West Seattle, Washington
14 Tuesday
(Four WS-relevant views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
6:45 AM: Good morning! The new week is off and running. Notes and reminders:
NEW METRO SCHEDULE: Changes, additions, and restorations took effect on Saturday. (Here again is our list of the key West Seattle points.)
47TH/ADMIRAL SIGNAL, FINAL PHASE: Could start as soon as today, per SDOT’s announcement last week; we’ll be checking.
LOOKING AHEAD TO NEXT SATURDAY: Road closures on Highway 99 as part of the Seattle Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon and Half-Marathon. Northbound 99 is set to be closed 5 am-3:30 pm from S. Hudson (which is south of the West Seattle Bridge) to Roy St. (lower Queen Anne) – here’s the full list of closures.
7:33 AM: As the “Shell No” group had demonstrated at Marginal/Spokane again on Saturday and mentioned plans for today on its website, we just went by to check – nobody in view as of 7:30 am. Another note: Fog on the water, and we just heard a foghorn sounding from the Fauntleroy ferry dock vicinity, so if you’re traveling by water this morning, might be some effects.
In West Seattle Crime Watch tonight:
ALKI ROBBERY REPORTS: No details on these yet – weekend information is almost impossible to get from SPD and we haven’t heard directly from anyone involved – but two street robberies have been reported in Alki in the past two nights, according to SPD auto-tweets: Just before 9 tonight in the 2700 block of Alki (which might explain the sirens we’ve been asked about by several people – until now, we’d only heard of a medic response in the area too, don’t know if it was related), and one around 10 last night in the 5800 block of SW Lander (near Whale Tail Park). We’ll be pursuing the reports tomorrow.
ALSO IN ALKI – STOLEN BICYCLE: A silver Specialized #24 bicycle was stolen from Alki Elementary earlier this evening, according to a text from its owner’s parent, who described the thief as “teenager, skinny, buzz cut, white male.” If you see one abandoned, please let police know, and comment here.
THEFT AT WESTWOOD TARGET: Just in from Mary, via e-mail:
I know this is a long shot, but this morning I was shopping at Target at Westwood and while my back was turned, someone took my rectangular lime green purse/wallet out of my cart. My keys were attached to it, on a purple carabiner clip, with a Lego R2D2 keychain and a Lego Darth Vader keychain. I was left with no way to pay for my groceries and no way to get into my car to get home!
All the cards in it have been cancelled (as far as I know) and there is nothing of much value there, but if someone should flip through it and then throw it on the ground somewhere at Westwood or in the area, it would bring me a great deal of peace of mind to have whatever’s left of it back – especially my keys, since the keys were attached to my purse and ID, I’m going to have to change the locks at my house, and I don’t even know what to do about my cars, which will remain parked at the address that is easily accessible from my purse. I think it will be days before I can sleep at night.
Please let police know *and* comment here if you’ve seen what Mary’s missing.
This morning, David texted us about new public-service announcements on Metro buses, saying they were loud, annoying, and too frequent. Looking around the infosphere today, we saw this mentioned by others, especially via Twitter. And now – a text from Metro itself, pointing to its online post saying they’re being scrapped:
Boy, did we hear from riders this weekend! We tried out three new on-board public service announcements to improve safety on Metro buses, but it sure didn’t turn out the way we hoped or expected. …
What is NOT being scrapped – the new additions and restorations to Metro service – tomorrow will be the first weekday since they’ve taken effect, so be sure you plan your trip with that in mind. (Here again is our West Seattle overview.)
By Randall Hauk
Reporting for West Seattle Blog
The Family Learning Program, a West Seattle organization dedicated to providing “classes, clubs, and community for homeschooling families,” marked the end of its fourth academic year with its annual “Summer Send-Off” Friday at Southwest Teen Life Center in Westwood.
In addition to the program’s usual course schedule, program participants were invited to participate in a potluck luncheon and “fun zone” activities, including a variety of field-game races. Additionally, the FLP steering committee used the occasion to conduct the program’s inaugural scholarship fundraiser, raising $1,600 through a silent auction.
