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West Seattle schools: Chief Sealth dinner/auction approaching
February 21, 2012 9:44 pm
|    Comments Off on West Seattle schools: Chief Sealth dinner/auction approaching
 |   How to help | West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

Two announcements from organizers of the third annual Chief Sealth International High School dinner/auction benefit, coming up in a week and a half – you can still get tickets, and they’re still rounding up auction items. Here’s an updated announcement:

3rd Annual Seahawk Spirit Dinner & Auction!
Co-Sponsored by Chief Sealth PTSA, Chief Sealth Performing Arts, and Chief Sealth Athletics

Saturday March 3, 2012
Doors Open at 5 pm ~ Hall at Fauntleroy
Tickets are $60 and include sit-down dinner and big fun!

Entertainment includes performances by Chief Sealth High School student musicians as well as local group Choro Tocanda, performing Brazilian choro music. Taking elements ranging from European dance forms to African-rooted beats, this popular music was the first to express the many cultures that meet at the crossroads that is Brazil.

We are still gratefully accepting sponsorships from local businesses as well as item donations for both the silent and live auctions. Ticket sales, item or cash donations, and sponsorship opportunities can all be handled online:

https://csptsa.ejoinme.org/?tabid=326316

Contact chiefsealthptsa@gmail.com for more information.

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National award for West Seattle Soccer Club coach Jean Robinson
February 21, 2012 8:11 pm
|      5 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | WS & Sports

Huge congratulations to Jean Robinson, a West Seattle Soccer Club coach who has just won a 2011 Coach of the Year award from the U.S. Youth Soccer organization (details here). WSSC’s Tim McMonigle tells WSB that he nominated Coach Robinson after the 2010 season, “and it has taken this long to get to the national level” – he coached a boys’ U-18 team with her that year (going 12-0), and then, he says, “She went back and started with a girls’ U-7 team last spring, and last fall coached a girls’ U-8 team. She is starting over. And the parents love her.”

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West Seattle Crime Watch: Stolen truck to watch for
February 21, 2012 6:45 pm
|    Comments Off on West Seattle Crime Watch: Stolen truck to watch for
 |   Crime | West Seattle news

Todd hopes you might be able to help him find his stolen truck:

This white Mazda B2600i 4×4 truck, with silver-gray canopy, was stolen from 4215 SW Myrtle st – one block east of California – sometime between Sunday night and Monday morning (2/19-2/20). The canopy rear window, shown in one picture, is now broken and covered with black plastic. In the other picture you can see a silver American Automobile Association sticker on the canopy front window. There are roof racks, with a bicycle holder on the passenger side, and on the rear of the truck is a towing insert, instead of a bumper. License plate is WA B89770H.

Call 911 if you see it.

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West Seattle Weather Watch: Windy, with a rescue callout
February 21, 2012 4:10 pm
|      2 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle weather

(Photo by Christopher Boffoli for WSB)
Gusty winds are in the forecast, and they’ve led to some high surf, as you can see at Beach Drive Blog. Meantime, there’s a rescue callout along Beach Drive right now – WSB contributor Christopher Boffoli is there and says that somebody reported a sailboarder possibly in trouble, though they’re believed to be OK.

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Followup: Up-for-sale former Fire Station 37 now has a website
February 21, 2012 3:57 pm
|      9 COMMENTS
 |   Sunrise Heights | West Seattle news

One more postscript to the process, now in high gear, of selling the 87-year-old former Fire Station 37 (Othello/35th). Last Friday, we published an update with photos from a brief tour with broker Arvin Vander Veen – how about that mega-garage, above!? – plus the dates set for open houses and submittal of offers. Today, the brokerage, Colliers International, has announced the website for two ex-fire stations they’re representing, including 37, is live – seattlefirestations.com (with more photos). Again – the open houses are 10 am-2 pm March 10th and April 7th, with offers due by 5 pm April 20th.

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Another police search: Driver walks away from Highland Park crash
February 21, 2012 2:18 pm
|      14 COMMENTS
 |   Highland Park | West Seattle news | WS breaking news

Thanks to Pete for the tip on this (as well as an unsigned text message): Eastbound SW Holden should be open again at any time, since a tow truck was arriving at the scene where a white Jeep Cherokee crashed just east of 15th SW and blocked that side of the road. Its driver walked away (with a passenger, according to witnesses). No injuries reported.

