West Seattle, Washington
23 Thursday
Big thanks to David Hutchinson for sharing that photo of Mount Rainier, as seen this evening from West Seattle’s Don Armeni Boat Ramp. So cool, we wanted to rush it right onto the site. Looks to be a lenticular cloud formation. What a sight to end a weekend that began with wild weather!
Two West Seattle Crime Watch reader reports:
GATEWOOD BURGLARY: For at least the third time this weekend, there was a burglary on California SW. We reported Saturday on two business break-ins, in The Junction and South Admiral; today, burglars hit in Gatewood, in the 8200 block of California SW. A neighbor reports seeing the burglars break in and carry out “duffel bags and TVs” while the victims were away on an errand; the neighbor called 911, but the burglars were gone before police arrived. The neighbor called 911 at 11 am; she says police arrived after the burglars left at 11:14. (We happened to see the first car pull up, as this is a couple blocks away from WSB HQ and we were passing by.) The neighbor says the 911 operator mentioned “shift change” as a complication; we don’t know what else was happening in the sector at the time, as we were away from the scanner, but we’ll be following up with SPD tomorrow.
CAR PROWL: Karen e-mailed today to say that “our car was broken into Friday night. It was in front of our house on Hanford St SW, near 36th Ave. They smashed the passenger side window but we didn’t have anything worth taking, luckily.”
6:04 PM: If you were headed for Highway 99 any time soon – northbound from here, or southbound toward here, you should know there’s a big problem right now: The Battery Street Tunnel is closed in both directions.
6:16 PM: Scanner indicates the fire suppression system in the tunnel went off though there was no fire, and that a shutoff is in the works – “shouldn’t be long” is the exact quote.
6:55 PM: SDOT says the tunnel is now open again, both ways.
(Police blocking road near scene)
3:20 PM: Thanks for all the tips. Avoid California SW in Gatewood between Portland and Ida – there’s a big police response. Initial scanner traffic indicated police were trying to make contact with a possibly armed man in a house in the 7700 block of California.
Officers just knocked on the door and went inside.
3:39 PM: Our crew says police came back out without anyone, but there’s someone in a squad car. That doesn’t necessarily mean an arrest; we are waiting to talk to the sergeant on scene to find out more.
3:49 PM: Police tell us the person they have in custody is the person they were called about because of concern he was going to harm himself. They did not find anyone else in the house; no one is injured. They expect to be at the scene a while longer, and the road is still partly blocked. (Whenever we mention crisis situations like this, we also always mention the local 24-hour Crisis Clinic hotline – 206-461-3222.)
5:02 PM: Just got a chance to go back and check the area. The road is open again.
3:17 PM: At the 2015 Fauntleroy Fall Festival, the sound of birdhouse building (video above) is mingling with the sound of music (video below):
Lots to do AND lots to see – kids can also make salmon hats (don’t forget to wear them to help drum the salmon home next Sunday – more on that later):
As is the petting area, behind the schoolhouse:
The festival is in full swing, until 5 pm, with a huge array of fun for all ages, in the 9100 block of California SW.
4:26 PM: The afternoon has gone by in a blink. Still half an hour for you to get here – and, among other things, hear and see the West Seattle Big Band:
And you can grab a snack – maybe call it early dinner! WSB sponsor Endolyne Joe’s is here, with pork sliders, in the church/Y parking lot:
We couldn’t resist buying a bowl of the curried butternut-squash soup that Tuxedoes and Tennis Shoes is dishing out outside The Hall at Fauntleroy (its event venue) – awesome. The full festival menu is here. More photos later!
