West Seattle, Washington
25 Monday
Two weeks until the tax deadline .. but there’s something to look forward to once it’s past: The West Seattle Junction Association is presenting a “Tax-Free Day” of shopping and dining for the sixth year in a row. On Saturday, April 19th, watch for the red balloons marking participating retailers and restaurants in The Junction – they’ve got your back by paying your (sales) tax! See the in-progress list of participants and more details on The Junction’s website. (Balloon courtesy DesignerClipart.com)
Seldom will you hear us say “get away from the keyboard! now!” but this is one such time. If you have any view of the western sky, go see this beautiful moon for yourself. In case you can’t – or even if you can – Jason Gift Enevoldsen has shared a photo.
(P.S. You can always check the moon phases, moonset/moonrise/sunset/sunrise times, tides, and more, on the WSB West Seattle Weather page.)
An update from Lynette Jeung with the Sanislo Elementary PTA, which presents its annual 4th-grade book sale fundraiser this Saturday: She says they appreciate each and every donation they’ve been receiving, and she’s putting out one last request for more. They’ll take any type of book but books for kids are especially welcome; they are also accepting DVD and CD donations. If a donor just can’t get to the school to drop off donations, she’s looking to make one last pickup run Thursday night. If you can donate and/or if you have a question, contact Lynette at ell1970sab@gmail.com; whether you’re donating or not, go check out the sale on Saturday (April 5th), 10 am-2 pm, benefiting the 4th-grade camping trip, bring cash and/or checks. Sanislo is at 1812 SW Myrtle (map).
(WSB file photo)
Big announcement at today’s Rotary Club of West Seattle breakfast event – the summertime Grand Parade will be presented by the Rotary starting with this year’s July 19th parade, picking up the baton from American Legion Post 160.
Josh Sutton – at right in our photo above, with incoming president Shane Carew – introduced Legion reps as well as longtime parade coordinators Jim Edwards and Dave Vague, who will continue in their roles. Sutton said he was pleased to announce that the Rotary was stepping up as the Legion was stepping back; he said the parade is a vital part of the community, and that the Rotary has big shoes to fill. At left in our photo is Josh Menashe of Menashe and Sons Jewelers (WSB sponsor), which is donating $1,000 to help with parade costs. He said the parade has always been part of his life, and he’s been going to it since childhood, so his family is pleased to be able to help with an event that is so central to the community. Sutton said the Rotary Kiddie Parade that traditionally precedes the main parade will continue too …
(WSB photo from 2012 Rotary Kiddie Parade)
… as will the Float Dodger 5K, the new Rotary-co-sponsored event that is going into its third year this parade season. More later on the Rotary breakfast itself, which featured a Medal of Honor winner as special guest; meantime, ahead, the official Rotary news release we received while finishing up this story:
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3:48 PM: We promised an update if there were major developments in the Morgan Junction murder trial – and here’s one: After both sides concluded their questioning of defendant Lovett “Cid” Chambers, the defense rested its case at 3:30 this afternoon. That means both sides have now presented their versions of what happened the night Chambers shot and killed Travis Hood on January 21, 2012; the prosecution has declined the opportunity to present rebuttal evidence; so jury instructions will be prepared and presented, and lawyers for both sides will deliver their closing arguments. We’ve just had an indication there are some significant issues to debate regarding the jury instructions, so we can’t say for sure whether the closing arguments will happen tomorrow.
The trial began in early January with two months of motions and arguments involving just the lawyers and the judge, before the jury was chosen in mid-February and began hearing testimony after opening statements on February 19th. All our reports are linked in our most recent full-length update; our next one, covering today, will be published sometime late tonight/early tomorrow.
4:23 PM: Just worked out in a court session with the lawyers and Judge Theresa B. Doyle – the jury will come in at 11 tomorrow, so their instructions won’t be presented any earlier than that. Judge Doyle granted each side 2 hours for closing arguments, and there was general agreement those were highly unlikely to start before court resumes after lunch (1:30 pm), which in turn means that jury deliberations won’t begin any sooner than sometime Thursday.
