West Seattle, Washington
29 Wednesday
1:37 PM: We’ve heard from a few people about that sighting off Lincoln Park – and just got the photo from Paul via the WSB Flickr group. He and others wondered if it’s in distress; we pointed them to Seal Sitters – our area’s and Paul reports they suggested it might be a “rafting” sea lion, which, now that we’ve seen the photo, we would tend to agree. Paul points out the apparent injury on the sea lion’s fin. We’re not sure what if anything can be done to check on whether it’s in distress, but did want to publish this to share some information for anyone else who notices it – the photo makes it clear it’s not a whale, which some had suspected. (Here’s a 2011 story featuring photos of sea lions rafting and fishing, also off Lincoln Park; rafting is also explained toward the end of this page on the Seal Sitters website.)
11:59 PM: See comments for a vigorous discussion and more information, including the correction that this was “sailing” rather than “rafting.”
That’s the trailer for “Midway,” a film by photographer/filmmaker Chris Jordan telling the story of plastics pollution in the Pacific through birds whose stomachs are filled with it. On Tuesday, March 25th, Jordan will be the public keynote speaker for this year’s World Water Week at Chief Sealth International High School – plastics pollution is the focus of the fourth annual edition of the weeklong “idea festival” organized by social-studies teacher Noah Zeichner and his students, as explained here:
We started WWW four years ago during our first year as an international school. We chose the theme of water because we thought it would be relevant to students and teachers and of course, it is one of the most critical global issues on the planet. WWW is a weeklong series of assemblies, synchronous lessons, a student conference, evening keynotes, service learning, and celebration. Each of the four years has had a sub-theme. The first year it was global scarcity and local conservation. The second year was food security. Last year was sanitation (toilets). This year’s theme is plastic pollution. We wanted to help students see the interconnections between all of these complex global issues, with water at the center of it all.
Students leading WWW this year are 11th graders Aisaya Corbray and Paloma Robertson with the support of senior Tasha Addington-Ferris, with dozens of others working in support. World Water Week also is tying in this year with the Sealth 9th graders’ Water, Ecology, and Sustainability Team (WEST) Project, which they will be presenting to 8th graders at adjacent Denny International Middle School. The WEST Project work will be on display during a resource fair preceding Chris Jordan’s appearance on March 25th, and the WWW team hopes you will join them that night. Here’s the full schedule of what they will be working on, including a student conference all day Wednesday, March 26th. Stand by for more as WWW gets closer.
(Barrow’s goldeneyes, photographed by Flickr member “old desolate,” shared via WSB Flickr group)
With an inch of rain reported overnight, it’s excellent weather for waterfowl. All of the following, meantime, happens indoors, so you don’t need feathers, webbing, or even an umbrella. From the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:
‘FAMILY LOVE LETTERS’: A free workshop described as “estate planning with a heart,” 11 am at Alki Community Center. (5817 SW Stevens)
SUPPORT GROUP FOR PARENTS OF BABIES: The “Early Days” drop-in support group meets Wednesdays in the classroom at Nurturing Expressions (WSB sponsor), noon-2 pm. Details here. (4746 44th SW, upstairs)
DRAZE AT WEST SEATTLE HIGH SCHOOL: Not a public event, but worth noting in advance – WSHS students will be hearing today from a local musician whose newest song/video addresses a topic relevant to our area and others around the city (and beyond) – neighborhood changes. Announced by teacher Rebecka McKinney:
Seattle rapper, Draze, will be at West Seattle High School to talk about racism and gentrification to hundreds of WSHS students as a follow up to their recent units on racism through the plays Fences (12th grade) and A Raisin in the Sun (9th grade). Draze will also perform his recently released song, “The Hood Ain’t the Same.”
In a time when gentrification is receiving national and local attention, this is a great opportunity for WSHS students to think critically about the issue and how racism continues to impact equity.
