West Seattle, Washington
18 Monday
Yet another car prowl at Lincoln Park. Today’s report is from Luna:
We had our car broken into between 8:15 and 8:50 this morning in the Lincoln Park south lot. There was nothing in the car for them to take. Everyone that stopped while we were cleaning up and getting someone to come and pick up our kiddo was so nice and surprised, it makes me glad to live in West Seattle even if this happens at our local park! We also chatted with a couple who were broken into in the same spot last week, so be careful, everyone! There really was almost nothing visible in our car and they didn’t take the kids Patagonia jacket that was on the floor, so it seems like they were definitely looking for a purse/wallet. Just wanted as many people as possible to be aware!
This is the third reader report we’ve received this week about Lincoln Park car prowls; we tried checking the police-reports map again for the latest tally, but it’s not working so well at the moment. We also have a message out to local police leadership to ask how they’re tackling this problem, and will add whatever we hear back.
After someone asked whether the huge “12th Flag” would go up at West Seattle Corporate Center before tomorrow’s Seahawks-Panthers playoff game, we went over to Delridge/Andover and found it flying! Well, “flying” is a bit of an exaggeration – not much breeze this foggy morning – but we stood around, camera ready, until it caught a hint of movement.
BACKSTORY: The 1,500-square-foot, Tacoma-made flag first went up last year, days before the Seahawks’ Super Bowl win.
P.S. If you’re downtown, you are invited to cheer as King County Executive (and native West Seattleite) Dow Constantine raises the 12th Man flag at the King County Administration Building at 12:12 pm today – 500 4th Avenue.
12:24 PM UPDATE: The aforementioned downtown flag-raising was accomplished with the help of the executive’s baby daughter Sabrina – here’s the video just tweeted via @kcexec:
(If you are having trouble getting that to play – you can view it on its host site, here.)
Since the crash that damaged a Longfellow Creek footbridge three weeks ago, we’ve been checking with Seattle Parks about the status of repairs. This morning, Parks spokesperson Joelle Hammerstad tells WSB the footbridge has reopened:
While working to make repairs to this bridge … we determined that the main structure is sound. We have re-opened the bridge and re-installed temporary fencing where the railing was damaged. The repairs/upgrades will take longer than expected but patrons, will be able to use the bridge while our carpentry staff order supplies and fabricate needed parts.
As reported here last week, the driver who crashed the pickup eastbound on SW Yancy, through the railing, and into the creek, 40-year-old Rossindo Ramos, is charged with DUI and reckless endangerment. He and his passenger escaped serious injury. We’re following up with Parks on what the repairs will cost and whether they’ll pursue restitution.
Got patience? That’s what it takes to get an image like that, says photographer Mark Wangerin (it’s a male Anna’s Hummingbird, at Jack Block Park) – “taken from 10-12 feet away, (requiring) stealth/standing still for up to an hour.” Thanks again to Mark and other wonderful West Seattle photographers who share images, from birds to breaking news and beyond, for us to share in turn with you. Impatient to get to the weekend? Here’s how today/tonight gets the party started:
FRIDAY AFTERNOON AT THE MOVIES: Classic films are screened at the Senior Center of West Seattle, 1 pm Fridays, suggested donation of at least $1 – check the schedule here. (Oregon/California)
THE TRUE ROMANS @ SALTY’S: Start your weekend right after sunset, with live music at 5 pm at Salty’s on Alki (WSB sponsor), no cover/minimum (but happy-hour specials are on until 6 pm) – rock-cover band The True Romans will perform tonight. (1936 Harbor SW)
FREE TEEN ART CLASS: 5 pm every other Friday at High Point Community Center – details in our calendar listing. (6920 34th SW)
FRIDAY NIGHT SKATING: 6:45-8:45 pm, get rolling at Alki Community Center! Details in our calendar listing. (5817 SW Stevens)
PETER MINTUN IN CONCERT: 7:30 pm, pianist Peter Mintun plays at Kenyon Hall – details in our calendar listing.
EVEN MORE … on our calendar!
(WS high/low bridges and Highway 99 views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
7:01 AM: The fog is back, and this time, as the traffic cams show, you’ll be driving through it on the main outbound routes too. If you’re headed for northbound I-5, be aware there’s a crash just before Seneca, blocking the two left lanes – and, further north, that side of the freeway is closed just before Northgate because of a fatal incident.