ADDED 8:41 PM: As promised, more photos! The Seattle Fire Department brought Engine 37 from Sunrise Heights:
The Fauntleroy Community Association booth had bubbles:
Pumpkin-decorating is a festival tradition:
So is salmon-hat-making, as mentioned above – here’s Judy Pickens, wearing her “Fauntleroy Creek watershed steward” and “volunteer” hats, helping a young festivalgoer put on her salmon hat:
If you brought home one of those – wear it to the next big Fauntleroy event, at which you’re certain to see Judy – the annual drumming to call the salmon home, at the Fauntleroy Creek overlook (across from the ferry dock), 5 pm next Sunday, October 18th. Judy, by the way, also was a winner in the cake-decorating contest:
Along with her autumn-leaves cakes, other winners included Charlie Perry, with this spider:
(Spiders were a popular theme, but none quite like that one.) Ann Dawson‘s scarecrow cupcakes were winners too:
As was Abigail Dwyer‘s basket of Reese’s Pieces:
And the beginners’ award went to Claudi Levy, for banana bread – sorry we didn’t get a photo! By the way, if you want to vote on the cakes, be sure to get to the festival early next year:
A whole ‘nother batch of cakes was available for the subsequent Cake Walk – kind of like musical chairs, but with cakes:
The festival is volunteer- and donation-powered. This was the festival’s 13th year; see even more of the fun at the official FFF FB page.
2:24 PM: As promised, dozens of local parents are rallying right now at California and Admiral in hopes of raising awareness of the teacher cuts hitting at least five West Seattle schools (among what the district says is approximately 25 citywide). We first reported on the cuts Thursday, with a followup on Friday, and updates on Saturday. In addition to the parents, the people at the rally right now include Schmitz Park principal Gerrit Kischner – whose explanaton to his school’s parents is part of our Friday coverage – and school-board rep Marty McLaren. She told us on Friday that the board had “little power to help in this extremely painful situation.”
SUNDAY EVENING: More photos added. Some signs, like the one above, focus on the sentiment that the district is top-heavy and should cut administration jobs to get more resources into school buildings. There were school-specific sentiments too:
We’ll continue to follow up during the week ahead; the district said in its statement on Friday that final decisions were yet to come.
(Photo by Kelly Beal)
Here’s something else you can do this afternoon – or any day between now and month’s end: Check out this unusual local art display: Dano Beal, a West Seattle resident who also happens to be an award-winning schoolteacher, is displaying what he describes as “whimsical birdhouses” at Tully’s Coffee on Alki.
He explains: “This project started over 2 years ago, with an old, funky birdhouse found at a yard sale. I decorated it as a gift for my Mother, covering it in wild and wonderful ornaments, personal trinkets, and broken jewelry… For several years I had been collecting vintage and costume jewelry purchased at local estate sales, church bazaars, and antique stores. Every piece always came with a wonderful story, usually shared by elderly folks or the people who loved them… Each one of the birdhouses in this exhibit is made using a variety of vintage pieces, religious icons, toys, found objects, and ‘grandma jewelry’.” They’re on display all month at Tully’s, which is on the corner of 60th SW and Alki SW.
(Photo courtesy West Seattle Hi-Yu)
Three updates from West Seattle Hi-Yu – which, among other things, is the last Seattle neighborhood group with a traveling parade float:
First, this year’s float, themed “Around the Sound,” has just wrapped up an award-winning season, with honors in the final parade of the year, last weekend at Issaquah Salmon Days, receiving the Issaquah Kiwanis Club’s award for “the float entry that best shows community spirit or citizen contribution.” Hi-Yu leaders report that the float also won awards in Marysville, Greenwood, and Des Moines this summer.
Second, eight days remain until the extended deadline for applications in the new Hi-Yu Teen Ambassador Program. Teens 13-16 can apply until October 19th – with benefits including service hours! Get the details and the application here.
Third, it’s also time for Hi-Yu Junior Court applications (get one here). Girls and boys 8-12 are invited to apply by the November 27th deadline.
P.S. If you’re going to the Fauntleroy Fall Festival this afternoon, look for members of the current Hi-Yu Junior Court, and pick up a Teen Ambassador or Junior Court application – ask about membership, too, to support this nonprofit, all-volunteer organization that’s in its 82nd year.