When the program launched in 2011 at what was then the Southwest Community Center, with which it partners in presenting the program, 25 families were participating, mostly from the West Seattle community it was created to serve. Of the nearly 80 families in the recently concluded session, some traveled from as far as Shoreline and Tacoma.
“When we founded this, there was no community for a diverse variety of homeschooling philosophies in West Seattle,” says Kathleen Lonergan, one of the program’s founders. “That is what we wanted to be.“
If you haven’t gone to a candidate forum yet in the first-ever City Council District 1 (West Seattle/South Park) race yet – maybe you don’t just want to sit down and listen to people answering questions from a table up at the front of the room – tomorrow night’s event in Pigeon Point might be for you. The Pigeon Point Neighborhood Council has invited the candidates over for a round of “candi-dating” – circulating from table to table, so you and your tablemates get to talk with one candidate at a time. That’s at 7 pm Monday (June 8th), Pathfinder K-8 cafeteria (1901 SW Genesee), all welcome. The primary election is August 4th, so the start of voting is only about six weeks away.
Last night at the annual Pacific Northwest Emmy Awards ceremony, “Diver Laura” James and her colleagues on that 2014 KCTS report about the sea-star die-off won! Laura shared this photo of herself with her newest Emmy:
“Solving the Mystery of Dying Starfish” also brought Emmys to producer Katie Campbell and editor Michael Werner. The full list of this year’s regional Emmy Award recipients is here.
3:55 PM: Third big fire response of the day, this time to a 2-story apartment building in the 8800 block of Delridge Way SW (near Trenton). The first units on the scene aren’t seeing anything so far. More to come.
3:58 PM: Most of the units are being canceled after firefighters found this to be a case of “food on the stove,” saying the resulting kitchen fire is out.
4:04 PM: Our crew says one unit is left at the scene, and traffic along Delridge is not affected.
(WSB photos)
A midday call today sent us over for a look at the South Park Bridge, where someone wondered what was being hung off its west side. The photos show what we found – another installation for the Duwamish Revealed art project we’ve been covering recently. This is “Cultivate: A River Tapestry,” described as follows on the DR website: “A colorful installation made of recycled materials, Cultivate represents the river’s rebirth and has been created with assistance by community volunteers.”
The artist is Catherine Grisez; the installation even has its own Facebook page. We published an overview of Duwamish Revealed last weekend, after checking out one installation at West Seattle’s Jack Block Park, and also stopped by the Friday night opening at and around its biggest creation, the “Estuary” arrangement of cargo containers. You can explore the locations and creations all summer; they stretch from West Seattle to Tukwila, as shown on this clickable map with pop-up descriptions.
(Today’s sunrise, photographed by Kimberly Newlove)
More summer-ish weather on the way today! So we’re starting with:
STAYING COOL – SPRAYPARK & PUBLIC POOLS: First, a reminder that city-run wading pools are NOT open yet – still a few weeks away. Highland Park Spraypark (1100 SW Cloverdale) *is* open every day, 11 am-8 pm. Our area’s only public outdoor swimming pool, city-run Colman Pool in Lincoln Park, is open for another pre-season weekend day today, noon-7 pm (schedule here). And indoor city-run Southwest Pool (2801 SW Thistle) has sessions between 11 am and 6 pm today (schedule here).
Here’s what else is up:
FINAL IN-THE-LOT FARMERS’ MARKET: 10 am-2 pm, as noted here last night, it’s the final West Seattle Farmers’ Market in the longtime parking lot location at 44th/Alaska – starting NEXT Sunday (June 14th), the market moves out into California SW between Oregon and Alaska.
WEST SEATTLE ULTIMATE FAMILY FRISBEE: 10 am at Fairmount Park. (Fauntleroy/Brandon)
SOCCER SEASON FINALE: Last Sunday afternoon of games all over the peninsula for the West Seattle Soccer Club‘s Champions League season.
BEACH NATURALISTS: Today’s low tide isn’t all that low – -1.0 feet at 3:04 pm – but low enough that Seattle Aquarium beach naturalists are out at Constellation and Lincoln Parks, 1:45-4:15 pm.
