West Seattle, Washington
25 Thursday
(WSB photo of the West Seattle Big Band during the 2010 Hi-Yu Concert in the Park)
Might be some clouds, but no rain forecast for tomorrow (Tuesday) night – which is good news for the next big summer event, the West Seattle Hi-Yu Festival Concert in the Park. You’re invited to the east lawn at Hiawatha Community Center, 7-8:30 pm tomorrow – bring your own blanket/chair, picnic dinner if you feel like it, and enjoy the West Seattle Big Band (celebrating its 15th anniversary). If you haven’t been there before – Hiawatha’s address is 2700 California SW, just north of West Seattle High School, but the concert area is on the east side, which is bordered by Walnut. (Parking is generally plentiful in the high-school lot, entering from California SW, however.)
(WSB photo from 2010 West Seattle Junction Car Show)
From West Seattle Junction Car Show organizer Michael Hoffman, we get word that this year’s show will have four special guests from the cast of Discovery Channel’s “Deadliest Catch.” Which four? Not set yet – stay tuned. Michael also says the website is updated at wsjunctioncarshow.com – if you’d like to enter a car in the show, you’ll find applications there. The Last Resort Fire Department‘s scheduled to bring back its antique fire trucks, and a charity raffle is again scheduled, with Junction True Value already stepping up to donate a $350 Weber Gas Grill. The Junction Car Show – with co-sponsors including WSB – will be on Sunday, September 18th, 8 am-4 pm, in the heart of The Junction. (P.S. In case you missed earlier word, no Alki car show this year – so this is your next big chance!)
The City Council has just approved a change in the city rules that have required food trucks to find private lots to set up on: Now they’ll be allowed to get permits to park on streets, with some restrictions, as detailed by our partners at the Seattle Times. (To read the full text of what the council approved, here’s the ordinance, and here’s a related resolution.)
Heads up for Wednesday night: The Seattle Sounders-Manchester United soccer game at 7 pm Wednesday will bring an estimated 66,000 people to the stadium zone. But the good news is that you can take the West Seattle Water Taxi – it’s running Wednesday night between Pier 50 and Seacrest every half hour from 7:30 to 10:30 pm, the county says. (Thanks to Jissy for the tip!) There’s also a series of bus reroutes – read on:Read More
STEVE BUSHAW MURDER TRIAL BEGINS: We’re at the King County Courthouse courtroom of Superior Court Judge Joan DuBuque, where the rescheduled murder trial is starting this afternoon for the two remaining defendants in the February 2009 Junction shooting death of 26-year-old Steve Bushaw (two have already pleaded guilty). A jury has to be chosen before testimony can begin; right now, various motions are being brought up, including the prosecution’s proposal to drop the “conspiracy to commit murder” charge and leave the two defendants, Brandon Chaney and Bryce Huber, charged with first-degree murder/firearm enhancement. We’ll have a separate report on today’s proceedings later. (2:42 pm note – court has already recessed for the day.)
GATEWOOD ARSON: John C. Siegel, charged with arson and domestic violence in the June 28th fire at the Gatewood home he owned with his ex-wife, is scheduled to return to court tomorrow for a case-setting hearing, after pleading guilty last week. He remains in jail, status listed as “bail denied” (though a $1 million bail amount remains on the books for the arson charge).
FAIRMOUNT SPRINGS BURGLARY/ASSAULT: Monty Richardson, arrested two weeks ago and charged with breaking into a neighbor’s house and attacking her, was in court last week to answer the burglary, assault, and unlawful-imprisonment charges against him. He pleaded not guilty and remains in jail, with his bail still $250,000, due back in court for a case-setting hearing on July 25th.
STOLEN CAR/CAR-THEFT-TOOLS CASE: Repeat offender Skyelar Hailey remains in the Regional Justice Center jail in Kent, with bail set at $65,000, in a possession-of-stolen-vehicle/vehicle-theft-tools case we detailed here last month. He too was in court last week to plead guilty, and has a case-setting hearing set this Wednesday.
Two voting-related notes regarding the Highway 99 tunnel: First, according to a news release from the Seattle City Attorney’s Office, King County Superior Court Judge Joan DuBuque has ruled that anti-tunnel Initiative 101 should not be on the fall ballot because it “is beyond the scope of the initiative power because it purports to exercise a power that was directly delegated to the City Council and Mayor.” So, the news release adds, “Unless Judge DuBuque’s decision is appealed and overturned, I-101 in its entirety will not appear on the November ballot. The initiative was designed to prohibit the City of Seattle from using city streets to aid in the construction of a deep-bore tunnel to replace the Alaskan Way Viaduct, a project of the Washington State Department of Transportation.”