A celebration of life for Carole Gillespie and her life partner Robert Childs, both of whom died this year, is planned next Saturday (October 17th). Here’s the announcement from Ms. Gillespie’s family:
Carole Jean (Tiede) Gillespie was born March 22, 1961 in Sacramento, California. She passed away at home of inoperable lung cancer on January 28, 2015. Carole graduated from West Seattle High School in 1979.
She is survived by her parents, Thomas and Pamela Tiede; brother Tom Jr. (LeeAnn); nephew Matthew Tiede; niece Kirstin Tiede; uncles Dale Ruppert (Maxine); Richard Tiede (Bracey); cousin Tamera Castagne and family. Carole is deeply missed by her family.
Robert Childs, Carole’s life partner of nearly 24 years, passed away August 17, 2015, also of cancer.
A joint Celebration of Life for Carole and Bob will be held on Saturday, October 17, 2015, at 11 am at the Unity Church in Lynnwood, located at 16727 Alderwood Mall Parkway.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Providence Regional Cancer Partnership at cancerpartnership.org/Survivor-Resources.
(WSB publishes West Seattle obituaries by request, free of charge. Please e-mail the text, and a photo if available, to editor@westseattleblog.com)
(Sun after the storm – Saturday photo by JayDee)
Good morning! Fall fun today, and most of it waiting for you AFTER the football game. From the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:
WEST SEATTLE FARMERS’ MARKET: 10 am-2 pm in the heart of The Junction, as always. (California SW between SW Alaska and SW Oregon)
SOLSTICE PARK P-PATCH FALL HARVEST AND CRAFT FESTIVAL: 1 pm-4 pm, get a jump on today’s fall fun with:
Pumpkin Carving, Hot Apple Cider, Roasted Corn on the Cob, Organic Produce and Herbs, Homemade Preserved foods, Plant and Craft Sales, etc.
The P-Patch is on the hill between the tennis courts and the solstice/equinox viewing zone. (7400 Fauntleroy Way SW)
FREE GARDENING CLASS: 1 pm at West Seattle Nursery, Jenn Dowell leads a free class about “Winter Cover Crops.” (California SW & SW Brandon)
FAUNTLEROY FALL FESTIVAL: 2 pm-5 pm in and around three venues on both sides of the 9100 block of California SW: The Hall at Fauntleroy, Fauntleroy Church, Fauntleroy YMCA (WSB sponsor), you’ll find fun for all ages, from music to crafts to bouncy toys to pony rides to an old-fashioned cake walk! Here’s the schedule of activities/entertainment/more:
See it here as a PDF. (added) Also, courtesy of the Fauntleroy Fall Festival FB page, the detailed menu of food that’ll be on sale (with prices):
RALLY FOR SCHOOLS: After the Seahawks game ends – approximately 2 pm – you’re invited to join parents from local schools facing teacher cuts, for a rally in Admiral Junction to raise more public awareness of what’s going on. Wear your school colors, bring noisemakers/signs. (SW Admiral Way & California SW)
LADIES MUSICAL CLUB: 3 pm at West Seattle (Admiral) Library, free classical concert – details here. (2306 California SW)
RICHARD HUGO TRIBUTE: 6 pm at the historic White Center Fieldhouse, it’s a tribute to legendary local poet Richard Hugo, in music and film – details in our preview. (1321 SW 102nd)
An overnight extra while it’s quiet: “Diver Laura” James and fellow diver Lamont G. recorded this video at Cove 2 earlier this week. “So many fish” that night, Laura enthused, while sharing the link, also noting that the sea stars are still more or less MIA.
P.S. We asked about the creature you’ll see about a minute in … “lemon peel nudibranch,” Laura replied.
P.P.S. Remember to do what you can to help keep the water clean for everything that lives there – minimizing deadly, toxic runoff is a start – find out how, here.
Two days ago, we reported that at least five West Seattle schools were dealing with the news that they would lose teachers because the district’s enrollment projections had fallen a bit short – along with about 20 other schools around the district. We followed up on Friday with updates including how Schmitz Park Elementary‘s principal explained the situation to families of his first-graders, and early word of a Sunday rally for West Seattleites to show their concern.