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West Seattle Crime Watch: Home invasion robbers sought
February 21, 2012 1:46 pm
|      21 COMMENTS
 |   Crime | West Seattle news

1:46 PM: Police are searching right now for two armed men who are reported to have broken into a residence in the 4300 block of 30th SW. The only description they have of the intruders is, black men, late teens, with hoodies pulled up over their faces. More to come.

1:56 PM: Additional description information: The armed man had a silver .45 handgun, and was wearing a black windbreaker and blue jeans. (If you saw a helicopter in the area, by the way, it wasn’t a law-enforcement chopper – tipster Mary says it was a news chopper, though we’re not seeing it now.)

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Seen satellite-tagged Sandy? Seal Sitters say she’s in the area
February 21, 2012 11:21 am
|      1 COMMENT
 |   Seen at sea | West Seattle news | Wildlife

If you happen to spot the seal pup in the photo – no, it’s not in trouble, and the unusual item by her head is nothing to worry about. Robin Lindsey from Seal Sitters says Sandy (the rehabbed, tagged pup mentioned here 3 weeks ago) may just turn up in West Seattle:

Sandy, the satellite-tagged seal pup, has made her way back to our area, according to the most recent satellite hits. Yesterday, she was hanging out on Vashon’s West side in Colvos Passage. This morning the data reveals that she is at the north end of Vashon, near the Port Orchard/Southworth ferry run. We are asking folks to keep an eye out for her – and to stay back (of course) and call our hotline at 206-905-7325 (SEAL) if you spot her. Sandy’s homing instinct may well be sending her back to West Seattle and we’ll be waiting with open arms and lots of yellow tape!

It is incredibly exciting to watch this little pup we rescued from West Seattle back in August and her progress back in the Salish Sea; and, thus far, she seems to be successfully adapting to her new lease on life after a very long rehab at PAWS. People can follow her on SeaDoc Society’s “Sandy” page and receive almost daily e-mails of her travels.

We want to assure folks that her satellite tag was applied with glue and will fall off as she molts her coat in a few months, if not sooner. The tag does not impair her in any way and provides invaluable data for research that will help other seal pups. Here is a link to the blog posts about Sandy, including a video of her release.

P.S. Want to be a Seal Sitters volunteer? A training session is coming up March 3rd. We have a separate story in the works on that, but you can find out more right now by going here.

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West Seattle Tuesday: DESC Delridge hearing; ‘Share Fair’; Crime Prevention Council; new P-Patch…
February 21, 2012 9:57 am
|      2 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

LOTS going on around the peninsula. From the WSB West Seattle Events calendar:

BRIDGE ADVISORIES FOR TONIGHT: The Fauntleroy Expressway is scheduled to be closed overnight as the Seismic Retrofit Project continues, and lane closures are scheduled because of the Spokane Street Viaduct Widening Project. Details here.

MID-WINTER BREAK CONTINUES: School’s out all week for Seattle Public Schools and other schools that follow its calendar.

ROTARY CLUB OF WEST SEATTLE: If you’re going to the Rotary Club of West Seattle weekly luncheon meeting today, we’ll see you there, since your editor here is guest speaker today. Noon at Salty’s on Alki.

‘THE SHARING REVOLUTION’: Tonight, it’s a “Share Fair” and panel discussion at Sustainable West Seattle‘s meeting, 6-9 pm, Senior Center of West Seattle (California/Oregon) (details here)

SOMETHING TO SAY ABOUT THE DESC PROJECT IN DELRIDGE? New advisory committee convenes a public hearing on the DESC Delridge 66-unit homeless-housing project, and would like to hear from everyone in the community with something to say about the project, to help define community concerns/interests going forward. 6:30 pm, Youngstown Cultural Arts Center (4408 Delridge Way SW).

NEW P-PATCH IN WEST SEATTLE: Parks and Green Spaces Levy money has been awarded to create a P-Patch community garden at Westcrest Park in Highland Park, and tonight’s the orientation and design criteria meeting. Organizers say, “You don’t need any experience gardening or community organizing, just an interest in being involved.” 6:30 pm, Highland Park Improvement Club, 12th and Holden.

TOASTMASTERS’ SPEECH CONTEST: 6:30-8 pm tonight at The Kenney: 7125 Fauntleroy Way SW, West Seattle Toastmasters 832 will hold their International Speech Contest; guests are invited to watch the competition free of charge. Club contest winners move on to area competition next month in Renton.