(3000 California SW)
SOMALI STORY TIME: All are invited to the High Point Library for stories, rhymes, and fun entirely in the Somali language, 5 pm. (35th and Raymond)
MINIMUM WAGE HEARING: The City Council’s Select Committee on Minimum Wage and Income Inequality officially kicks off its work at 6 pm tonight with a public hearing at Town Hall downtown. Full details here. (1119 Eighth Avenue)
SOUTHWEST DISTRICT COUNCIL: This group of reps from community councils and other organizations around western West Seattle has its monthly meeting at 6:30 pm, Senior Center of West Seattle in The Junction. All welcome. (California/Oregon)
JIM PAGE AT C & P: Singer-songwriter Jim Page performs live tonight at C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor), 7 pm. (5612 California SW)
‘THIRD’: Opening night for ArtsWest‘s new production “Third,” written by Wendy Wasserstein. 7:30 pm curtain. (4711 California SW)
Remember that splash of sunshine on Monday afternoon? It arrived at just the right moment for the West Seattle High School baseball team, parent Greg Slader reports:
High School Baseball started on Monday and West Seattle enjoyed a brief glimpse of sunshine at Monday’s practice. This year’s team returns 10 seniors from last year’s team, which made a fantastic run in the state tournament to 2nd place. The pre-season jamboree is scheduled for March 15th in Liberty @ 10 am.
After that, the WSHS team has two games at home at Hiawatha, hosting Garfield on March 18th and Ballard on March 20th. Two games against crosstown rival Chief Sealth International High School are on the schedule for April 30th (at Southwest Athletic Complex) and May 2nd (at home).
(Latest bridge and Viaduct views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
At least at the moment, the rain’s a lot lighter than it was just a few hours ago. But the overnight deluge has left “standing water” – aka big puddles – in many a place, so please be careful, however you’re getting around.
I-5 WORK THIS WEEKEND: More expansion-joint (earthquake safety) work is happening late Friday through early Monday – this time, resulting in collector-distributor lane closures on northbound I-5; full details here.
7:43 AM UPDATE: Thanks to the texter (206-293-6302 any time) who reports the roadway is “totally under water” on West Marginal Way SW, just north of Highland Park Way.
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
Punctuating two Seattle Police witnesses’ testimony about evidence, a passerby witness was put on the stand Tuesday by the prosecution in the Morgan Junction murder trial.
They started the day listing six witnesses they thought they would get through – but in the end, only three of them were heard from, the first one a holdover from Monday, the third one to continue today.
Between legal arguments and breaks, total testimony time tends to add up to about 4 1/2 hours a day.
As Tuesday began with SPD fingerprint examiner Betty Newlin continuing on the stand, questioned by deputy prosecuting attorney Mari Isaacson, the subject was fingerprints and their presence or lack of same on pieces of evidence in the case.
(Substituted for original “live” picture: Image captured when SFD was still on scene)
10:22 PM: As the “live” camera shows – there’s an emergency response near Walking On Logs alongside the west end of the West Seattle Bridge. It started as a heavy-rescue call, but that was reduced; one caller tells us it’s a rollover – we have a crew en route to check.
(Photos by Christopher Boffoli for WSB – note the vehicle on its side, at left)
10:35 PM: No injuries reported – the fire units have all been canceled, and a tow truck is being summoned. The scene is all but inaccessible from the West Seattle side but we note via the traffic camera’s live picture that the car is still visible, on its side. At the top of this story, we’re substituting a frame grab from about 15 minutes ago, when fire units were still on scene.
11:08 PM: Added photos by Christopher Boffoli, who said public-safety personnel at the scene mentioned the vehicle’s occupants had crawled out – which explains why the “heavy rescue” call was canceled. The vehicle’s been towed and traffic is again flowing normally in the area, described by Christopher as about 30 feet from Walking on Logs.
Chris McCall is rounding up some help for a neighborhood problem – and that broken glass is one of the symptoms:
We are starting a block watch because of vandalism and theft that has resulted from teens hanging out on the Hanford St. Stairs one block north of Madison Middle School.
Teens meet there to buy or sell pot, smoke pot, and drink liquor (that is probably stolen from parents, such as the smashed bottle of dragon fruit-infused SKY vodka currently there).
Some neighbors are scared to use the stairs at any time, and little children have to be careful of broken glass.
If you would like to help make these stairs safer and cleaner, please join us for a block watch meeting.
When: Tuesday, March 11th at 7 pm
Where: At the top of the stairs – 4516 SW Hanford St. (map)
Who: Mark Solomon from the Seattle Police Department will meet with us to discuss issues and how to solve them.
After Chris sent the announcement, we asked about a photo – and received the top photo showing broken glass, with the explanation, “Over the weekend, a mother and her young kids cleaned much of the litter as an act of kindness. I also put a broom on the stairs for people to use to clear broken glass.”
Later this afternoon – before we published this – Chris had a new photo to share, and an epilogue:
Walking home from school just now, I see that somebody broke the broom that I put out.
