could no longer live there alone, and was relocated to live with or near a niece in the Salt Lake City Utah area.

Sad to see the disappearance of another beach house that gave Alki Beach its original charm. However, totally understand the area and land is too valuable to not make way for progress of the modern day McMansions and multi-unit palaces that are becoming commonplace to the Alki Beach area.

Permits for this to be replaced by a larger single-family home were granted last summer. The site is zoned Lowrise-2, which would have allowed multi-family construction.

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Followup: Big pour at big dig by Lowman Beach starts Friday
December 3, 2014 4:33 pm
|    Comments Off on Followup: Big pour at big dig by Lowman Beach starts Friday
 |   Environment | West Seattle news

Since the big 3-day concrete pour at the excavation for the Murray Combined Sewer Overflow Control Project didn’t happen before the Thanksgiving holiday after all, we checked with the county today to ask about an official start date. It was just set today, according to Doug Marsano:

The first concrete pour is scheduled for this Friday, December 5. The last 2 pours are scheduled to occur next week on Tuesday, December 9 and Wednesday, December 10.

Work will occur from 7 a.m. – 6 p.m. on each day. The entire area will be extremely busy on those three days, and additional flaggers will be on site to ease congestion around the site. Local and emergency access on Beach Drive S.W. will be maintained throughout.

Starting tomorrow, Thursday December 4, no parking will be available on weekdays along Lincoln Park Way SW between Murray Avenue SW and Beach Drive SW, or on Beach Drive SW between the work site and Lowman Beach Park until the pour is complete.

As reported here two weeks ago, that pour will involve 20 trucks an hour.

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Higher priority for property crime? Seattle Police’s new plans
December 3, 2014 4:00 pm
|      14 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle police

At a City Council committee briefing that wrapped up minutes ago, Seattle Police explained new plans for responding to property-crime calls … the most common types of crime that neighborhoods deal with day in, day out. Here’s the slide deck with toplines:

… and here’s what was announced via SPD Blotter:

The Seattle Police Department is taking new steps to address property crime and street disorder, including additional training for officers and potentially changing how 911 calls are handled.

The department, for example, is considering increasing the priority of calls that come in regarding property crime, and dedicating staff to handle non-emergency calls, to reduce wait times.

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The WSBeat: 14 summaries, from ‘Hey! Hey!’ to ‘stripper gloves’
December 3, 2014 3:23 pm
|      2 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle police | WSBeat

By Megan Sheppard
On the WSBeat, for West Seattle Blog

This edition of our periodic feature The WSBeat contains summaries written from reports on cases handled recently by Southwest Precinct officers – generally cases that (usually) have not already appeared here in breaking-news coverage or West Seattle Crime Watch reports, but that might at least answer the question “what WERE all those police doing on my block?” Or on the bridge, or the beach, or …

*”Hey…..Hey!” was how one officer got the attention of a man he spotted relieving himself on the door of an Alaska Junction business. As the officer was writing a ticket, the owner of a nearby bar approached and complained that the suspect had a habit of leaving his liquid calling card at her business too, not to mention around the vehicles in the alley and parking lot. The officer said she could ban him from the bar property but had to tell him herself. When she did so, the man swore, called her a name, and offered up assorted other intimidating profanities. He ended up with the ticket in addition to the trespass notice.

*A man with a history of shoplifting at a Westwood Village store was asked to leave the premises around 7:30 a.m. on the 24th. In response, he aggressively threatened to physically assault one employee and then spat at her before leaving. Officers found him on a bus at Delridge and 21st. where he admitted his guilt. He was arrested for investigation of assault and harassment and booked into King County Jail.

*A man acting suspiciously around some cars near 37th and Kenyon admitted to officers that he didn’t live in the area, but that he was just walking home to Burien. It being 2 a.m., they recommended that he “stick to the main roads that are well lit…and stay out of the street.” On a hunch, the patrolling pair decided to circle the block before driving away. On this go-round, on the ground near where they had originally spotted the man, they found a pair of large bolt cutters, vise grips, lineman pliers, and a flathead screwdriver … all commonly used in break-ins. Officers put the tools in the cruiser’s trunk. Just then, they saw the suspect returning to the area–that is, until he spotted the officers, whereupon he ran down a driveway and dove under some bushes. He admitted that he was under Department of Corrections supervision but denied owning the tools. A records check showed that he currently had charges “suspended in the third degree,” so officers took the 42-year-old to a bus stop to catch a ride.

11 more summaries ahead:Read More

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Door-to-door film festival! Couch Fest Films this Saturday, featuring three West Seattle sites
December 3, 2014 1:53 pm
|    Comments Off on Door-to-door film festival! Couch Fest Films this Saturday, featuring three West Seattle sites
 |   West Seattle news | WS culture/arts

Couch Fest Films Sampler 2014 from Couch Fest Films on Vimeo.

Two months ago, we shared the call for people who might want to host Couch Fest Films screenings during this unique one-day film festival taking place in living rooms instead of theaters. This Saturday (December 6th) is the big day/night, and CFF organizers tell us they have three West Seattle hosts! Above, it’s the sneak peek at the short films that will be shown; here’s the official Seattle program, listing what’s being shown, when, and where. Your $10 pass enables you to visit as many of the venues around the city as you want to/can – buy it online here (or at the first screening site you visit Saturday).