CHORAL CONCERT: 3 pm at Admiral Congregational Church, enjoy the West Seattle-based Seattle Metropolitan Glee Club‘s spring concert. (California/Hill)
FIVE BUCK BAND: Live music at C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor), 3-5 pm. (5612 California SW)
VISITING FROM RUSSIA: 5 pm at Peace Lutheran Church in Gatewood, the St. Petersburg Men’s Ensemble performs.
PREVIEW THE WEEK AHEAD … via our calendar! (And if you have an event coming up that you think belongs on it – please send us the info, plain text in the body of your e-mail, at least a week in advance – editor@westseattleblog.com – thank you!)
(WSB photos)
4:59 AM: Now there’s a second major fire call: This time, to an apartment building at 3000 SW Avalon Way (map). “Heavy smoke” reported on the first floor; they’re closing Avalon. Updates to come.
5:04 AM: Via scanner, we heard fire crews saying they’ve “pulled a burning five-gallon bucket” out of the building and are slowing down the rest of the response.
5:07 AM: This fire is reported to be under control and firefighters are working on building ventilation, one floor at a time.
5:18 AM: Scanner: This is being described as “suspicious.” An investigator’s on the way.
5:20 AM: They’re calling this fire “tapped.” Also: This is a condominium building, NOT apartments – City View West Condominiums, to be specific. 16-unit building.
5:24 AM: No word of any injuries here, either. Some SFD units are being canceled. The incident commander confirms it’s being investigated as “suspicious” and says the materials that originated the fire were found in a stairwell.
5:36 AM: SFD confirms no one was hurt.
7:46 AM: In the photo above are SPD arson investigators who were called out to help look into the cause.
(WSB photos)
4:40 AM: Big Seattle Fire response on the way to a possible house fire in the 3100 block of SW 103rd. More to come.
4:46 AM UPDATE: The first crews on scene are reporting this to be an attic/vent fire. They say the person who was home got out OK. Some of the units that were dispatched are being canceled.
4:55 AM UPDATE: Our crew on the scene reports “obvious smoke” and firefighters ventilating the roof.
5:02 AM UPDATE: Our crew says this is believed to be an electrical fire. No injuries reported. Not major. We’ll continue monitoring via scanner as they move on to another West Seattle fire.
5:04 AM UPDATE: The address of this fire has been updated to the 10200 block of 31st SW (updated map here). No injuries reported.
5:27 AM UPDATE: Talking to a supervisor at the aforementioned other (unrelated but almost concurrent) fire scene, we got confirmation this was a wiring fire – (added) apparently the old power meter overheated.
(MORE INFO ADDED Sunday night – scroll down)
Start of the swim. pic.twitter.com/pzM6pe6GkS
— Andrew Malinak (@AndrewSwims) June 6, 2015
That’s how Andrew Malinak began his almost-19-mile swim from Tacoma to West Seattle today – something only one other person was known to have done before – and late this afternoon, he confirmed via Twitter, he made it! Here’s the MarineTraffic.com track of his escort boat:
We previewed his “Return of Bert Thomas” swim here earlier this week; Thomas swam the route southbound in 1956. Malinak says he hopes to emulate Thomas in one other feat later this year, swimming the Strait of Juan de Fuca, something he tried two years ago.
P.S. After arriving at Lincoln Park, Malinak told us via Twitter, the first thing he did was go “down the water slide at Colman Pool”!
P.P.S. If you’re a geek about details, as we are, check out the 24-page plan for today’s swim.
ADDED SUNDAY NIGHT: Some followup info we’ve obtained from Malinak (who is 28, in case you were wondering): It took 8 hours and 42 minutes, 8:43 am to 5:25 pm. “The whole day went amazingly well: with an on-time departure (2 minutes early), an amazing crew, great weather with sun and lighter-than-forecast winds, a lack of curious orcas, and a route that matched perfectly with the predictions.” Before he tries swimming the Strait in mid-September, he plans to do something he says no one’s done yet – a solo swim around Bainbridge Island.
After 16 years, tomorrow (Sunday, June 7th) is the last West Seattle Farmers’ Market (WSB sponsor) in the 44th/Alaska parking lot. 