What IS going before voters is Seattle Referendum 1, asking them to approve or reject a section of a city ordinance related to Seattle’s role in the 99 tunnel project. The “section” is what remains after a separate court fight. Referendum 1 is on the August 16th ballot, and if you would like to hear from both sides, in one place, before making up your mind, the West Seattle Chamber of Commerce presents a public forum, moderated by your WSB editor, this Thursday night, 6 pm, West Seattle High School Theater.
Another big weekend ahead, rain or shine – including the West Seattle Grand Parade‘s 2011 edition, presented by American Legion Post 160, Saturday (July 23) at 11 am, from California/Lander to California/Edmunds. We’ll be previewing it all week long, starting this morning with parade organizers’ announcement of two of the special honorees you’ll see toward the start of the parade – the Grand Marshals, Art and Gloria Peters:
(2007 West Seattle Grand Parade photo by Creighton)
Art and Gloria have been parade favorites for close to a decade now – a long-married couple who are U.S. Navy veterans from World War II and the Korean War. We talked to them along the pre-parade sidelines three years ago. Adding three years to what they told us then, they’ve been married for 64 years, and the longevity of their union is what their parade vehicle usually pays homage to, “Art and Gloria, still married” (as seen here). Cheer them on – along with the 70-plus other entries/participants – this Saturday, all along this route, following the West Seattle Rotary Kiddie Parade at 10 am on a shorter route southbound from California/Genesee (all kids invited to join in, more info here).
For those who commute via human power between West Seattle and downtown (or beyond): As announced last week, the new Alaskan Way bicycle/pedestrian path opened today. Bob Anderton, who shared the photo, says he saw more than a few bicyclists this morning who didn’t get the word, still using the old detour. WSDOT explains the new route here, and also invites bikers/walkers to stop by and celebrate near the north end of the new trail (S. King Street) – 4-6 pm.
(June 24 WSB photo of SBX, taken from Jack Block Park)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
It’s dominated the Harbor Island view for two months, and while it’s not scheduled to leave Vigor (formerly Todd) Shipyard for another month or so, you will see the SBX (military Sea-Based X-Band missile-detecting radar, aka “that thing that looks like a giant golf/ping-pong ball”) move around a bit this week.
That’s because, according to a marine-industry advisory obtained by WSB, a floating offshore-oil-drilling platform is coming into the shipyard, so SBX must move temporarily while the drilling rig is maneuvered into place. That rig is a story unto itself:
(2010 photo of Kulluk by Flickr member Anyaku2419)
It’s “an Arctic-class drill ship” called the Kulluk, owned by Shell, which is getting it into shape in hopes of obtaining Arctic offshore-drilling permits that, according to reports like this, it’s been trying to get for six years.
The 1983-built Kulluk had been idle for more than a decade, after years of Arctic drilling, before being reactivated; it has most recently been based in Dutch Harbor, Alaska, and left there July 1st for the journey here.
According to the advisory about Kulluk’s arrival and SBX’s temporary move, Shell is expected to issue a news release about the Kulluk sometime today. As of very early this morning, marinetraffic.com showed its accompanying tugs – Kulluk itself was not providing a signal – in the Strait of Juan de Fuca, and it’s expected in Elliott Bay by Tuesday morning.
Meantime, SBX is expected to move to an anchorage area in west Elliott Bay by early afternoon Tuesday, and to conduct various tests before returning to Vigor sometime Tuesday evening, once the Kulluk is in place. The advisory says the 500-yard security zone around SBX will be maintained wherever it is, so that could make for some varied ferry/Water Taxi routing on Tuesday.
ADDED 11:32 AM: Shell’s statement, received by e-mail:
In anticipation of a 2012 offshore Alaska drilling season, Shell will move the Kulluk drilling unit from Dutch Harbor, Alaska to the shipyard in Seattle, Washington for ongoing maintenance and planned, technical upgrades. The Kulluk is identified as a primary drilling unit in Shell’s 2012 Beaufort Sea Plan of Exploration. Once the upgrades are complete, Dutch Harbor will remain a staging ground for the Kulluk and other Shell vessels as we pursue exploration drilling on our leases in the Beaufort and Chukchi Seas.