WEST SEATTLE CRIME PREVENTION COUNCIL: At tonight’s WSCPC meeting, new precinct liaison Melissa Chin from the City Attorney’s Office will be introduced, and Jill Otake from the U.S. Attorney’s Office Violent Crime Task Force will speak. 7 pm, Southwest Precinct (Delridge/Webster) – full details here

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Followup: Diver remembered, identified; volunteer searcher recovering
February 21, 2012 12:51 am
|      10 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle people

West Seattle diver Laura James shares the photo at left – flowers at Cove 2, off Seacrest, left in memory of the diver who died on Sunday. As noted here Sunday night, Laura was one of the divers who went down to mark the spot where another “civilian” team had discovered him, so that police and fire divers could subsequently, and quickly, finish the recovery. Tonight, more information:

*In comments on Sunday night’s report, the diver who died is identified by his girlfriend and others as Tareq. We have learned his last name as well, but are not publishing it yet, while awaiting King County Medical Examiner confirmation that next-of-kin has all been notified (their usual daily media report was not available today because of the holiday). One commenter mentions that he was a ham-radio operator; we are told he was active with an emergency-preparedness group.

*Also commenting was Johanna Raupe, one of the divers who found the body at 110 feet down; she was taken to the Virginia Mason Center for Hyperbaric Medicine after a problem during her ascent. Via e-mail, she shared with WSB the account of what she told her dive group had happened, writing of a “major equipment failure” at 95 feet. As for how she’s doing, she wrote, “I am doing fine, I only experienced pain-related symptoms with some poor balance. The doctor told me I executed the best practices perfectly and my being here was testament to that fact. I had to do a preventative Table-6 decompression. I was released (Monday) morning a little after 4 AM. I am under observation and evaluation for a week.”

*If you missed our original coverage – Tareq was reported to be with an advanced dive class when something went wrong before 11 am Sunday; another diver tried surfacing with him, but lost track of him. Authorities were called, and Seattle Police/Fire and the U.S. Coast Guard searched in the water, from the air, and even from land (atop an SFD ladder) until late in the afternoon. After the dives involving Johanna and Laura, as detailed above, recovery operations were concluded successfully just before 8 pm.

4:34 PM UPDATE: The KCME now officially identifies the diver who died as 29-year-old Tareq Saade. Cause of death is listed as accidental drowning. According to information we have found online, Mr. Saade was a Microsoft employee who lived on Capitol Hill.

ADDED 11:28 PM: In further correspondence with Johanna – who identifies her diving buddy as Patricia Gunderson, and also has words of thanks for Yvonne Renick, shore support – we asked her how she and Patricia came to be the ones who went down looking after the official search was suspended, something we had not yet heard:

My dive buddy and I originally planned to dive at Redondo. When we got there, there were hundreds of divers in the water. Not a good environment for photography. So we went to Salt Water state park. We couldn’t get in the water there because of the logs baring the beach. We then decided to go to Alki and arrived around noon.

When we go there, Pat looked at me and said “Something is going to happen to us today because all of the cards are lining up. We’re supposed to be here for some reason.”

We stayed at Alki all day watching the entire event unroll. When the team started calling off the recovery for the day (~4:15 PM) I decided to go and talk to two different officers onsite. I let both of them know that I would be locating the body and what did they want me to do with it when I found it.

My buddy and I immediately started checking out our gear and setting it up. (I had to get clearance from the police to enter the water) We got in the water about 5:00 PM and found Tareq about 5:05 based on the clues I mentioned in a prior recount. We moved the body to the new location and headed in.

Why did I do this? I’m a diver and a mother. I have both a son and a daughter that are divers as well. I know what goes on under the water when the sun goes down over the sound. I know how many divers have been lost and never recovered or found maybe years later. The conditions were prime to find him before the marine life came in and before the big exchange happened. I wouldn’t want my children left behind. I could not leave him behind, not if I had the skills to locate him.

I have a gift. I’ve been really successful on my searching, rescues and then this one recovery. I’ve brought three people up successfully. I knew without a doubt that I could find this guy.

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SDOT on-call rule dropped after West Seattle stoplight snarl, Times reports
February 20, 2012 11:02 pm
|      13 COMMENTS
 |   Transportation | West Seattle news

(Taken on 35th looking toward Fauntleroy just before 8 am February 8th)
Hundreds if not thousands of drivers who use the Fauntleroy Way entrance to the West Seattle Bridge may still have memories of February 8th, the morning the 35th/Fauntleroy stoplight turned into a 4-way stop for much of the morning commute. We first reported on it as a traffic alert, and then followed up later in the day, because we and others had noticed the light in flash mode the night before, and wondered why it hadn’t been fixed before it could cause a rush-hour backup.