Starting one week later, on June 14th – as first announced three months ago – you’ll shop the WSFM out in the street, like many other neighborhood farmers’ markets. Starting on that date, the market’s new home will be on California SW between Alaska and Oregon, which will be closed to vehicles 7 am-4 pm on Sundays as a result. This means more vendors, more local nonprofits, more room to roam as you shop and enjoy The Junction on a Sunday, and if you’re wondering about parking, the market move opens up 45 spaces in the 44th/Alaska lot. If you have questions – stop by the market-management booth on the north side of the market lot 10 am-2 pm tomorrow. (P.S. Here’s some of what will be happening on the first day in the street.)
EDITOR’S NOTE: Earlier this year, WSB reader Jerry sent us a postal-mail letter expressing concern about the future of White Center’s B & D Aquarium, the only aquarium-supplies store for miles around. He asked us to do a story. Took a while, but here it is – first published on our partner site White Center Now, republished here tonight.
Story and photos by Randall Hauk
Reporting for West Seattle Blog & White Center Now
“I’ve been hanging on so long, I’ll hang on as long as I can.”
Being a brick-and-mortar retailer these days can be a challenging prospect, even for businesses which have accumulated decades of expertise in their industry while serving their community.
Such is the case with White Center’s B & D Aquarium, regarded by many Puget Sound-area hobbyists as a valuable resource for serious hobbyists, who rave about the shop’s knowledgeable staff and the intense care paid to keep healthy stock available.
B & D’s owner, who prefers to be identified only as P.D. (“That’s what all my friends call me.”), started his business in 1972, at 35th SW & Roxbury. Listen to P.D. tell his story:
The current location at 10450 15th Ave SW (next to the White Center Eagles), with a large Clown Loach painted on the north-facing side, is the fourth iteration of the store.
Next Saturday, it’s two ways in one day to get involved with Seal Sitters and others who care about the local environment and wildlife. They’re separate events – you can participate in one or both – but since both are happening next Saturday, and requesting RSVPs, we’re telling you about them together:
(Photo by David Hutchinson)
SENTINELS OF THE SOUND BEACH CLEANUP (9 am-11:30 am)
Tying in with our theme of marine debris for Flipper Fest, we are having a beach cleanup at Alki on Saturday morning, June 13th, from 9-11:30 am. It will be a very low tide that day and we expect to find a lot of trash and most certainly at least 1,000 cigarette butts – of the estimated 360 billion that are discarded every year in the U.S. alone, all the while leaching toxic chemicals into the soil and waterways. Since most marine debris originates from land, we will be scouring the streets and sidewalks along the beach as well.
We hope to have a big turnout of passionate people who want to help keep wildlife safe. For more details, you can visit our website events page. There you will find info on West Seattle seal pup Sandy and the Arroyos gray whale, in whose honor we hold these annual beach cleanups.
We’re requesting that folks RSVP on the link included on the events page so that we can ensure we have enough buckets and other materials on hand. NOAA’s Peggy Foreman will give a short talk about the human trash found in the Arroyos whale before we disperse. PAWS Wildlife will have a representative there to discuss seal pup rehab. We’ll assemble at the Statue of Liberty plaza.
And then a bit later …
(Photo by Robin Lindsey)
SEAL SITTERS NEW VOLUNTEER TRAINING: JUNE 2015 SESSION
When: Saturday, June 13, 2015
Time: 1 – 3:30 pm
Training starts promptly at 1 (doors open at 12:30)
RSVP required (see below)Help protect wildlife! Volunteer with Seal Sitters Marine Mammal Stranding Network. On Saturday afternoon, June 13th, we will be holding a special training for those wanting to protect marine mammals along the shoreline of West Seattle and the Duwamish River. Unlike most marine mammal stranding networks, we encourage children to participate in Seal Sitters – supervised at all times, of course, by a parent or guardian. We are so proud of our amazing and dedicated volunteers who are on duty rain or shine – we hope you will join us!
A multi-media presentation will illustrate Seal Sitters MMSN’s educational work in the community and the unique challenges of protecting seals and other marine mammals in an urban environment. Included in the training is an overview of NOAA’s Western Region Marine Mammal Stranding Network and biology and behavior of seals and other pinnipeds (due to time frame, supplementary sessions will include more marine mammals of Puget Sound).
FOR MORE DETAILS AND RSVP, visit Seal Sitters’ event page . RSVP is required to assure seating.