WEDNESDAY MORNING NOTE: The next long-form story is running late but will be up before today’s proceedings begin, barring major breaking news.
A new store opens tomorrow at Westwood Village: Carter’s, a national chain of stores selling clothing for babies and children. (We first reported back in November that Carter’s was on the way.) A store manager tells us they’re having a “soft-open” event 4-9 pm tomorrow, and then Thursday is the official grand opening. Their hours will be 10 am-9 pm Mondays-Saturdays, 10 am-7 pm Sundays. (If you haven’t been to Westwood lately, it’s on the west-facing side of the mid-section, in the row of businesses that stretches from Eats Market Café to Pier 1 Imports.)
This Saturday at Seattle Center‘s Exhibition Hall (Mercer/3rd), Mayor Ed Murray hosts the “Neighborhood Summit” he promised to have within 100 days of taking office. If you’re thinking of going, the agenda is now available so you can make up your mind – or, if you know you’re going, you can preplan how to spend the four hours. See it here. Child care and light refreshments are promised; we see at least one West Seattle name on the list of “peer networking” participants – Cindi Barker, community-preparedness guru, who has provided lots of info here on WSB to help you get prepared. The summit’s scheduled 9 am-1 pm on Saturday, though the agenda looks conducive to dropping in for just part of it if you can’t commit to that entire time frame.
12:51 PM: We just checked out a report that Chief Sealth International High School students were asked to “shelter in place” – and here’s what Seattle Police spokesperson Det. Mark Jamieson tells us: There was a report of “somebody with a weapon at Roxhill Park area – someone on the walking path that ends at the bus stop on SW Barton, and 10 males in a group, allegedly somebody had a shotgun. The group was looking at the gun, not brandishing it or anything, somebody called it in,” and police responded. They reportedly have found who they were looking for. No shots were reported fired, no one hurt; police say Roxhill Elementary also was in “shelter in place” mode. It appears this incident is wrapping up but that’s all the information we have for now – we’ll be checking back later about possible arrest(s).
1:14 PM: Our crew circled back around to Sealth a few minutes ago and confirmed the “shelter in place” has been lifted. Same for Roxhill, and for Denny International Middle School, which also had briefly sheltered, according to Seattle Public Schools spokesperson Teresa Wippel, who said the three schools were under that status from 12:32 pm-12:59 pm, and she confirms police told SPS they had a suspect in custody.
3:07 PM: More information just in from police, via an SPD Blotter post – the person arrested was a 17-year-old with a sawed-off shotgun, and a badge, both of which were confiscated.
10:49 AM: Police are investigating two reported street robberies reported in West Seattle last night, believed to be related. 
We have heard from the victim in one that happened in The Junction – he wants to be anonymous, but wrote:
I just wanted to let readers be aware that last night, at approximately 9:00 pm, I was assaulted and robbed. There was a group of teen/young adult men waiting at the (C Line, Alaska west of California) bus stop. They followed me down a few blocks [to 46th/Alaska] and once I was alone, they rushed me, punched me several times, and grabbed at my (Timbuk3 custom messenger) bag. Once they had the bag they ran off.
In retrospect, the group seemed very suspicious from the start, like they were just looking for targets. There were about 7-10 people in the group, and they split up so they could attack me from several sides at once. I just wanted the people of West Seattle to remember to stay aware of their environment and to be safe.