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
We are now one week away from the project at 4755 Fauntleroy Way SW, now known as The Whittaker (previously nicknamed the Whole Foods project after its anchor tenant), going to the City Council Transportation Committee for a public hearing.
The public hearing, the date for which was set last month, is your chance to comment on the “alley vacation” requested by The Whittaker’s developers – asking for City Council approval of their potential purchase of alley space on the site, for their 370-apartment, 600-parking-space mixed-use project. It includes what some have described as a new private alley, a “midblock connector” through the project. In addition to paying what the city calls fair-market value for the alley space, developers are supposed to include a package of “public benefits” in order to gain approval.
With behind-the-scenes meetings and advocacy campaigns having been long under way, the hearing is shaping up as a showdown between project supporters and opponents; the latter most notably include UFCW Local 21, which funded a campaign called “Getting It Right for West Seattle” focused on raising concerns about the project, from Whole Foods’ pay scale to potential truck traffic. The project team launched a campaign of its own recently, including this website mentioned in postal-mail cards sent to people in proximity of the project.
The Seattle Department of Transportation reviews alley-vacation requests before they go to the City Council. Last July, you might recall, then-Mayor Mike McGinn told then-SDOT director Peter Hahn not to recommend approval of the alley vacation. The SDOT staff review was not complete at that time. It is now, one week in advance of the hearing, and we have just obtained it:
(The table/attachment referenced in the document is here.) In our first quick read of the 22-page document, we note that SDOT concludes that, “Should the City Council choose to support the vacation, it is recommended that the vacation be granted upon the Petitioner meeting” conditions laid out at the end of the document – you can see the long list of those conditions in the embedded document above.
We’ll be adding more to this story later this afternoon, and we’ll have a followup looking more closely at the campaigns focused on this proposal. Next Wednesday’s hearing is at 9:30 am in City Council Chambers at City Hall downtown.
Another apartment project has surfaced in The Junction. We noticed the site, 4439 41st SW (map), last year, when eight townhouses were in the works (here’s that now-superseded proposal). Now, updated online records describe a different project making its way through the city Department of Planning and Development — a three-stories-plus-basement, ~40-apartment, 5-parking-space building, to replace a century-old home on an 8,600-square-foot lot. The land-use application was just filed Monday, so the formal notice will likely be in the Thursday Land Use Information Bulletin, but the project already has drawn public comments, some centering on its proximity to Hope Lutheran Church/School across the alley to its west, and the major increase in density around the church’s site – it’s kitty-corner from the proposed 50-unit 4505 42nd SW, north of the opening-soon 90-unit Oregon 42 apartments, and east of the proposed 80-unit Junction Flats apartments.
We just checked with King County Wastewater Treatment regarding today’s work at the 53rd Avenue Pump Station, and spokesperson Annie Kolb-Nelson tells us the crew is expecting to wrap up early. So the work that’s been affecting the sidewalk/trail zone by the pump station will likely be done closer to 1 pm than the originally announced 3 pm.
Somewhere under the rainbow – a home in Gatewood, photographed Monday afternoon by Dawn (thanks for sharing!). Don’t know if this afternoon will bring another break in the rain, but we’re marching on with the preview for today/tonight just the same:
COLLEGE NIGHT AT SSCC: 5:30-7:30 pm, South Seattle Community College (WSB sponsor) hosts a big open house for everyone from current students to potential future students to community members. Details here; it’s happening in the Brockey Center on the south side of campus. (6000 16th SW)
FAIRMOUNT PARK ELEMENTARY INFO NIGHT: 6-8 pm at Alki Elementary, another chance for prospective FP parents to meet planning principal Julie Breidenbach and find out more about the expanding/reopening school – details in our listing. (3010 59th SW)
WESTWOOD-ROXHILL-ARBOR HEIGHTS COMMUNITY COUNCIL: Agenda for tonight’s WWRHAH meeting, 6:15 pm at the Southwest Branch Library:
6:15-6:20: Introductions & Community News
6:25-6:35: State of the Council; Amanda Kay Helmick
6:35-6:40: Upcoming Elections – Who is Running?
6:40-7:10: SDOT; Jim Curtin- SDOT Update: Feedback on the SW Roxbury safety project; Update on the 35th Ave SW Safety project; Road Vibrations from buses on SW Roxbury and 26th Ave SW; 30th Ave SW Sidewalks; Q&A
7:10-7:40: Committee & Neighborhood Council Updates; What else should we work on this year?