7:24 AM: The NB I-5 crash at Seneca has cleared; one lane is now open at the Northgate scene, but backups headed that way will last for quite some time. (added) SPD says two lanes will be open there soon.
7:41 AM: Still one lane there and might be for a while after all. And now another downtown problem – a stalled vehicle reported on NB I-5 at James.
REMINDER FOR MONDAY: Access to the downtown Water Taxi and state ferry docks changes because of seawall/99 work – as detailed here.
8:07 AM: Northbound I-5 has fully reopened at the scene near Northgate.
9:04 AM: An alert via Erika’s comment: “Be careful on the 99 ramp – a big pile of nails and screws seemed to have been dumped just prior to merging onto 99N.”
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
It’s not the Department of Neighborhoods‘ job to get more people to apply for its matching-funds grants, its director told West Seattle neighborhood leaders Tuesday night.
But DoN director Bernie Matsuno acknowledged that a “conversation” is needed before her department tries again to make changes to the rules for who can seek the funds and the process for vetting them.
Her appearance before the Southwest District Council – with Delridge District Council members in attendance too – came shortly after a round of proposed changes was widely panned by leaders in both of West Seattle’s city-drawn “districts,” and subsequently shelved.
She faced questions about that as well as other issues, including her own status in city government, not yet reconfirmed by the full City Council despite Mayor Murray’s voiced intention a year ago to keep her on.
The 52-year-old woman arrested after last night’s stabbing outside the 35th/Morgan minimart remains in jail, with bail set today at $50,000. According to the probable-cause documents, obtained latelate today from the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, Police were first called to the store for a report of a fight between two women, with about 10 people watching. The call quickly changed to a report that one had stabbed the other.
When police arrived, they found the suspect inside the store and arrested her with their weapons drawn at “low ready.” She didn’t have the knife in her possession but officers found one in a trash can. The suspect, who lives about half a mile from the store, claimed the victim had “been after (her) for weeks” and was the aggressor. Four witnesses told police they saw the suspect attack the victim, whose age is not mentioned in the report; the report says officers smelled alcohol on the suspect’s “breath and person.” They talked to the victim while medics were treating her for a small, shallow chest wound. She is described as working at West Seattle Food Bank across the street from the store and having “ongoing issues” with the suspect, who is due back in court on Monday, by which time prosecutors should have made an initial decision on charging her. The King County Jail Register says she spent three days in jail right before Thanksgiving for investigation of assault.
Another win last night for the West Seattle High School girls-varsity basketball team, 61-46 over visiting Holy Names Academy (here’s what our partners at The Seattle Times wrote). And that’s not the only news as their strong season continues. Head Coach Sonya Elliott tells us they finished third at the recent MaxPreps Holiday Tournament in Palm Springs, with Lydia Giomi and Lexi Ioane chosen for the All-Tournament Team; the two also led their team last night, with 20 points and 9 rebounds for Giomi, 13 points and 10 rebounds for Ioane, who also was featured recently as a KING 5 Western Washington Girls Basketball Performer of the Week.
UP NEXT: The WSHS girls are on the road Friday night at Eastside Catholic; your next chance to cheer for them at home is Wednesday (January 14th) at 7:30 pm, vs. visiting Cleveland.
In case you’re heading eastbound sometime soon – be aware there’s a two-vehicle crash on the West Seattle Bridge near the 4th Avenue exit, apparently causing some backups. Police and fire are on it now; injuries are reported. Thanks to the person who just called from a passenger seat to let us know (206-293-6302, text or voice, any time, if you’re not driving!).
Every quarter, the West Seattle Art Walk changes up its poster art and venue list – some new, some continuing – and so, with two hours until this month’s WSAW begins, we present the new versions of both.
So which artists will you see when you go out to tonight’s Art Walk, 6-9 pm? Check out the previews on the official website, where you’ll also find the full-size venue list. (And if you’re looking for what else is up tonight, check our calendar.)