The victim had told us that police mentioned another street robbery last night in the Westwood Village area. So we asked Seattle Police about that. Det. Mark Jamieson said that one was reported around 11:30 pm near the Westwood QFC and led to police contacting a “group of possible suspects” and arresting one for robbery. He says the victim told police “a group of 6-8 males and females had approached him, asked what time it was, and then assaulted him and took his cell phone. Seattle Fire also responded to treat the victim’s cuts and abrasions. The injuries did not require any further medical treatment. The victim told officers that the suspects then fled. While officers were interviewing the victim, other officers located four suspects at 35th Avenue SW and SW Roxbury Street. The victim was able to positively idenitify one of the adult males in the group, as well as a juvenile female as being involved in his attack and robbery. Both suspects were arrested and taken to the precinct. … During the investigation, officers recovered items such as credit and debit cards near the scene of the robbery.” Those cards were linked to the Junction robbery, he says, adding that the juvenile female was questioned and then released to her family. The victim in the earlier robbery, by the way, said he didn’t need medical attention, but he’s bruised.
12:20 PM: A post about the robberies on SPD Blotter also mentions a third possible case the night before.
(Fawn lilies in North Delridge, by Flickr member “old desolate,” via WSB Flickr pool)
Spring sunshine, early flowers … Tuesday dawns with sunshine. And a busy day/night ahead, as you’ll see in our highlights from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:
MATH MATERIALS REVIEW: Today through April 25th, potential math-curriculum materials for Seattle Public Schools are available for review at West Seattle Elementary; details here.
AFTER-SCHOOL NATURE HIKES: 3:15 pm at Lincoln Park with local naturalist Stewart Wechsler – see his site for registration/donation information. (8011 Fauntleroy Way SW)
WESTWOOD-ROXHILL-ARBOR HEIGHTS COMMUNITY COUNCIL: Monthly WWRHAH meeting at 6:15 pm at Southwest Library. Here are the agenda toplines:
6:15-6:20: Introductions & Community News; Delridge Grocery Co-Op, Neighborhood Summit; Seattle Center – April 5th 9:00 am-1:00 pm; Seattle 2035 at Youngstown April 9th 6:00-9:00 pm
6:25-6:30: Upcoming Elections – Who is Running? Are you?
6:30-7:00: Committee & Neighborhood Council Updates
7:00-7:10: Seattle Parks Department: Carol Baker
7:10-7:40: Seattle Police Department: Captain Steve Wilske; Welcome to West Seattle, Introductions and Q&A
All welcome. (35th/Henderson)
FREE PARENTING TALK: With Renée Metty at The Cove School; child care available with advance signup – details in our calendar listing. 6:30 pm. (3430 California SW)
WEST SEATTLE BIKE CONNECTIONS: Monthly meeting at 6:30 pm, HomeStreet Bank in The Junction. (4022 SW Alaska)
WEST SEATTLE QUILTERS: 7 pm, one of the twice-monthly meetings of this group at Senior Center of West Seattle; details in our calendar listing. (California/Oregon)
REGISTER TODAY FOR THURSDAY’S WESTSIDE AWARDS BREAKFAST! You don’t have to be a member of the West Seattle Chamber of Commerce to attend the Westside Awards breakfast this Thursday (April 3rd) and honor the stellar list of honorees just announced. 7:30 am Thursday at Salty’s on Alki (WSB sponsor) – here’s where to go to sign up.
(Photos provided by The WROC-ers; above, Ms. Ostle’s class)
Reunions aren’t just for high-school classes! This morning, we have a special announcement – with photos – for a reunion of Gatewood Elementary alums who went there more than half a century ago:
*If you attended Gatewood Elementary with the Class of ’56, reunite with your classmates on Friday, August 22nd. We will tour the remodeled Gatewood, then adjourn to Lincoln Park for a catered picnic. *
*In our day, Gatewood sixth graders went to either West Seattle or Sealth. Our 50th high-school reunions inspired us to reconnect with childhood friends from the neighborhood. The WROC-ers (‘Woodies Reunion Organizing Committee) found addresses for 70 of the former ’56ers. The first mailings are out, and the first RSVPs are in. *
(Mr. Acedo’s class)
*If you can help locate missing classmates (see the list below) or if you, a ’56er, haven’t received a flyer, please contact Bruce Thomason, papabruce@msn.com*(Ms. Covey’s class)
*Mark August 22nd on your calendar in ink! We’d love to see you.**The WROC-ers: Margaret Cullor Brown, Beth Eldred Davis, Lyn Kraatz, Carol Shipley Stoner, Bruce Thomason*
They also sent a list of people they’re looking for: “We have not found these friends from Gatewood.” – if you’re reading this from the WSB home page, click ahead to see the list:
It’s April 1st, no fooling. Not here, anyway. Above, the eastbound West Seattle Bridge; below, northbound 99 at the elevated Alaskan Way Viaduct’s south end:
Right now and any time of day/night, you can find more cameras, and other info, on the WSB Traffic page.