Tonight, some updates:
*The start of tomorrow’s rally has been described as “after the Seahawks game” (which starts at 10 am) – approximately 2 pm. Everyone interested in participating is invited to show up at California SW and SW Admiral Way. This is a rally to call attention to the West Seattle-wide situation. Organizers suggest wearing your school’s colors and bringing noisemakers.
*A Tuesday afternoon protest outside Seattle Public Schools headquarters in SODO (4 pm, 3rd and Lander) is being planned.
*Alki Elementary families are expanding fundraising to try to avoid losing a first-grade teacher, in the vein of what Gatewood Elementary did when facing a cut last year. The fundraising now includes two dine-out events announced by the Alki PTA:
–Mission (2325 California SW) is donating 20 percent of food/drink sales tomorrow (Sunday)
–Marination Ma Kai (at Seacrest, 1660 Harbor SW) is donating 15 percent of its food sales 4 pm-8 pm Tuesday (October 13th), according to Patti Johnson from the Alki PTA. She also shared these points about how loss of a teacher affects more than that teacher’s class:
The loss of this one teacher will have an enormous impact to the school and the children.
*First grade class sizes from 21-22 students per class to 26.
*Second grade class size from 23-24 students per class to 26-27.
*Will put at least one classroom in overload status.
*Creation of a 1st-2nd grade combination classroom (in addition to the 4th-5th combination we already have).In addition to the statistics above, changing classes in-year will have other ramifications and effects on the children:
Learning a new routine takes approximately 2-3 weeks. Students changing to new classrooms will result in all students in those classes losing instructional time because the teacher will have to spend time teaching every class routine to the entire class, again, after having just become proficient in routines from the start of the school year.
Students will spend time meeting their new classmates and new teacher prior to the change in class assignments, thus resulting in more loss of instructional time.
Building custodians and other staff members will take time out of their normal duties to move student furniture (desks) and any other furnishings needed into new classrooms to accommodate the need for more desk, table, and shelf space in the newly assigned classrooms.
School counselors will have to work with students who have anxiety, fear, depression, etc. from loss of stability due to new class assignments. (Some students have pre-existing issues that make them more susceptible to these feelings).
Tutoring time that was intended for intervention of students needing to reduce the achievement gap will be shifted to support students in a split classes.
There will be less Playground Supervisors during two recesses per week for Alki 1st graders because of the reduction of staff members able to do supervision.
Alki also has an online petition:
*”Keep Alki Elementary Class Size Manageable” – petition here
Schmitz Park, whose principal says two 1st-grade classes now will be at 28 students each and a third at 29, also has an online petition, first noted in our Thursday story – find it here.
This one has a broader focus:
*”Our Kids Need Their Teachers – Rethink Budget Cuts” – petition here
And as noted at Schmitz Park on Thursday night, advocacy to elected officials matters most of all – whether you’re involved with any of the affected schools or not, you can help with this.
The district, meantime, as reported on Friday, has responded with this general message.
7:37 PM: If you’re using the Washington State Ferries Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth route tonight, note that M/V Tillikum is having mechanical trouble, so WSF has cancelled at least three runs, including Vashon 7:35 pm and Fauntleroy 8:00 pm departures.
11:04 PM NOTE: WSF has continued sending alerts about delays throughout the evening – check here for the latest, if you’re heading out.
The day is ending more cheerfully than it began for Click! Design That Fits (WSB sponsor) proprietors John and Frances Smersh. The shop’s 11th anniversary party is on, until 8 pm as planned, despite the overnight burglary (one of two local businesses hit, as reported here). And despite the fact the burglars even made off with the champagne. That was easily replaceable, as pointed out on the Click! Instagram account. So stop by to shop and sip.
Along with treats, you’ll also find deals, as noted in their website announcement about the event – written five days ago; it points out that #11 is the steel anniversary, and: “… steel is a strong material, but not unyielding, moving both to the forces of nature and of women and men. The celebration of eleven years in business has its roots in both strength and flexibility.” Along with words of thanks, that item also notes this marks five years since Click! moved from a cozy Admiral space to the spacious storefront at 4540 California SW in The Junction.