(One more pic from the West Seattle Garden Tour – others here – lettuce in the Whirligig Garden)
A few highlights from the WSB West Seattle Events calendar:
URBAN FORAGING: Sustainable West Seattle‘s monthly community event is outdoors this time around – meet at 7 pm, Lincoln Park‘s north parking lot (Fauntleroy and Monroe), for “Urban Foraging in West Seattle.” Not a lecture! Here’s the SWS description:
Ever wondered which “weeds” were safe to eat? Ready to take eating locally to the next level? Join us for an Urban Foraging Walk with Stewart Wechsler, local plant expert. You’ll be introduced to the growing urban harvesting movement while we tour through beautiful Lincoln Park, learning which plants make a great snack and which plants to avoid. The walk will focus on respectful and safe harvesting. Be sure to arrive on time to ensure you can find the tour group!
WEST SEATTLE COOKING CLUB: Featured here in a recent story, the club meets again today, 2:30 pm, Beveridge Place Pub. Theme ingredient this time around is “eggs.”
THIS WEEK’S WEST SEATTLE IN MOTION DEAL: Signed up for In Motion yet? You commit to driving a little bit less here and there, and you get free bus tickets plus a card that’ll get you new deals each week – this week, it’s a half-price Zipcar membership. Go here to sign up. (WSB is the media sponsor for West Seattle In Motion.)
Village Green Perennial Nursery owner Vera Johnson says more than 35 people showed up Sunday for the first meeting of a group she convened to help others going through what she’s experiencing – battling with banks over loan trouble. (We first reported on her story last Tuesday; the Seattle Times [WSB partner] followed up on Friday.) Vera tells WSB that those who showed up were at “all levels of default/foreclosure, some only months/some over 2 years in the quagmire. … We discussed our options, walk away, willing to do a loan mod[ification] or sue the banks for fraud? We plan to meet regularly, and plan to participate in regular protests with Working Washington, Washington CAN, US Uncut. So many people are facing foreclosure and these folks need to get involved with organizations who are already protesting banks.” (Which Vera did on Saturday – she joined a protest by Washington CAN, as reported on our partner site White Center Now.) She says the group will meet regularly, though the next date is not yet set. They plan to start a blog-format website too. And they’ll invite more people to participate: “We will be inviting anyone who wants to stand up and say NO MORE!”
No arrests yet in connection with the stabbing of two men Saturday night near Hamilton Viewpoint Park in North Admiral (original WSB coverage here). But friends of the victims say the initial police report at the scene – that the men were believed to be transients living in the park – is wrong, that the two men are Admiral residents who were “out for a walk.” Bob identified them in this comment as 25-year-old Zach and 52-year-old Glen. We don’t know their conditions, and there is no new official police information regarding the circumstances; that, we hope to get tomorrow. But to another point that has come up in the comments following last night’s coverage, “officers do check Hamilton Viewpoint regularly,” according to Southwest Precinct Lt. Alan Williams, who says computer logs show “an officer who works the district had logged out to the park and checked it an hour before this incident happened … The officer would have been very visible to anyone who was actually in the park.” One last point: The incident, he says, happened before the park’s 11:30 closing time – it was reported to SPD at 11:28, a few minutes after it happened (the Fire Department’s online log shows medics dispatched at 11:31).
Just one week till WestSide Baby‘s big Stuff the Bus diaper-donating day – but two big differences this year: For one, you’ll find the bus at Viking Bank (40th/Alaska) on the east side of The Junction next Sunday, rather than at the West Seattle Farmers’ Market as in years past. Second, WS Baby supporters have been having dozens of smaller drives all leading up to Stuff the Bus Day – so be on the lookout for additional places to donate diapers. But mark your calendar for 10 am-2 pm next Sunday (July 24) – there’s more room in the Viking Bank lot to get in, drop off, and get going – this page on the WestSide Baby website has all the details, including the sizes of diapers currently needed the most.