2 NOTES FOR BIKE RIDERS: West Seattle Bike Connections‘ monthly meeting is tonight – details here; DIY Bikes is back with a workshop Thursday night – details here.
7:49 AM: Sunglasses alert – we headed eastbound for a stretch on SW Thistle and it’s one of those mornings where the sun is RIGHT THERE.
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
“The defense calls Lovett Chambers.”
After those words from attorney Ben Goldsmith, the highest-stakes witness of the 3-month-old murder trial – the defendant himself – crossed the courtroom Monday afternoon to testify.
The day’s other major witness was his wife Sara Chambers, who was on the stand all morning and at the start of the afternoon. But she wasn’t there when he fired the fatal shots at Travis Hood on January 21, 2012, so all she could provide was context and aftermath.
Goldsmith asked outright and immediately: “Why did you shoot him?”
“To save my life,” Chambers replied.
After that zero-to-sixty opening, Goldsmith backtracked to lead Chambers through the background of his Seattle life. He met his wife at Pike Place Market (where, she testified earlier, she has sold jewelry for more than 30 years). Shortly thereafter, he started his own construction company, and was licensed in Washington and Oregon. But while en route to a bid opening for an Oregon project, he said, he was hit by a truck, breaking his back, leading to two surgeries. He decided to switch businesses and went back to school for computer-related degrees from local colleges.
They moved to West Seattle from Leschi in 1993, after buying their house (built in the 1940s, Sara Chambers had testified earlier). Chambers explained that one of its attractions was that it “sits on a one-block street, not much traffic.”
Asked about the day of the shooting, his home office is where his story began. He had been on a conference call that went so well, he was “elated” afterward: “I was happy because I got this contract … that was going to go on for possibly a couple years so we’d be ensured income.” He called his wife to tell her.
Thursday night, bring your bike to the next DIY Bikes workshop -5-8 pm at the West Seattle Tool Library. From Stu Hennessey:
Memo from the hardest-working part on your bike. OVERHAUL ME! Bicycle-wheel hubs are the hardest working part of your bicycle. They support your loads, turn the fastest and are closer to the elements such as street grime, dirt and water. Leaving them unattended results in bearing-surface wear that can make your hubs unusable. Our hub-overhaul workshop will focus on front and rear standard ball bearing hubs. DIY Bikes will provide the tools, cleaning products, replacement bearings, grease, and procedure to get your hubs running smoothly again.
The West Seattle Tool Library is on the east side of Youngstown Cultural Arts Center, 4408 Delridge Way SW.
We promised we’d start signups for this year’s West Seattle Community Garage Sale Day on March 31st – and with a few hours to go, the signup form is ready to go. Here it is! The basics:
*Sale day is Saturday, May 10, 2014.
*Official sale hours: 9 am-3 pm, but if you want to start yours earlier/end it later, that’s up to you (no late starts/early ends, though; thanks!).
*Registration gets you on the map, published on WSB and on the West Seattle Community Garage Sale Day website, as well as promoted/advertised regionally and in all our social-media channels, with online and printable versions. The map is ready a week in advance and assigns each sale a number, which you can use for cross-reference, your own promotion (“come see us, we’re sale #99!”), etc.
*Same registration fees/process as years past – all online.