Have a vehicle that needs to be washed? First benefit car wash of the (almost) summer season – that we’ve heard of, anyway. It’s for the Seattle Lutheran High School cheer squad and they’re washing vehicles at the West Seattle Eagles parking lot in The Junction (4426 California SW) until 3:30 today, $10 donation.
9:54 AM: We’re in the gym at Southwest Teen Life Center, where the Delridge Projects Workshop is just getting under way – and if you’re not here yet, it’s not at all too late. Until about 10 am, people are wandering around checking out info-easels on the three “projects” in question – involving transportation, neighborhood planning, and “natural drainage” (raingardens and more). Then the agenda says about 15 minutes of introductions will follow, and then people who are here will get to spend 30 minutes finding out and talking about each of the “projects” – whenever you get here, just drop in on one of the sessions, which are scattered around the gym. It’s slated to wrap up at 11:45 am with entertainment – a performance by local youth. We’re checking out the transportation project first and will add some notes as this goes along.
10:09 AM: “The fact that you’re here shows that Delridge is on the move,” said Willard Brown of Delridge Neighborhoods Development Association, co-emceeing the introduction, including acknowledging members of a community advisory team that’s been working on all this. This gathering itself is another in the city’s series of experiments with different formats of “community engagement” – city officials have been heard to acknowledge that it’s hard to draw people to a standard-format community meeting, so they’re trying a variety of formats (and a lot of surveys!) to see what works. We talked with one rep here who said that they’ve reached out by sending someone door-to-door to personally talk with residents, and in another area of the city, attendees at a meeting like this almost invariably said they’d heard about it from the person who showed up at their doors.
10:25 AM: We’re sitting in on the “Delridge Multi-Modal Corridor” presentation first with SDOT’s Sara Zora, who reminds everyone that the speed limit on Delridge will change to 30 mph this year. A table in this corner is making the presentation simultaneously in Vietnamese (as seen in part of our Instagram clip above). Timeline for this project: “Conceptual designs and evaluation of alternatives” August-December, another phase of “public engagement” starting in January, and design stretching over most of 2016. Then it’s on to small-table discussions; here, one group is offering suggestions as well as critiques of current conditions along and just off Delridge.
10:42 AM UPDATE: The format might not be allowing as much time as these discussions need – it seems this table is just getting going, barely 10 minutes of talking, when bells are ringing and announcements are declaring everyone needs to wrap it up and move to another “station.” Acoustics in here are a challenge. We’re moving over to the “Natural Drainage Systems” station – raingardens, bioswales, Combined Sewer Overflow-reduction projects have been talked about a lot in West Seattle in the past five-plus years, and here the specific focus is to reduce pollution (much of which comes from rainwater runoff) in Longfellow Creek. … Update: The map here has marked streets that might be good candidates for “natural drainage” but the city reps are hoping participants will help them identify the best candidates – maybe synergizing with other priority projects, for example. People have asked about other projects – the CSO work at Delridge/Orchard, the RainWise offerings in the county’s project areas – and the city reps have explained those too.
11:11 AM: A lot of what the “natural drainage” team is hearing so far has to do with concerns about lack of sidewalks and other pedestrian facilities in the area – one woman is telling them it’s “unconscionable” for the city to be spending money on raingardens instead of installing sidewalks in areas where they’re missing. On the positive side, side conversations are starting between neighbors who might not have met before – one involved community gardening, for example. Now it’s on to the third “station,” which for us is the North Delridge Action Plan.
11:51 AM: The Action Plan station consisted entirely of small conversations – two, three people – near the easels about specific “nodes” in North Delridge (the Brandon Node business district-let, the Campus Node in the Delridge Community Center/Youngstown Cultural Arts Center area, the Sylvan/Orchard Node area, etc.). Now the event is wrapping with the preview of the Rec-Tech program youth-media-program-produced video about Delridge; the full version will be shown during the Delridge Day festival in August.
(Seattle Chinese Garden from the air, by Long Bach Nguyen. Open today, 11:30 am-5 pm!)
We start today’s preview with a transportation reminder:
METRO TRANSIT SCHEDULE CHANGES TODAY: That includes service addition/restoration from what you’re paying via voter-approved Prop. 1. Our West Seattle breakdown is here.