Hours later, SDOT spokesperson Rick Sheridan told WSB , “Though reported overnight, the signal required specialized diagnosis and repair expertise.” (The rest of his statement’s in our followup story.) In an article published online tonight, Seattle Times (WSB partner) reporter Susan Kelleher digs further into what happened. She writes that at the time of the incident, SDOT had a rule that in essence resulted in no one being available for overtime callout to West Seattle the night of February 7th, and reports that rule was dropped last week after a union grievance. The Times report attributes the rule to an SDOT manager who gained notoriety because he, as Kelleher writes, “led the city’s botched response to the December 2008 snowstorms and who figured prominently in a yearlong human-resources investigation into the department’s street-maintenance division.” You can read her story here.

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West Seattle Chamber to launch Young Professionals’ Network
February 20, 2012 9:57 pm
|      1 COMMENT
 |   West Seattle businesses | West Seattle news

Besides regular monthly lunch meetings and big annual events like the Westside Awards (April 18th this year), the West Seattle Chamber of Commerce offers its members other opportunities to get together – like a brand-new type of event on the calendar for next week: The first Young Professionals Network mixer. David Kim from AmericanWest Bank in The Junction is organizing it, as chair of the Chamber’s Ambassador Committee. Don’t get stuck on the “y” word, he advises, because “the YPN is designed as a unique, casual network programming for those that are young-at-heart. Some other YPNs have an age limit, but … we determined that we wanted to engage members that wanted to have something fun & exciting to mix it up.” The first YPN event is a scotch tasting at West 5 at 5 pm Tuesday, February 28th – “a tasting of several brands of single-malt scotches, with a brand expert on hand to educate about scotch,” West 5 proprietor and Chamber board chair Dave Montoure explains. No fee, and open to all Chamber members; if you haven’t received an e-mail invitation, you can RSVP through the Chamber website. (Not a member? Here’s how to join.)

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Art under the bridge: What’ll be beneath the Spokane St. Viaduct
February 20, 2012 5:50 pm
|      28 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | WS culture/arts

While at SDOT headquarters downtown two weeks ago to discuss the Spokane Street Viaduct Widening Project, now in its final months (our story’s here), they mentioned that they would soon be able to share renderings for the art to be included in the work, part of the SDOT Art Plan, which in turn is part of the city’s “1% for art” rule. And here’s a peek:

Project manager Stuart Goldsmith explains:

>Merge Conceptual Design (Franka Diehnelt and Claudia Reisenberger) out of Santa Monica, CA will install a colorful paint treatment for a large number of concrete columns under the Spokane St. Viaduct between East Marginal Way and Fifth Ave. The design will treat much of the space under the viaduct as one artwork; changing the atmosphere and enlivening the space, creating distinct zones to help with orientation, and creating a strong identity that can be experienced by a diversity of user groups.

The artists will create eight different zones, each featuring its own color scheme and iconic imagery. Every zone will focus on a narrative related to neighborhood history or contemporary uses. Each narrative will be “told” using graphic icons and barcode patterns that reference aspects of the neighborhood.

The art work will be one of the final components completed along the westbound surface-level Spokane Street before it reopens as the project finishes up this summer. The artists were chosen almost three years ago – as noted in this city newsletter – from among more than 200 applicants.

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Local café seeks local artists: Chaco Canyon’s invitation
February 20, 2012 4:37 pm
|      6 COMMENTS
 |   Triangle | West Seattle news | WS culture/arts

The folks at Chaco Canyon Café, the organic vegetarian/vegan restaurant at Link (WSB sponsor) in The Triangle, are inviting artists to come show their stuff. Here’s the invitation we were asked to share:

Call to West Seattle Artists! Chaco Canyon Café is looking for your art to display on our walls!

Criteria:
1. West Seattle and White Center artists preferred.
2. Paintings preferred and we welcome pieces with a bright and vibrant color palette.
3. Artists must be willing to keep their work here for a minimum of 6 months and to host at least one Art Walk event during that period.
4. Have approx. 12 large pieces, or an equivalent number of small or medium pieces available for display.
5. Have all work neatly and appropriately framed with the ability to hang from a single hook provided.
6. Be ready and able to put up art during the week of March 19th.