P.S. If you’re reading this on a phone, there’s a mobile version of the signup form here.
P.P.S. See scenes from last year, here.
SDOT says it’s just started another round of tree-planting in West Seattle – almost 300 trees in Gatewood and near Fairmount Park, with the work to be done by May 1st. Its announcement says the trees “are all grown in Northwest nurseries.” They’ll be maintained by SDOT’s Urban Forestry division, with watering bags in place for the first two to three growing seasons. Some street-tree planting was done recently in The Junction; in addition to West Seattle, SDOT says its springtime planting is also focused on Rainier Beach, which is getting 150 new trees.
5:31 PM: Fire/police response at 42nd/Alaska in The Junction – Christopher Boffoli is there for WSB and says a vehicle and scooter collided (see his photo above). Thanks also to Mike and NLB for alerts via Twitter.
5:37 PM UPDATE: Christopher reports: “Victim appeared to be a man in his 30’s. He was transported via AMR with non-life threatening injuries. SFD has left the scene now. SPD is still mopping up. Traffic westbound on Alaska is not really affected.”
Almost every local community council got a visit in recent months from Aly Pennucci of the city Department of Planning and Development regarding potential changes in “pedestrian zoning” for business districts As part of the city’s comment-gathering, an online survey was made available. Community leaders just got word that the survey has been extended for another month – so if you haven’t taken it yet, go here. It’ll ask you first about a specific “region” – West Seattle is in the south region, so start there; next screen will ask you about specific zones. Our first coverage of this issue during a local community-council meeting was at the Morgan Community Association‘s meeting in January.
In a month – as announced here – it’ll be time for the second annual West Seattle Bee Festival. But first, the centerpiece of the celebration, the WS Bee Garden, needs you:
Looking to participate in a Community P-Patch?
The West Seattle Bee Garden, located in the Commons Park P-Patch, could use your help!
We are seeking gardeners to help with weeding, watering, planting and general maintenance of the grounds. Come be part of the pollination-garden team!
To become a Pollination Gardener, please contact Lauren Englund at lcenglund@yahoo.com, or 616-502-3182
Also, everyone is invited to join us at our work party Saturday April 12th from 10 am-2 pm.
Sign up here.More information about the garden here: westseattlebeegarden.com
The pollinators, plants and fellow gardeners thank you!
12:41 PM: Quick update for those following our coverage of the King County Superior Court trial of Lovett “Cid” Chambers, charged with second-degree murder for the fatal shooting of Travis Hood by Morgan Junction Park in January 2012: Proceedings did indeed resume today, after an extra day off because of ailing attorneys; the last previous session was Wednesday (here’s our report, which includes links to all our previous coverage).
Today, the defendant’s wife Sara Chambers is testifying for the defense, which has concluded its primary questioning of her. She testified that she was at home watching a movie when he came in after the shooting and that he said nothing about it before pouring a glass of wine and sitting down in the living room with her; police showed up within an hour. We’ll have a full report on today’s proceedings late tonight; the defense might rest its case before the week is out. The trial started in early January, with six weeks of motion hearings before the jury was seated to hear testimony starting February 19th; WSB is the only news organization in court to cover it.
2:16 PM: Now the defendant is on the stand. He acknowledges he fired the fatal shots the night of January 21, 2012, and says he did it “to save my life.”
TUESDAY MORNING NOTE: Monday’s full report is here.
(Equity and Wolff projects in The Junction, photographed recently by Long B. Nguyen)
The discussion – sometimes contentious, sometimes thoughtful – goes on. How much development is too much development – or is there no such thing as “too much development”? Do “growth targets” set in the past mean anything – considering, for example, the greater West Seattle Junction area is reported to be already past a future target, with major projects in progress and more on the way? When we talked one-on-one recently with Mayor Murray, he said one way to revisit that will be through the Seattle 2035 process that’s just launched. A West Seattle meeting is scheduled, one week from Wednesday. But before we get to those details – here’s the mayor’s 1-minute response to our question of whether growth should be allowed to expand seemingly infinitely even if so-called targets are passed:
Now, details of the meeting, one of five open houses citywide:
April 9th, 6-8 pm, at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center (4408 Delridge Way SW). From the city announcement:
DPD is hoping to reach out to different neighborhoods and gather comments on the Planning Alternatives that are currently under discussion. Comments can be submitted through April 21, 2014.