Now, the highlights of what else is happening, from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:
WEST SEATTLE LIONS PANCAKE BREAKFAST: 8 am-11 am at the Senior Center of West Seattle, $6/person at the door, no advance tickets required; details here.
TLC FOR LINCOLN PARK: 9 am, meet Friends of Lincoln Park in the main lot; wear long sleeves/pants and sturdy shoes/boots. (Fauntleroy & Rose)
DELRIDGE PROJECTS WORKSHOP: 3-in-1 way to talk about how you’d like to see eastern West Seattle improve, explained here. 9:30-noon at Southwest Teen Life Center. (2801 SW Thistle)
CAR WASH: 9:30 am-3:30 pm at the West Seattle Eagles lot in The Junction, $10 car washes to benefit the Seattle Lutheran High School cheer squad. (4426 California SW)
CHILDREN’S CLOTHING GIVEAWAY: 10 am-2 pm at Neighborhood House’s High Point Center; details in our calendar listing. (6400 Sylvan Way)
BE A SOUTHWEST SEATTLE HISTORICAL SOCIETY VOLUNTEER: 11 am-1 pm, be at the Log House Museum to find out why you can help without having to be a history expert. Lots of ways to help the volunteer-powered Southwest Seattle Historical Society. (61st/Stevens)
BARBECUE COOKOFF BENEFIT FOR FOOD BANKS: 11:30 am-2:30 pm at Daystar Retirement Village, come have a barbecue lunch and help the West Seattle and White Center Food Banks. Everybody welcome! Info here. (2615 SW Barton)
KITTY HARBOR’S FIRST WEEKEND: West Seattle’s nonprofit cat/kitten adoption center is officially open for the season, noon-5 pm; details here. (3422 Harbor SW)
COLMAN POOL: Another pre-season weekend starts today at the outdoor pool on the shore of Lincoln Park – noon-7 pm; see the schedule here.
ALKI POINT LIGHTHOUSE TOURS: First free tour at 1, last at 3:40, with U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary volunteers. (3201 Alki SW)
WEST SEATTLE HIGH SCHOOL ALL-SCHOOL REUNION: 2 pm, sign in at WSHS; 3-5:30 pm, gather with your fellow WSHS alums, as detailed in our calendar listing. (3000 California SW)
LEUKEMIA CUP REGATTA: If you notice the sailboats in the bay this afternoon – the fundraising Leukemia Cup Regatta starts from Magnolia at 2 pm.
FOR WINE LOVERS: 3-8 pm at South Seattle College (WSB sponsor), last of three days for the Northwest Wine Academy‘s spring-release event. North end of campus. (6000 16th SW)
MEET AUTHOR ARLEEN WILLIAMS: 3-6 pm, she’ll be at Beveridge Place Pub, as previewed in our Friday look at upcoming author events. (6413 California SW)
FUNDRAISER FOR CSWS: The Community School of West Seattle‘s scholarship fund is the beneficiary of a night of fun at Emerald City Trapeze Arts, starting at 6 pm – details here. (2702 6th Ave. S.)
WEST SEATTLE MEANINGFUL MOVIES: Doors at 6:30 pm for “Do the Math,” movie at 7 followed by discussion and community announcements; details in our calendar listing. Neighborhood House’s High Point Center. (6400 Sylvan Way)
BON-FULTON @ C & P: 7-9 pm, C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor) hosts live music, no cover. (5612 California SW)
AND OF COURSE THERE’S EVEN MORE … if you check our calendar.
One last set of scenes from Friday night before we move on to Saturday – lanterns and lights in a variety of forms, on the shore and the bay.
This was from the “illuminated flotilla” procession marking World Environment Day, following a concert presented by the Vashon-based Backbone Campaign on the protest barge “Solar Pioneer” off Don Armeni. We counted about 30 kayaks as well as the sailboat above.
Seattle Police Harbor Patrol was in evidence throughout (and we saw the Coast Guard’s smaller vessels in the early going)
On shore, lights included giant tulips as well as these salmon:
The kayaks eventually paddled past Seacrest, toward Jack Block, then turned around.