P.S. West Seattle Office Junction (WSB sponsor) confirms their space is the one mentioned at 6040 California SW, where the documentary shorts will be shown (33-minute program in all) – the other two are 6017 49th Ave SW, with the “Inappropriately Awesome” shorts (32 minutes), and the “Mixed 1” collection will be screened at 3011 SW Cycle Court. See the descriptions for all of the shorts here.

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When will Highway 99 tunneling resume? That question & more addressed as stakeholders’ group meets
December 3, 2014 12:09 pm
|      31 COMMENTS
 |   Alaskan Way Viaduct | Transportation | West Seattle news

(From the slide deck shown at Tuesday’s stakeholders meeting)

By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

While the Highway 99 contractor Seattle Tunnel Partners hopes to make its goal of opening the tunnel by the end of 2016, the state’s point person for the project says that might be “tough.”

To say the least.

WSDOT’s Matt Preedy briefed the Alaskan Way Viaduct Replacement Project Stakeholders’ Advisory Group on Tuesday afternoon, during their every-quarter-or-so meeting at Safeco Field. He talked about what STP is doing while it’s not tunneling, and where the work toward fixing the tunneling machine is now.

The ring of pilings around the “access pit” is done, he said, and the dewatering system is on – the blue lines are wells:

The recently restarted excavation is now halfway down, about 70 feet. Once it’s done, a “concrete cradle” will be put in, and the tunneling machine will rest atop it after advancing about 20 feet under its own power. Then the big job to lift a 2,000-ton piece of the machine will begin.

The red mobile “lift tower” to bring it up is under construction now, Preedy said, pointing out that when it’s done, it will protrude a few feet above the top of the Viaduct, just a few feet from the elevated highway – “it will be an interesting visual impact for drivers on the Viaduct.”

Components have been brought in “from throughout the globe” to put together the lifting mechanism. But even once the piece is out, that’s just the start…

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West Seattle Wednesday: ‘Cracking the Codes’; Southwest District Council; home-office/co-working meetup; more…
December 3, 2014 10:20 am
|      3 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

Thanks to Mark Wangerin for the photo of sanderlings huddled on a scrap of beach not swamped by the Tuesday high tide (our Instagram video caught the wind/waves, though nothing near Saturday’s scale). By the way, we’re told his West Seattle Wildlife benefit calendar is all but sold out – you might inquire at West Seattle Thriftway (WSB sponsor) about a possible few remaining copies. Meantime, speaking of calendars, today’s highlights from ours:

HOME OFFICE/CO-WORKING MEETUP: Work outside the traditional office setting? Noon-1 pm on Wednesdays, you’re welcome to join the home office/co-working (etc.) meetup at West Seattle Office Junction (WSB sponsor), as explained here. (6040 California SW)

SEATTLE SCHOOL BOARD: At district HQ in SODO – 4 pm meeting, 5 pm public comment, 6 pm action items – including introduction of proposal to make interim superintendent Dr. Larry Nyland permanent, and boundary-change discussion. Here’s the agenda, with internal links including Dr. Nyland’s recent evaluation and the boundary-change presentation. (3rd Ave. S./Lander)

‘CRACKING THE CODES’: As the Ferguson situation has intensified discussions of racial inequity coast to coast, a new film/discussion series starts in West Seattle tonight, with a screening of “Cracking the Codes: The System of Racial Inequity.” Here’s an excerpt:

Facilitated discussion to follow. Youngstown Cultural Arts Center. (4408 Delridge Way SW)

SOUTHWEST DISTRICT COUNCIL: 6:30 pm at Senior Center of West Seattle, short business meeting before holiday mingling, with refreshments. Public welcome. (Oregon/California)

KIWANIS CLUB OF WEST SEATTLE: Now meeting at 6:30 pm Wednesdays at Senior Center of West Seattle. Interested in finding out who’s in Kiwanis and what the club does in the community? Drop in for the meeting. And/or go to the annual Community Pancake Breakfast this Saturday – see the WSB West Seattle Holiday Guide for details on that! (Oregon/California)

WHAT ELSE IS UP? Check out the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar and Holiday Guide for today/tonight/beyond.

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West Seattle schools: Forum with board member Marty McLaren tomorrow
December 3, 2014 9:25 am
|    Comments Off on West Seattle schools: Forum with board member Marty McLaren tomorrow
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

Tonight, the Seattle School Board meets, with hot topics including the sudden move to offer interim superintendent Dr. Larry Nyland the permanent job, plus a vote on boundary changes that have raised concerns for several West Seattle school communities. (See our Monday night coverage.) Whatever happens tonight, you have a chance to hear from West Seattle’s school board member Marty McLaren tomorrow, as the Lafayette Elementary PTA is hosting her at a public forum (6:30 pm Thursday, December 4th, free child care). While its announcement (after the jump) includes school-specific items, the forum is not limited to those topics, as Lafayette PTA president Katy Walum tells us anyone in the community is welcome – note they’re also expecting replies from state reps on statewide school issues:

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TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: Wednesday on the move
December 3, 2014 7:15 am
|      3 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news

(WS high/low bridges and Highway 99 views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
7:15 AM: Nothing out of the ordinary so far on the routes in/from West Seattle.

7:48 AM: Per text, bus broken down on Delridge onramp to eastbound bridge. (Photo added:)

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