DPD is scoping an environmental impact statement (EIS) that will evaluate the City’s Comprehensive Plan update. The EIS will examine the possible impacts under three different growth scenarios.
Consistent with regional growth projections, all three scenarios assume the city will grow by 70,000 households and 115,000 jobs over the next 20 years. All the scenarios follow the Comprehensive Plan’s urban growth strategy that aims to concentrate most of the growth in the city’s designated urban centers and urban villages. The alternatives differ in how the projected growth would be distributed:
Alternative 1 would evaluate most of the growth in the six urban centers, in keeping with the regional plan of concentrating development in centers.
Alternative 2 would still project a lot of growth in the centers, but would shift some growth to the urban villages in order to strengthen those neighborhood business districts.
Alternative 3 would evaluate more growth in the urban villages that contain existing or planned light rail stations.
The Comprehensive Plan the City ultimately adopts could combine aspects of each of these alternatives.
DPD is taking comments on these alternatives and the topics to be covered in the EIS until April 21.
Even more information about the alternatives is here, as well as how to comment on them now (in addition to commenting in person at the April 9th meeting).
Two incredible views of a male Anna’s Hummingbird this morning, courtesy of Alki photographer David Hutchinson – the other one is below today’s calendar highlights:
TODDLER GYM: 10 am-1 pm at Hiawatha Community Center, Mondays & Thursdays – details here. (2700 California SW)
SPS SUPERINTENDENT’S TOWN HALL: Want to hear about the road ahead for Seattle Public Schools? And/or say something about it? Superintendent José Banda will be at Roxhill Elementary 6:30-8:30 pm tonight for the last of five “town hall” meetings about the district’s Strategic Plan. (30th/Roxbury)
WS4OSO BENEFIT NIA CLASS: At The Center for Movement & Healing, there’s a Dance and Donate Nia class tonight at 6:30 pm to benefit mudslide relief as part of WS4OSO; the center is located above the offices of WSB sponsor Swedish Automotive. (7901 35th SW)
And now, as promised, David Hutchinson’s other view of that resplendent hummingbird:
By the way, you can see what else is on the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar by going here.
The last day of the rainiest March in Seattle history has dawned *without* rain, but not without traffic. Above, the eastbound West Seattle Bridge; below, northbound 99 at the elevated Alaskan Way Viaduct’s south end:
You’ll find more cameras, and other info, on the WSB Traffic page.
ALKI TRAIL WORK REMINDER: Reminder that the city plans to work on curb ramps at two Alki Trail crosswalks on Harbor Avenue SW starting this week. One is at Harbor/California Way, where Seattle Public Utilities was doing work all weekend. The other is by Don Armeni. We published the advance announcement last week.
7:24 AM NOTE: If you park outside – you might have some frost-scraping to do – we did!
10:44 AM NOTE: If you usually drive through SODO – note the special event at Safeco Field tonight – this advisory’s just in from SDOT:
Motorists in downtown Seattle and the SODO District may encounter more traffic than usual during this afternoon’s commute as an expected 20,000 Mariners fans flock to Safeco Field to view the team’s road opening game against the Los Angeles Angels. The game is being broadcast live on MarinersVision HD and will be watched on the field’s large screens. There’ll be free T-shirts at the gate, music, food and beer specials. The $1 adult admission fee will go to benefit Northwest Harvest while children under 14 will get in free, but must have tickets for admission. The first pitch of the game is set for 7 p.m. with the doors opening at 5:30 p.m. For more details, please (go here).
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