For those interested, please e-mail photographs of your works to anise@chacocanyoncafe.com. We hope to come to a decision by the beginning of March.

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West Seattle Crime Watch: ‘I loved that car’
February 20, 2012 2:02 pm
|      9 COMMENTS
 |   Crime | West Seattle news

Out of the WSB inbox, a stolen-car report from Ken:

I live at 4800 Fauntleroy [multi-unit building], and my car was stolen this weekend. Silver 1993 Nissan Sentra with 250k+ miles, stolen from my assigned parking space between 9:00pm Saturday (2/18) and 3:00pm Sunday (2/19).

I’m a broke student and I loved that car. I would find a way to reward somebody for info about the car and/or who took it.

As Seattle Police request when they tweet about stolen cars (including this one), call 911 if you have seen it.

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New in West Seattle: In Tandem Midwifery opens in The Junction
February 20, 2012 12:05 pm
|      18 COMMENTS
 |   Health | West Seattle news

By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

Natural and alternative health-care options abound in West Seattle.

But if a family expecting a child wanted to explore the option of home birth with a certified midwife – there was no dedicated, midwifery-only West Seattle practice to turn to. Till now.

Taylor Hamil, LM, CPM (right), and Christine Tindal, LM, CPM, half the first graduating class from the new Department of Midwifery at Bastyr University, have opened In Tandem Midwifery in a warmly furnished Junction office, with a grand-opening event this Saturday.

Their first client is due in August. And they’re ready to welcome others.

Read More

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The WSBeat: Scam; spying; sauce; strange phone calls…
February 20, 2012 10:30 am
|      9 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle police | WSBeat

By Megan Sheppard
On the WSBeat, for West Seattle Blog

As always, the WSBeat summaries are from reports on cases handled recently by Southwest Precinct officers, incidents of note that had not already appeared here in breaking-news coverage or West Seattle Crime Watch reports:

*A foreign exchange student’s parents were scammed out of $12,000 after someone contacted them, claimed to be their daughter, and requested that money be wired.

*A 16-year-old was arrested and taken to the Youth Service Center on Thursday afternoon after citizens caught him peeping into a window of a home in the 5400 block of 26th SW.

Six more summaries, ahead:Read More

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West Seattle Monday: Presidents Day holiday info, and more
February 20, 2012 5:53 am
|      2 COMMENTS
 |   Holidays | West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

(One of several “tree full of eagles” photos shared lately – this one from Anita, 37th/Belvidere)
Bet it wouldn’t take you long to name the West Seattle school named after a president, the local park named after a president, the shopping center named (indirectly) after a president. How about the two WS streets who share names with presidents? (**Answers to all of the above, at the bottom of this story) Now, on with today’s list:

SCHOOLS: For Seattle Public Schools, it’s mid-winter break all week. Most if not all others have at least today off.

TRANSIT/TRANSPORTATION: Metro is on a “weekday/no UW” schedule. … No West Seattle OR Vashon Water Taxi today … Sound Transit services’ plans are here … Normal weekday schedule for Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth Washington State Ferries run.

SOLID-WASTE PICKUP ON NORMAL SCHEDULE: So says Seattle Public Utilities.

OTHER CLOSURES/CHANGES: Seattle Public Library facilities are closed … No U.S. Postal Service delivery …

FREE PARKING: No charge today in those neighborhoods (outside West Seattle) where the city has on-street meters or pay stations.

NO BRIDGE CLOSURE TONIGHT, BY THE WAY: The Fauntleroy Expressway’s next scheduled closure is Tuesday night. There will be lane closures related to the Spokane Street Viaduct work on the east end of the bridge, however, as detailed here.

Now, a few events:

MIND UNWIND: Proprietor Krystal Kelley shares that photo from artist Cathy Woo‘s Sunday reception at Mind Unwind (2206 California SW), and word of some special events for this school-break week:

Monday, Feb 20th-24th we have “Coffee Break”, a toddler’s art class. 9:30-11:30 am, Ages 2-5 years old; 2 hours of playing, music and art projects made from recycled household items. Email create@mindunwind.org to register. $25

Monday, Feb 20th-“No School, so Let’s Make a Book”. from 10 am-2 pm. 1st-5th grades. Handmake a real book! Lunch served while the glue dries. $45

Monday, Feb 20-24th. “Rock & Roll Camp” Bring your acoustic or electric guitar and spend the day at Mind Unwind while school is out. Camp is Monday through Friday during Mid-Winter Break, 10 am-2 pm. Lessons will be guided by Kenton Wise. Jam sessions will be encouraged as will having a fun time. Lunch is provided. $60 per day. Ages 7-13 encouraged, but exceptions can be made. Must have a guitar and participation can be for one day or all 5.