Metro Committee: Amanda Kay Helmick; Transit Hub
Roxhill Bog Committee: Rory Donovan; Process Update
Roxhill Park Committee: Amanda Kay Helmick & Eric Iwamoto; Grant update
DNDC: Pablo
SWDC: Rory or Eric
7:40-7:45: Wrap Up: Breakdown the room; library locks up promptly at 8 pm.
(35th/Henderson)
WEST SEATTLE BOOSTER CLUB: The WS Booster Club is gearing up to help more WSHS sports than ever – but they can’t do it without you. Here’s our story from last weekend. Meeting’s at 7 pm at the West Seattle High School library. (3000 California SW)
FAT TUESDAY! MARDI GRAS EDITION OF ‘BLUES TO DO’: Weekly “Blues to Do” at Feedback Lounge (WSB sponsor) celebrates Mardi Gras with Snake Oil featuring Rod Cook and Mark Riley, plus “a short set of original boogie-woogie piano from award winning songwriter and piano man” Eric “Two Scoops” Moore. 8 pm.(6451 California SW)
Troubled times for one of the few national non-food/drink retailers with multiple stores in West Seattle. Radio Shack announced this morning that it’s closing up to 1,100 “underperforming” stores across the country – about a fifth of its locations. The company did not announce which stores it’ll close, so we don’t know whether either local outlet (Junction, Westwood Village) will be affected. The announcement came as Radio Shack announced a sales drop and operating loss last quarter. (Thanks to Bob for the tip.)
7:05 AM: Busy morning for firefighters. They’re now off to a second house-fire call – this time in the 8000 block of 45th SW (map), just east of central Lincoln Park. Not major, apparently – units still on the way are being told they can slow down. More to come.
7:09 AM: Per scanner, firefighters on scene say it’s just a furnace problem. We’re still en route to check. (Update – Our crew on scene has confirmed it.)
(Latest bridge and Viaduct views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
The morning commute is again off to a soggy start, and the forecast suggests the rain might not clear off today the way it did Monday. No traffic-slowing problems currently reported, though.
PATH WORK PLANNED: Reminder that today is the day the county was planning to do work at the 53rd Avenue Pump Station site on Alki, affecting sidewalk/trail traffic. (We’re checking to see if the rain has affected the plan.)
(Fire engine on watch in 8400 block of 20th SW; line goes to scene along the alley, out of view)
6:39 AM: Firefighters have been keeping “fire watch” this morning after putting out a fire in in the 8400 block of 20th SW (map). That means they’re guarding the scene to make sure the fire doesn’t re-ignite. No injuries, the crew on scene told us; we’ll add information about the damage and cause when that’s available later this morning.
7:44 AM: Went back for that photo after talking with the battalion chief at another fire-response scene. We’ve learned no one was home at the time of this fire, which did most of its damage in the rear of the house, facing an alley.
9:58 AM: SFD has published an update on the fire, saying a space heater was to blame; damage totals $125,000. SFD’s update includes information about home-heating safety.
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
It was back to the background as the Morgan Junction murder trial continued Monday.
With testimony concluding last week from key prosecution witness Jamie Vause, who says he saw defendant Lovett “Cid” Chambers shoot his friend Travis Hood, the lineup of witnesses returned to a focus on public-safety and criminal-justice personnel through whom lawyers wove threads of the story.
Three sections from the timeline of events were involved in Monday’s testimony, all taking place after the shooting on January 21, 2012:
*What happened when Vause brought Hood to Providence Mount St. Vincent, as told by a PMSV receptionist and Seattle Fire Department paramedic
*What happened when the Southwest Precinct Anti-Crime Team went to Chambers’ Gatewood home after he was identified as a suspect, as told by the ACT’s then-leader and two officers
*What happened when evidence was analyzed later, as told by Seattle Police and State Patrol Crime Lab personnel
Here’s our distillation of what the jury heard about all of the above:
Local restaurants are officially invited to be part of this year’s Taste of West Seattle, the big annual benefit for the West Seattle Helpline, set for Thursday night, May 15th – here’s where to go to apply. And if you’re just hoping to go sample the best of the West Seattle venues that participate, tickets also are on sale now – $95 VIP with early entry (6 pm), special raffle, and private seating area; $50 for general admission (6:30 pm). 21+. Haven’t been before? Here’s our coverage from last year.