For the first time in more than two weeks, we have an official update on Seattle’s most closely watched pit – the one intended to reach the Highway 99 tunnel machine, so its cutterhead can be retrieved and repaired. WSDOT published the update this afternoon, saying that its contractor Seattle Tunnel Partners resumed digging today, and that: “Settlement levels near the pit have remained stable for more than six weeks.” The pit is 3/4 of the way to the 120-feet depth at which STP says it will pour a platform for the front of the machine to rest on, after it is turned back on to advance a short distance into the pit. Timeline? Nothing new yet, says WSDOT; you might recall, the most recent ballpark-guess tunnel-opening date was August 2017.
P.S. Reminder that seawall-and-tunnel-related work downtown will result in access changes at Colman Dock and Water Taxi Pier 50 starting tomorrow.
2:58 PM: Once the sun came out, we went over to the Murray Combined Sewer Overflow Control Project across from Lowman Beach for a look into the million-gallon storage-tank pit, during the second phase of big concrete pours. We’re checking with the county to see if they’ve set a second pour date yet, since this is a postponement from last month, and the second date also was originally in December. (If you’d like a slightly wider, though lower-resolution, view of today’s work in the pit, we have one on Instagram.)
5:06 PM UPDATE: Doug Marsano from King County says that while no date is firmed up yet, “the contractor wants to pour early next week.” So we won’t know any sooner than tomorrow (if not later) when the next big pour will be.
(Added: Photo courtesy Patrick C)
1:12 PM: Getting calls and texts about a big police search near 63rd/Admiral in the Alki area. We just called SPD media relations to ask about it and here’s what they told us: An apartment in the 6000 block of SW Stevens was broken into, and a citizen was following a suspect. Police have converged on the area, including a K-9 team. The suspect was last seen running around the area but hasn’t yet been caught, though police are reported to have found some items that might have been among the loot. The only description they have so far is a Hispanic man around 20 years old, unshaven, with a white baseball cap and black ponytail, puffy jacket (though he might have ditched it), and black pants.
(Photo courtesy Sarahjean)
1:14 PM UPDATE: Literally two minutes after we published this, police took a suspect into custody in the 6200 block of SW Admiral Way, according to scanner discussion.
ADDED: One more postscript – a reader report that the SW Stevens burglary was preceded by mail/package thefts on 55th SW, with the suspect caught on camera:
The reader who provided the screen grab from surveillance video says, “He got a fanny pack, burgundy leggings, a Paris tank top, protein powder & women’s multivitamins” – and the items were recovered. The police, meantime, got the video.
FRIDAY AFTERNOON NOTE: We hope to write a separate followup later, but in the meantime, a bail hearing for the suspect, who is 32 years old, was held this afternoon. Bail was set at $20,000. He has a record – and had a warrant out for his arrest. The case has also landed on SPD Blotter.
(Added 1 pm: Site work continuing at Arbor Heights today)
Quick note from today’s Land Use Information Bulletin: The hearing date for the third Arbor Heights Elementary appeal has been pushed back, “due to a problem with the notice.” Today’s notice says the Hearing Examiner will hear it February 2nd. As first reported here last month, this appeal involves issues including zoning exceptions and the fate of two trees. The construction was already scheduled as a two-phase project, resuming this spring.
(UPDATED 11:20 am with video of SPD media briefing at the scene)
(Photo tweeted by Aloysha)
6:52 AM: Fire and police are headed for Beach Drive SW and Oregon, for a report of someone in the water, possibly face down, about 20 feet offshore.
7 AM: By all accounts (via scanner), this is confirmed to be a body, brought ashore, and most of the rescue response has been canceled.
7:06 AM: First evaluation is that this is a woman around 50 years old, per scanner. The Medical Examiner is on the way. Our crew should be arriving shortly to find out more.
(WSB photo: Police have taped off the scene)
7:15 AM: At the scene, we’ve learned the body was spotted by two people out for a walk. Police are declining comment, referring us to the media-relations unit. This all happened near the stairway that goes from the sidewalk down to the lower part of Emma Schmitz Overlook, across from Me-Kwa-Mooks Park.
7:35 AM: An SPD spokesperson is apparently headed to the scene to talk with us and the TV crews that have arrived. As already noted in comments, if you’ve been here since at least 2012, you probably immediately recall the unsolved murder of 53-year-old Greggette Guy; her body was found in the water about half a mile north in March 2012, her car was found near where all this is unfolding today. But again, there’s NO information yet on how the woman found this morning died. We’ll update as soon as police have an official statement.