(SCROLL DOWN for updated storm info)
1:58 PM: You’ve probably noticed the wind has kicked up in a big way. The National Weather Service now has the area under a “wind advisory” alert until 5 pm, with sustained winds from the south-southwest at 20 to 30 mph, and the possibility of gusts up to 45 mph.
2:23 PM: Since then, we’ve also had another wave of heavy rain, and we’re hearing reports of some street flooding, including near the heart of Morgan Junction. Off to check. Also adding a phone-video clip from one wind/rain burst. Check your nearest storm drains when you can to be sure leaves/other debris aren’t clogging them.
3:20 PM: That video is from Fauntleroy Way in the Fairmount Springs area, where leaf-clogged drains have left enough water across the road for hydroplaning. We noticed some caring souls out there working to unclog the drains. We also checked out the alley behind the businesses on the west side of 4700 block of California SW in The Junction – longtime troublespot:
Brian Allen sent word that Weather Underground tallies the rain at more than an inch, this afternoon alone. Also just caught this traffic alert via a tip from Tamisha:
No visual but per @seattlepd flooding on SW Admiral Way has ramp to EB West Seattle Bridge closed. Use caution & use alternate routes
— seattledot (@seattledot) October 10, 2015
4:38 PM: The ramp is open again.
SATURDAY: Thanks to everybody who’s messaged to ask about this, including “cugrngneer,” who shared the photo: The state ferry you’re seeing in unusual places and unusual maneuvers today is the M/V Tacoma, which has been at Vigor on Harbor Island for a while and is now on sea trials getting ready to go back into service on the Bainbridge Island/Downtown Seattle run.
SUNDAY MORNING: Just saw Tacoma passing Fauntleroy, out on sea trials again today.
Some of the cats and kittens at the Seattle Animal Shelter Cat Adopt-A-Thon at High Point Community Center were snapped up fast. But Katya, 10, above, didn’t have a forever home yet as of about 15 minutes ago. Go see her and the others looking for new homes.
HPCC is at 6920 34th SW and this is on until 3 pm. There’s even a tent where you can get acquainted with your potential new furry family member.
(That’s Bowser the kitten.)
ORIGINAL REPORT, 11:32 AM: An unpleasant surprise for the proprietors of Click! Design That Fits (WSB sponsor) as they arrived this morning to get their shop ready to open for the day – someone broke in overnight. “Not very much” was stolen, Click! proprietor John Smersh reports; they’ve been cleaning up to get on with the day – and the night, since, as noted in our daily preview, this is Click!’s 11th anniversary and they’re planning a 5-8 pm party. That’s definitely still on, John says, so they hope to see you there.
P.S. Because of the cleanup, they’re not opening for the day until 1 pm.
ADDED 3:39 PM: John had said a police officer told them another business, in South Admiral on California SW, had been broken into early today as well. We couldn’t find it on the SPD map or in Tweets By Beat at the time but have since learned via a reader tip that it happened at the live-work offices in the 3400 block of California SW.
4 PM: We have since heard directly from the burglarized business, Guenther Group, confirming theirs was the business broken into by someone who smashed through the front door (in Click!’s case, it was the rear) early this morning.
Sunday nights are usually quiet on the calendar – event highlights often ending around mid-afternoon. Not tomorrow. So here’s a heads-up if you haven’t already seen this on the calendar: The Southwest Seattle Historical Society is presenting a free concert and film, “Some Places Are Forever Afternoon: A Tribute in Music, Words, and Film to White Center’s Richard Hugo,” 6 pm Sunday inside the historic White Center Fieldhouse at Steve Cox Memorial Park (1321 SW 102nd). Admission is free, thanks to funding by 4Culture; the concert features pianist/composer Wayne Horvitz (who’s in the video invitation above), who released a Hugo-tribute CD in July. The event also will screen “Kicking the Loose Gravel Home,” an hour-long 1976 film about Hugo, who was just 58 when he died in 1982.