COOKING CLUB: West Seattle Cooking Club! Meeting info at westseattlecookingclub.org 2:30 pm at Beveridge Place Pub, theme “Cake and Pie.”

DIET CLASSES: New session of Kathy’s Anti-Inflammatory TQI Diet class starts 6:30 tonight at The Kenney, 7125 Fauntleroy Way SW. Details here.

CHRISTOPHER BOFFOLI ON ‘EVENING MAGAZINE’: The longtime WSB contributor, and now internationally known art photographer, is featured tonight on KING 5’s “Evening Magazine,” 7 pm.

**Presidents Day “quiz” answers – James Madison Middle School, Lincoln Park, Jefferson Square – on the site of the former Jefferson School – plus SW Adams and SW Monroe streets (can’t say for sure if they were named after the presidents, but they’re the only ones we can find in West Seattle whose names are also presidential surnames).**

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West Seattle Weather Watch: Maybe, possibly, weekend snow
February 20, 2012 12:47 am
|      11 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle weather

This might be completely ruled out by the time we get to midweek – or not – but just in case you haven’t heard, there’s a bit of a chance of snow next weekend. Here’s how famous forecaster/analyst Cliff Mass breaks it down; here’s the National Weather Service’s “forecast discussion.”

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Continuing coverage: Diver’s body found, brought ashore
February 19, 2012 7:47 pm
|      46 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | WS breaking news

(Photos by Christopher Boffoli for WSB)
7:47 PM: Continuing coverage from this earlier WSB story: A recovery effort is now under way off Seacrest Pier, after a body was found this evening, believed to be that of the diver who vanished this morning after something went wrong during an advanced class in deep water. Seattle Police tell WSB that the body was spotted by civilian divers who kept looking even after the official effort ended late in the day; police, fire, and Coast Guard crews searched for hours before moving from rescue attempt to recovery effort.

A buoy is in the water, about 100 yards offshore, marking the spot where it was seen; police and fire are coordinating the operation to retrieve the body.

The King County Medical Examiner is there too, since it’s their job to investigate deaths like this.

7:57 PM UPDATE: Our crews at the scene says the body has been brought out of the water and is on board the Seattle Fire Department boat Leschi. The KCME is waiting onshore. They will be the ones to officially announce identification, once it’s made, and once they’re sure next-of-kin know, though that may not be until tomorrow. As mentioned in our first story, our archives indicate this is the first diver death in our area in three years.

8:15 PM UPDATE: The scene is starting to clear; the diver’s body is in the Medical Examiner’s truck, and police/fire crews are wrapping up, more than nine hours after this all began with a call that the diver was in trouble, as detailed in our morning/afternoon coverage.

8:41 PM UPDATE: There’s more information on the SFD “Fire Line” website, including more information on a related incident we’d heard about: A diver in her 50s, one of the civilian/volunteer divers who continued the search, had to be taken to Virginia Mason, where there’s a hyperbaric chamber, because of a medical problem following a quick ascent.

10:47 PM UPDATE: We’ve added video from WSB contributor Christopher Boffoli, who also took the photos in this story. And we’ve found some context on how part of the recovery effort unfolded, in a post by Laura James – whose underwater video has been featured here before – on the Northwest Dive Club message board. She was one of the divers who went down (after another volunteer team spotted the body) and marked the spot so the official recovery team could get there fast.

POSTSCRIPT: Bill Morgan from North Admiral sent three striking images of rescuers at work on Sunday afternoon, and we wanted to share them. First, the Coast Guard in the air:

The Seattle Fire Department, also “in the air,” before there was helicopter support:

And a Seattle Police boat, with divers:

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Door-to-door alert: Non-electronic ‘phishing’?
February 19, 2012 5:51 pm
|      2 COMMENTS
 |   Door-to-door alert | West Seattle news

Sounds like common spam e-mail, but it turned up on Brittany’s door:

Just wanna give you guys heads up that this afternoon between 4 & 4:30 my boyfriend working outside came in to find a note around our door knob giving us IMPORTANT notice that our “Chase” account needed attention. The notice was in both Spanish and English. The person walking door to door made not effort to speak with him as he was in the yard working thus leaving us to believe this is not a true important notice along with the fact that this was a at home printed note with no chase logo anywhere.