For those who’ve been asking about the concerts and events on the barge, which apparently have been audible all the way up the hill into Admiral, the ShellNo website lists a “jazz band” for tonight, no further details.
When we previewed the four-month “Duwamish Revealed” art project last weekend, our introduction happened to be signs that were turning heads at Jack Block Park. But what’s “revealed” in this exploration is so much more, as shown off during opening night Friday, not in West Seattle but right across the water at T-108 Park – a triple-digit crowd came to see the cargo-container sculpture called Estuary, by Christian French.
We stopped by for a quick look just before sunset, as showgoers were getting ready for live performances at the site (which will be home to many – next one in two weeks). This is just one of the installations you can check out, at sites from West Seattle to Tukwila – explore the official website to consider where to go and what to see in the megaproject coordinated by artistic directors Nicole Kistler and Sarah Kavage.
Such a busy Friday night, we didn’t get to stop by the West Seattle Tool Library for this visit of a past and potentially future presidential candidate – but thanks to Chas Redmond for sharing the photo of Dr. Jill Stein. He says about 25 people were there to hear from and talk with her in the North Delridge evening sunshine. Dr. Stein was the Green Party‘s candidate in 2012 and with 456,169 votes became “the most successful female presidential candidate in U.S. history.” She formed an exploratory committee earlier this year to consider seeking the Green Party nomination again for 2016.
(Added: Photos by WSB’s Christopher Boffoli)
10:54 PM: Don’t know yet what they’re looking for, but police are searching the Broadstone Sky construction site at 40th/Edmunds right now – thanks to the people who texted us that tip. And we’re mentioning it because you are likely to see/hear the Guardian One helicopter in the area shortly if you’re not already – they happened to be up and available, so they offered to help. If/when we find out more, we’ll update.
11:42 PM UPDATE: WSB’s Christopher Boffoli went over to see what more he could find out. Police told him they started searching the site after neighbors called to say they were hearing noises – they were still looking when he left. Guardian One didn’t spot anyone but the police officers at the site.
Three West Seattle Crime Watch reports:
ADMIRAL GUNFIRE: What sounded like gunshots just before midnight last night in the 2600 block of 45th SW (map) did turn out to be gunshots – but neighbors didn’t know for about 18 hours.
A neighbor who heard them texted us after calling police. Via scanner, we heard officers dispatched to check them out, but heard nothing more, until seeing an SPD auto-tweet this afternoon mentioning “property damage” in that same block. We texted our original tipster to ask if they’d ever found evidence of gunshots. She went out to check – and discovered shell casings had turned up in the street. We were in the area so we stopped by the neighborhood to photograph the shell casings in the street and planting strip as neighbors waited for police to return. Turned out, they told us, the “property damage” was a shot-out car window down the block (no photo, as we couldn’t find it), close to the far southwestern corner of the back playground at Lafayette Elementary. Silver lining to the non-silver bullets: Neighbors who hadn’t met before were out in the street getting acquainted.
UPDATE: We have since heard from the owner of the car window hit by a bullet, who sent this photo:
While the windshield wasn’t technically “shot out,” they pointed out, it still has to be replaced.
(back to original report) 18TH/BARTON ROBBERY: Also early this morning, an e-mail question came in about a SPD tweet logged as “armed street robbery” on Thursday evening in the same area that was the topic of a discussion by neighbors and police at a community-council meeting this week. We hadn’t heard anything about it at the time but have since procured the report from SPD. The robbery was reported to have happened around 4:15 pm; officers finally found the victim a few blocks from the scene around 5:30 pm and reported that he seemed intoxicated and did not want to file a report. Nonetheless, they wrote one from what few details he had given – that two people described only as “Hispanic males” had held him up at knifepoint and taken a gold ring and glasses from him. They asked the victim repeatedly if he felt safe staying in the area, and said he would not answer.
CAR PROWL IN NEW GARAGE: First Crime Watch reader report since the Spruce/LA Fitness underground garage at 39th/Alaska opened recently: Jim e-mailed to say, “My Subaru Outback was broken into on Thursday evening between 8 and 8:30 pm June 4. I was on the p1 level under the new LA Fitness club in West Seattle. Two windows were broken out and a backpack stolen.”
| 6 COMMENTS