Thanks to the anonymous WSB’er who caught a photo as that boater got assistance from Seattle Police off the 1600 block of Alki SW this afternoon. We don’t know the circumstances, but that did happen to be less than an hour after low tide. That reminded us of photos Jordan shared back on Friday, with what appeared to be more of a high-tide problem by the Harbor West over-the-water complex on Beach Drive:
A tow truck came in to help:
Now, back to today. Back on shore, it may not be surprising we got two sort-of-related photos of the type you wouldn’t expect in mid-July:
That’s from Anne of Ventana Construction (WSB sponsor) – who wrote “it’s officially NOT summer” after finding mushrooms in what’s usually a dormant, brown lawn by this time of summer. And it’s not just her – Machel Spence, famed for fungus photography, sent us a photo today for the first time in months:
Machel says that’s from one of her favorite image-hunting grounds, Lincoln Park. So, is there any hope for sun? Tomorrow’s forecast says “partly sunny” …
West Seattle High School girls’ basketball coach Sonya Elliott shared that photo from Friday’s Hiawatha Fun Fest – where some of her players volunteered for a dunk tank. Next up, some WSHS players are scheduled to join Elliott and fellow coach Ashley Ioane for Westside Basketball Camp for Girls, July 25-28, at WSHS – and it’s open to girls going into third through eighth grades. Sessions are 9 am-1 pm each of those four days, and the cost is $65. Registration is under way – contact Coach Elliott at sonya@sonyaelliott.com.
New information tonight about fundraising efforts to help West Seattle born-and-raised Tracy Dart, who’s helped raise tens of thousands of dollars for breast-cancer research even while fighting the disease herself. Lisa Dawson, one of the organizers of the August 7th “We Heart Tracy Dart” benefit event (here’s our report from last week), sent word this weekend that a new website is now set up at wehearttracydart.com. It not only has details of the August 7th event, but also a PayPal link for online donations any time. As noted on this page of the new website, these efforts are intended to help Tracy – who’s on her third round of the breast-cancer fight at just 36 – handle living and medical expenses. (There’s also a bank account and postal-mail address for donations, listed here.)
(2008 photo by David Hutchinson)
It’s been a few years since canoes have visited Alki during the annual Tribal Journeys, but it sounds like we can expect a sighting this week. Linda Blackinton (Se-Se-Sa-Such-leetsa) of the Samish Tribe e-mailed to say:
I just found out today, from my brother, that the Samish Tribal Canoes and others, will be leaving Alki Beach (east of the promenade) this Thursday morning, July 21st, at 8:30 a.m. Anyone who wants to come watch them can. I don’t know how many canoes will be there, I only know that is where the Samish are leaving from. Their next stop will be at Suquamish, across the bay, and to the north of Bainbridge. My brother runs his boat as the Support Boat for our tribe, the Samish. Hope you can let everyone know about this.
The Swinomish (headquartered in La Conner) are hosting this year’s Tribal Journey, with landings expected one week from tomorrow.
1:22 PM: At least, that’s how we’re looking at it, as the West Seattle Garden Tour continues till 5 pm. We just dropped in on the “Whirligig Garden” tour stop near Schmitz Park, lots of visitors, some with umbrellas, more without. What’s perfect about this particular stop, on this particular (rainy) day, is that it’s a garden making good use of rainwater:
At the back of the shot is a 1,000-plus-gallon cistern that holds rainwater for reuse in the garden, which has many beautiful touches – note this perfect squash blossom, encircled by creative stepping-stones:
This is just one of ten stops. They’re all in the ticket book (check West Seattle Nursery and TrueValue to see if they have any left), which you show to the volunteers manning an information table outside each stop (under an umbrella, which MOST years is needed for sun – we’ve heard this is the first rainy July 17th in 34 years!). We’re proud to be a co-sponsor again this year; WSGT proceeds benefit eight local nonprofits.
ADDED 5:17 PM: Brad Lovejoy shared four photos from along the tour:
The other three, after the jump (and if you have a Garden Tour photo to share, we’d be honored to add it – editor@westseattleblog.com – 9:58 PM, added more – MON. AFTERNOON, added even more, thanks for sharing!):Read More
(Thanks to Dan Murphy for the photo)
12:07 PM: Thanks to everyone who has e-mailed and called with the tip: Beware of the westbound West Seattle Bridge- a truck has apparently lost some of what it was carrying and traffic is backed up. This is reported to be on the high bridge, just past Delridge exit.
1:38 PM NOTE: Per comment, it appears to have cleared. (Again, we appreciate the tips – apparently no injuries here, so it was never on the 911 log – call or text 206-293-6302 around the clock if you see/hear breaking news.)