(Photo by Sam Nizam)
Happy Saturday! Highlights for today/tonight, from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:
DON’T TOSS IT, DONATE IT! West Seattle Jr. Football and Cheer are hosting a clothing and textile drive today:
Dropoff will be at West Seattle High School. There Will be a Clothes For The Cause trailer parked at the north end parking lot from 9 AM to 5 PM. We all have unwanted textiles that are out of fashion, not needed, or no longer fit. Instead of discarding surplus clothing and household linens, give them a second life through supporting West Seattle Jr. Football and Cheer.
Accepted items: clothing new and old, paired shoes (any kind, any condition), towels – bath, kitchen, rags, blankets, sheets, quilts, backpacks, curtain/drapery, purses, belts, tablecloth, placemats, stuffed animals.
(3000 California SW)
CLASS FOR HOMEBUYERS: WSB sponsor HomeStreet Bank is a co-sponsor of this class focused on “winning the bidding war and using creative financing to purchase more home.” RSVP if you see this early enough. 10 am-noon at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center. (4408 Delridge Way SW)
NORTH SHOREWOOD PARK PLANTING: 10 am, come help with TLC for a neighborhood park, as explained here. (10061 21st SW)
VIETNAMESE STORYTIME: 11:30 am at Delridge Library, stories, songs, and rhymes in Vietnamese. All welcome. (5423 Delridge Way SW)
CAT ADOPT-A-THON: Noon-3 pm at High Point Community Center, more than a dozen kittens, including Robbie:
… as well as mature foster cats, are waiting for you to give them a brand-new home. (6920 34th SW)
MAKE POM-POM ANIMALS: 1 pm at Southwest Library, it’s part of “See Art, Make Art,” in connection with the ongoing Community Art Showcase – details here. (35th SW & SW Henderson)
FREE HEALTH FAIR: BendnMove is hosting a free Health and Wellness fair from 1-4 pm. Organizers say you’ll find “10 West Seattle health practitioners on site to discuss options for achieving or maintaining optimum health.” (3270 California SW)
HAPPY ANNIVERSARY, CLICK! It’s the 11th anniversary of Click! Design That Fits (longtime WSB sponsor), and you’re invited to the party tonight!
(Photo by Jared Chandler)
Join Click! proprietors John Smersh and Frances Smersh for the 5-8 pm party:
*Sparkling beverages and snacks
*Photo booth (professional photographer will be on site 6-7 pm)
*20% off all in-stock items (excluding our featured artist)
Full details here. (4540 California SW)
HARVEST DINNER AND TALENT SHOW: 6 pm potluck dinner – bring a dish to share! – and talent show at Highland Park Improvement Club. Go here to see what it’s all about. (12th SW & SW Holden)
BON-FULTON: Live at C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor), 7-9 pm. (5612 California SW)
PINT, DALE, WHATEVERLY BROTHERS: Big bill tonight at 7:30 pm at Kenyon Hall – check it out here. (7904 35th SW)
FIRST SHOW AT PARLIAMENT TAVERN: Stuporhero, Blanco Bronco, Lux Fontaine, Coke & Snickers are all on the bill, 9 pm at the new Parliament Tavern. 21+. (4210 SW Admiral Way)
Something else you can do today/tonight …
MAKE A CAKE FOR THE FAUNTLEROY FALL FESTIVAL CAKE WALK TOMORROW: The festival is 2-5 pm Sunday, but cake dropoff is at noon, so by the time we mention it again in the Sunday morning preview, it’ll be pretty much too late for you to bake and decorate a cake, so go get details on the FFF website now – and see some of last year’s entries in our 2014 coverage.
At Southwest Athletic Complex on Friday night, Chief Sealth International High School‘s homecoming game vs. Ingraham ended in a 1-point loss, 13-12. But before we get to the details, an update on a frightening incident that stopped the game for a while just before the end of the first half:
Sealth senior Andrew Leota was down for about 20 minutes before being taken to a medic unit. Both teams and their cheer squads made a line to the ambulance and applauded as the stretcher went by.