Bail is now set at $2 million for the 20-year-old White Center man arrested Saturday (WSB coverage here) on suspicion 
he killed 46-year-old Nga Nguyen in her High Point home in December. Probable-cause documents identify him as the ex-boyfriend of Nguyen’s daughter, and say he has a history of “stalking” her. He was interviewed shortly after the killing, the documents say, and denied having been in the home recently – but investigators say fingerprints and DNA evidence at the scene matched his. The documents say that after being arrested Saturday and being read his Miranda rights, he confessed to breaking into the Nguyens’ home on High Point Drive on December 14th and killing his ex-girlfriend’s mother, who the Medical Examiner said died of blunt-force head injury and strangulation. Prosecutors have until Wednesday to file charges.
Thanks to Lance for the tip – he noticed that Zippy’s Giant Burgers is on the “reality TV” schedule tonight. It’s an episode of the Food Network show “Mystery Diners,” listed as airing at 10:30 pm. Episode synopsis: “Blaine, the owner of Zippy’s Giant Burgers in Seattle, contacts Charles to investigate rumors that his new mascot is misbehaving. Mystery Diners Nadine and John go undercover to discover exactly who is behind the mascot costume.” (Who indeed? We’ll find out tonight.)
If you’re tracking local development projects – one or more of these might be of note for your calendar. Newly added to the list of upcoming Southwest Design Review Board meetings (all of which are scheduled to happen at the Senior Center of West Seattle at Oregon/California):
(One of three early ‘massing’ – just height, shape, etc. – options proposed for 1307 Harbor)
1307 HARBOR AVENUE SW (FORMER ALKI TAVERN SITE), APRIL 3: We’ve been watching for signs of activity ever since the tavern closed a year ago (you’ll recall, its closing party was on St. Patrick’s Day of 2013). Finally, a project description has turned up on the city website:
… 6-story, 19-unit residential structure with 3,400 for restaurant and 7,000 sq.ft. of retail at ground floor. 12,000 sq.ft. of office will be located at the south end of the building. Parking for 40 vehicles to located below grade. Existing structures (residential and retail) to be demolished.
This project is tentatively set for its first SW Design Review Board meeting at 8 pm April 3rd, after the already-announced 6:30 pm fifth review of 3210 California SW.
3824 CALIFORNIA SW (FORMER CHARLESTOWN CAFE SITE), APRIL 17: When this 30-unit (townhouses and live/work) project went before the board a month ago for its first Early Design Guidance session, they asked the project team to try again (WSB coverage here). Now the date for the second presentation is set – 6:30 pm April 17th.
4505 42ND SW, APRIL 17: A second project is set for that night too – and it’s also a second round of Early Design Guidance (here’s our coverage of its first review in January). It’s 4505 42nd SW, on the southwest corner of 42nd and Oregon, 7 stories and 50 residential units.
Every March and April, local food banks participate in the Feinstein Foundation‘s annual challenge – whatever they raise during those two months qualifies them for a share of $1 million the foundation is giving to nonprofit hunger-fighting organizations. So the White Center Food Bank and West Seattle Food Bank both are hoping you will dig a little deeper through the end of next month. Here’s a message directly from the foundation’s founder, Alan Feinstein:
WHATEVER YOU DONATE TO THIS AGENCY, I WILL ADD MONEY TO IT. THE MORE YOU GIVE, THE MORE OF MY $1 MILLION THEY’LL GET—THANKS TO YOU!
Why am I doing this? Because I believe each of us was put here on earth to do what we can to help those in need. … we feel that YOU believe that, too.
My money started this campaign but it is YOU who will help decide how many needy people in your city or town will be fed this year.
This has become the greatest grass roots campaign ever to fight hunger in our country. Your donation makes you a partner in it with me!
So how can you help? One simple way – give money online. Direct links for the food banks’ online-donation pages:
*West Seattle Food Bank
*White Center Food Bank
It’s also a great time to organize a donation drive to get more people involved, via your school, workplace, neighborhood. Local food banks say this helps them in many ways, not just because of the Challenge, but because this is usually a time of year when donations slow way down – so hungry people in our community REALLY need your help.
(WSB file photo)
Just in from the West Seattle Junction Association – official word of West Seattle Summer Fest dates for this year, July 11-13, 2014. And if you want to be part of it, it’s time to start applying:
Local businesses, artists, restaurants, and non-profits are invited to participate. Our neighborhood consistently expresses interest in seeing local vendors and businesses at Summer Fest, and applying to have a booth at the festival is the first step. Please visit www.westseattlefestival.com for the application – and tell a friend!
For information on becoming a West Seattle Summer Fest sponsor, please contact WSJA Director Susan Melrose at susan@wsjunction.org.
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