(WSB photo: King County Medical Examiner crew arrives)
8:24 AM: SPD spokesperson Sgt. Sean Whitcomb has briefed us. This is NOT currently being investigated as a homicide and is (corrected) NOT considered a “suspicious death”; so SPD is investigating with the Medical Examiner, which has a crew on scene. The woman is believed to be in her 50s but that is just a guess so far – apparently no ID on her; they will be checking missing-persons records to try to find out who she is. Police are likely to be at the scene another hour or so, but the woman’s body will be taken away by the ME shortly.
11:20 AM: Above this line, we have added the video of Sgt. Whitcomb’s briefing, in its entirety. Questions were asked by the four crews who were there – ours, and three of the four local TV-news organizations. SPD Blotter has just published a post about this, but there’s no new information.
ADDED FRIDAY, 5:29 PM: The King County Medical Examiner’s Office identifies the woman found off Emma Schmitz Overlook as 69-year-old Carolyn Arnold. According to the KCME’s afternoon media-hotline recording (a daily list of cases they investigate), the cause of Ms. Arnold’s death has not yet been determined, pending toxicology tests (which can take weeks).
(WS high/low bridges and Highway 99 views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
So far no major problems reported. We’re about to separately report on a rescue response on Beach Drive SW.
7:45 AM: Our ongoing coverage of that situation is here; SFD cleared the scene quickly but you’ll still see police and now the Medical Examiner.
TRANSPORTATION NEWS: Last night, West Seattle Bike Connections reported on SDOT’s presentation to the Bicycle Advisory Board regarding options for the notorious 5-way intersection west of the low bridge … Avoid the south end of Beach Drive today – the next concrete pour for the Murray CSO storage tank will bring dozens of trucks throughout the day … Road-restoration work by the Barton Pump Station next to the Fauntleroy ferry dock is planned next week.
8:48 AM: Police and fire are checking out a reported two-vehicle crash at 30th/Thistle, which is just west of the Sealth/Denny school zone. (Update: A texter says it’s blocking traffic; in case you were wondering, classes have already started at both schools.)
9:26 AM: Just back from the crash scene. It’s been cleared. No serious injuries.
The twice-postponed concrete pour at the Murray Combined Sewer Overflow Control Project will start tomorrow (Thursday), according to an announcement this evening from the King County Wastewater Treatment District. This one will bring up to 10 trucks per hour into the Lowman Beach area, starting at 7 am, according to KCWTD’s Doug Marsano. They might work into the evening, past the general 6 pm end time, if necessary. Marsano’s alert says, “The site will be very busy while the pour occurs, so please avoid the east of the 7000 block of Beach Drive SW to the extent possible.” If you have questions or concerns, with this or any other part of the million-gallon-storage-tank project, the hotline is 206-205-9186.
7:28 PM: Police and fire are responding to an “assault with weapons” call at 35th and Morgan. More to come.
7:33 PM: One person is reported in custody in connection with the incident. Most of the SFD units have been canceled.
7:36 PM: A 17-year-old girl is reported (via medical communications on the radio) to have been stabbed. She’s being taken to Harborview.
8:37 PM: Via SPD Blotter – the suspect arrested at the scene outside the 35th/Morgan convenience store is a 54-year-old woman. The circumstances of the stabbing are described as “a fight.” The victim’s injuries are described as non-life-threatening.
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
The city has changed its mind about where to move Fire Station 29 while the Admiral District station is undergoing renovations this year.
Instead of moving it to the same Harbor Avenue spot that housed Station 36 during its recent overhaul, they plan to put the temporary station on a vacant triangle of city-owned land just south of Admiral Congregational Church.
Since getting a tip about this possibility, we’ve been working to confirm it with the city, and that confirmation finally came today. From Cyndi Wilder:
During the construction period for the seismic upgrade at Fire Station 29, the interim station will be located on a City-owned parcel at 44th Avenue SW and SW Hill Street. While we are still going through the process to finalize this location, we are far enough along to be able to confirm and announce the site.
Before we could proceed with this location for the interim site, we needed confirmation from Seattle Public Utilities that its water testing equipment currently on-site could be relocated in the required timeframe. We now have that confirmation.