(Photos by Ellen Cedergreen for WSB)
One of the eight local nonprofits benefiting from today’s West Seattle Garden Tour (on till 5 pm, not too late to get tickets!) is the West Seattle Tool Library at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center (4408 Delridge Way SW). WSB contributor Ellen Cedergreen visited last Thursday night and found out from the Tool Library’s Micah Summers (above) that they’re featured in Popular Mechanics as among the “top 10 ways to help the earth.” The Tool Library has added a weekly 6-9 pm opening on Thursday nights (with special guests on second Thursdays, to offer advice to do-it-yourself’ers) as well as every Saturday and Sunday – more ahead:Read More
Two major ways to brighten your day today, no matter what the weather – and here’s one of them. Before day’s end on Saturday, we stopped by the 24th annual Mediterranean Fantasy Festival. It offers an exotic, colorful escape, as its lineup of more than 200 belly-dance performers and vendors continues starting this morning at 11, in and around Hiawatha Community Center (2700 California SW). We were there for one of the Saturday afternoon sunbreaks:
It was just as bright indoors, with troupe after troupe taking turns delighting the crowd:
And when you stop in, note the festival banner at the indoor stage, designed by West Seattle dancer/artist Dina Lydia (the “Costume Goddess“):
You can find the dancer lineup and other information on the official MedFest website here. (And if you missed it previously, here’s our recent story about the busy local belly-dance scene!)
The sky may be gray (as of this writing), but the colors of peak gardening season are still bright, and you just might feel more summery if you’re heading out for the West Seattle Garden Tour today. That’s the big event on our list of highlights from the WSB West Seattle Events calendar:
17th ANNUAL WEST SEATTLE GARDEN TOUR: 9 am-5 pm, your ticket book gets you into 10 spectacular residential gardens around West Seattle, on your timetable (the only fixed-time event is the lecture on perennials by Sue Goetz, noon at West Seattle Golf Course, included in the ticket price of $15, with kids 12/under touring for free). Go get inspired and delighted! Proceeds benefit these local nonprofits; WS Garden Tour co-sponsors include WSB. (Photo at left, from WSGT Facebook “sneak peeks” gallery)
WEST SEATTLE FARMERS’ MARKET: 10 am-2 pm at 44th/Alaska as always – live music scheduled today, by Clallam County.
MEDITERRANEAN FANTASY FESTIVAL, DAY 2: In and around Hiawatha Community Center, dance performances – all free – and vendors’ booths comprise this unique festival, with performances scheduled 11 am-5 pm today, here are the lineups.
WHITE CENTER JUBILEE DAYS: The street fair continues today, 11 am-6 pm along 17th Avenue SW between Roxbury, and 100th, details online at JubileeDays.org, see our photos from the street fair on partner site White Center Now.
ICE CREAM FOR A GOOD CAUSE: The annual Cones For Kids fundraiser next to Alki Bathhouse, noon-4 pm, presented by the EJ Guild, benefiting a fund for uncompensated care at Children’s Hospital, with Husky Deli ice cream and games and prizes for kids.
(added) WEST SEATTLE LITTLE LEAGUE ALL-STARS’ CAR WASH: 1-4 pm today at West Seattle Produce (Fauntleroy south of Alaska), get your car washed and help the WSLL 11-12 All-Stars cover the cost of going to the state tournament in Vancouver.
LIVE MUSIC: Jamtime at C & P Coffee (WSB sponsor), 1-4 pm.
(WSB photos by Christopher Boffoli; this one substituted at 1:06 am for original same-angle cameraphone photo)
11:36 PM: Police and fire are rushing to California/Donald in North Admiral (map), in the Hamilton Viewpoint Park area. The report is of two people stabbed, both male, one about 30, one about 50. Both are being rushed to Harborview Medical Center. There’s no suspect description but they might be on foot, according to the scanner. We have crews on the way to the scene.
11:48 PM UPDATE: WSB’s Christopher Boffoli has just arrived. Adding his cameraphone photo of the two medic units, M-32 and M-10, that are taking the stabbing victims to Harborview. Also note that the north end of California SW is blocked off starting at SW Atlantic.
11:58 PM UPDATE: Witnesses tell Christopher that they heard a commotion in the park and saw a group of people walking up California – the stabbing, he was told, happened midway up the block, outside the park, between SW Donald and SW Atlantic. The two medic units are now about to leave for the hospital.
12:16 AM UPDATE: Police tell Christopher at the scene that this is what they are learning so far: They believe the victims are transients who reside in Hamilton Viewpoint Park. They were confronted by a group of as many as 8 people, described as Hispanic men and women. An argument erupted into violence. One of the transients did not initially realize he had been stabbed. One of the victims (apparently the younger one) is in critical condition. Police have not found any weapons yet, nor do they have additional leads yet.
12:28 AM UPDATE: California has reopened to traffic, reports Christopher, but the west side of the street is “cordoned off.” He has been told one victim was stabbed in the side, the other in upper back/shoulder area.
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