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DESC Delridge project: 2 hearings this week – 1 here, 1 downtown
February 19, 2012 4:23 pm
|      7 COMMENTS
 |   Delridge | DESC Delridge project | West Seattle news

Turns out there are two public hearings this week related to the 66-unit DESC homeless-housing project planned for 5444 Delridge Way SW (the site at right). The first one has already been announced – Tuesday night (February 21), 6:30 pm at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center, everyone with something to say about the project is invited to come say it to the Delridge Supportive Housing Advisory Committee, which is tasked for starters with identifying community concerns regarding the project. What they hear at this first hearing will shape their focus in the months ahead. The second one is a Thursday public hearing before the Washington State Housing Finance Commission; one of the remaining pieces of funding for the project comes from Low-Income Housing Tax Credits, and it’s up to the commission to decide who gets them. The DESC Delridge project is part of a sizable list of projects up for tax credits this year – the credits actually go to investors in exchange for their help in financing a project like this. The hearing is at 1 pm Thursday (February 23rd) in the commission’s board room at their downtown offices, on the 28th floor at 1000 Second Avenue. The official notice also includes information on how you can send written comments, if you can’t be at the hearing, as well as these words of warning: “The Commission will not consider testimony and written comments regarding land use, zoning, and environmental regulation.”

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Update: Body located in area where diver vanished
February 19, 2012 11:18 am
|      39 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | WS breaking news

(EVENING COVERAGE can be found here)
11:18 AM: There’s a big response at Seacrest – a diver’s reported to be in trouble. Rescue crews are working from land and in the water. Lots of police as well as fire, so avoid the area TFN. We’re on the way; more to come.

(Photos by WSB co-publisher Patrick Sand)
11:27 AM UPDATE: According to the scanner, the diver was at one point coming up with “a buddy” but then went back down again. There’s an extensive search effort under way.

11:39 AM UPDATE: Still searching for the diver who’s reported to be in trouble. Police are expanding the stretch of Harbor that’s being blocked off because of the big rescue response. An SFD public-information officer is on the way to deal with the increasing media presence.

11:51 AM UPDATE: The search continues. Per scanner traffic, the diver is part of an advanced class that was in deep water. Meantime, we checked the archives; last emergency response in the area involving a diver was in September; a diver felt ill after emerging from the water. The last water rescue involving a diver, according to our archives, was this one last May, in which the West Seattle Water Taxi and crew turned into rescuers.

12:04 PM UPDATE: The Coast Guard is also assisting in the search; it has a chopper flying over the area. Rescuers have been on scene for an hour now, but the diver remains – as described in radio traffic – “unaccounted for.”

12:33 PM UPDATE: Still awaiting word from our crew of an official SFD briefing. A diver who spoke with media crews a little while ago said this happened in 96 feet of water, clear conditions. Radio traffic indicates rescue vehicles will be thinning soon, with an announcement that Harbor Avenue likely will reopen within half a hour.

12:39 PM UPDATE: SFD spokesperson Kyle Moore confirms this is shifting from search to recovery – divers have made three passes and have not found any sign of the missing diver, described as a man in his late 20s, experienced, with more than 50 dives in the past. He was out as part of an advanced class and then seemed to be in some kind of distress and started going up “too fast”; another tried to follow him but upon reaching the surface didn’t see the one who was in trouble. The group then signaled to people on shore that there was a problem, and that’s when fire/police were called. Moore says diver teams have made three trips down to 75 feet looking for the missing diver but haven’t found any sign of him; four divers (two police, two fire) are going to take one more look shortly. (Added above, video of Moore’s briefing, unedited, in its entirety)

1:26 PM NOTE: According to our archives, the last diver death in this area was three years ago.

4:28 PM UPDATE: We went back to Seacrest at about 3 pm; Coast Guard and SPD boats were still there, with the former heading out to look again.

6:32 PM: We are working to confirm a report the diver’s body may have been located.

7:03 PM: Police confirm that a body has been located. Civilian divers continued looking into the evening and told authorities around 6 pm they believed they had found him.

7:49 PM: We have started a new story with continuing coverage of the recovery operation.

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