While injuries are not uncommon at football games, many already had a nearby tragedy on their mind, the death of Evergreen player Kenney Bui after an injury in Burien a week earlier, so that gave this even more gravity. This injury, however, did not appear to be major. Sealth athletic director Ernest Policarpio told us that Andrew thought he “took a helmet to his lower back” and was doing better as he was taken to the hospital for evaluation. The game eventually resumed and the first half was finished. We will be checking on his condition.
Here’s the rest of the story from the game:
Nine months ago, 33-year-old Emanuel Kozma was found in a treehouse, where he’d tried to hide from police searching for him in connection with package and mail thefts in Alki. He subsequently was charged with three felonies and has been in jail since his original arrest on January 8th. Last month, a jury found him guilty of theft; today, he was sentenced – and is about to go free, having been sentenced to what amounted to time served.
In addition to the theft case, Kozma also had pleaded guilty to two other charges – one, a plea bargain that brought the burglary charge in the Alki case down to criminal trespass, the other in a case for which he had a warrant out for his arrest when caught in Alki. In that case, he pleaded guilty to felony harassment. Charging documents in that case say he had threatened to shoot and kill an 18-year-old woman who was described as a friend, when she avoided responding to his requests to drive him to a probation appointment. The threat happened near Kozma’s home in White Center in the summer of 2014.
Court documents say Kozma’s criminal record – with three and a half pages of convictions – goes back 20 years, to age 12, with what’s described as “numerous misdemeanors and felonies” along the way, including harassment, assault, indecent exposure, and weapons charges. Today, Judge Dean Lum sentenced Kozma to a year in jail, suspended while he is monitored for two years, plus what amounted to the time he’s served since the January arrest, 274 days. He’s still on the King County Jail Register right now, but court documents say the judge signed the order for his release (a drug warrant from Everett is still listed on the register, and it’s not clear whether that’s been resolved, so we’ll continue checking on his post-sentencing status). The photo above, by the way, is the most recent one the state Corrections Department had when we requested it after his arrest.
(Added: Image from webcam over tunnel-machine access pit tonight)
No hint of this just two days earlier, when WSDOT released a video update on the Highway 99 tunnel-machine repairs, hours before its quarterly stakeholders meeting, but, late today, the state sent out a very different update, saying it’s suing its contractor:
WSDOT is committed to working with Seattle Tunnel Partners (STP) to complete the SR 99 Tunnel Project.
We are also committed to protecting taxpayers.
Today, WSDOT filed a lawsuit against STP in King County Superior Court. This filing was prompted by recent court filings by STP and their insurance companies. Filing this lawsuit ensures WSDOT will have a right to make legal claims in the future. This lawsuit does not prevent STP from pursuing claims under the terms of the design-build contract.
Taking action to preserve WSDOT’s rights in court was a necessary step. Our focus remains on completing the project, and removing the seismically vulnerable Alaskan Way Viaduct. We intend to ask for a stay of WSDOT’s lawsuit until the project is completed and asked STP to join us in this request.
This delay in the lawsuit will allow for work on the SR 99 Tunnel Project to be completed before litigation takes place.
The intent of today’s action is simple: protect the interests of Washington taxpayers.
There will be no further statements on this legal matter.
While WSDOT provided the case number – 15-2-24943-6 – we checked the online files, and no documents are available there yet, just “Case Title: Washington State Department of Transportation vs Seattle Tunnel Partners” on the page. We’ll keep checking.
This follows news earlier this week, first reported by the Puget Sound Business Journal, that WSDOT has told insurers it expects costs to rise more than $78 million because of the tunnel-machine trouble. That in turn came out as part of another lawsuit, one filed in New York state by insurers against STP, which says it’s hoping to get the machine going again in November, almost two years after its underground breakdown.
| 1 COMMENT