This afternoon, staff from the Seattle Fire Department and the Finance and Administrative Services Capital Development and Construction Management Division will be conducting door-to-door community outreach, as we do for other projects, informing neighbors of the interim site plans and the timeline for the seismic project.
The site was chosen because of its proximity to Fire Station 29, and keeping the engine and crew in the service area will allow fire crews to maintain their current emergency response times. We expect activity at the interim site as early as this month, with the temporary station active as early as February, and lasting for approximately 12 months.
Here’s the letter that is being distributed to neighbors:
This triangle of land is technically SDOT right-of-way, which came to light most prominently back in 2008 during the controversy over potential changes to nearby California Place Park, the grassy site by the California SW bus stop east of the church. At the time, it was suggested that Seattle Parks might take over management of this triangle.
The $1.8 million contract for the Station 29 renovation was recently awarded to Par-Tech Construction. It’s one of two West Seattle fire stations that will be in temporary locations soon. The other is Station 32, whose Triangle building will be demolished and replaced with a brand-new station; its interim site is future parkland on 40th SW, south of SW Alaska. Station 11 in Highland Park also is being upgraded, but its crew is staying on-site during the work.
(Photo courtesy Center for Whale Research: Mom J16 and newborn J50)
One week after announcing the birth of baby orca J50, the Center for Whale Research says J50 is female – especially good news provided she beats the odds and survives, since that pod in particular has been short on breeding-age females. In a release on its website, the center also says it hasn’t quite sorted out the questions about which orca is J50’s mom – you’ve probably heard that while she was originally believed to be the calf of 43-year-old J16, experts have reasons to suspect that J16 might actually be J50’s grandmother. Whoever her mom is, ~2-week-old J50 was seen with her family, doing well, today in the northern Strait of Georgia in British Columbia
Two new maps of note from SPD’s latest SeaStat stats/trends briefing, just made public:
That’s the citywide map of auto thefts in the past four weeks. Precinct-by-precinct breakouts weren’t released (we’re trying to take a WS count from the online police-report map), but citywide, the number totals 291 – that’s almost 10 per day – and it’s the one crime category that was at its highest level of the month, citywide, in late December/early January. SPD also released a map of auto theft “hot spots” but no place in West Seattle was on that map.
Another citywide map made public – shots-fired incidents in the past four weeks:
We haven’t matched all of the West Seattle locations to specific incidents – but one would definitely be this New Year’s Eve incident that left two bullet holes in a Morgan Junction business window. No other Southwest Precinct info of note in the slide deck made public by Seattle Police; the SeaStat briefings for department leadership are generally held every other Wednesday – past decks are here.
Before local students show up at Fauntleroy Creek in the spring to set salmon fry free, they spend months tending to and studying in-school aquariums – and today’s the day it all begins anew. Volunteers Judy Pickens and Phil Sweetland have spent the day ferrying more than a thousand salmon eggs from a regional hatchery to 10 schools in West Seattle and South Park. We caught them at the first one they visited, Our Lady of Guadalupe:
As they made each delivery, disinfecting the eggs in an iodine bath before they could be placed in their hatching tanks, they talked with students, who were fascinated to see what would eventually hatch into coho:
From OLG, they went to nearby West Seattle Elementary, where their visit was shorter, since they volunteer at WSES regularly. But this school has something extra-special – a tank and ornate base, courtesy of Phil:
We had to photograph it before the students crowded around, so you could see the art.
Judy and Phil live on Fauntleroy Creek, and have a deep devotion to this program – almost four years ago, we reported on their resolve to keep it going despite state budget cuts. As explained at the time, it’s not that this is making a big dent in the salmon population, but it is helping keep fish and creeks top of mind every year for a new group of students who will grow into the adults on whose actions the fish’s fate will rise and fall. Meantime, these eggs will hatch soon, and the fish will grow for a few months in the tanks in school hallways and classrooms, before creek releases in spring.
Another stolen car to watch out for: Taken last night from Beth‘s driveway near Lincoln Park, a dark blue 2004 VW Passat with a Sun Valley sticker on the back. WA plates, AKD2678. As @getyourcarback advises, call 911 if you see it.
UPDATE, EARLY FRIDAY: Found in Beverly Park! (See comments.)
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