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West Seattle Thursday: Design Review for 3210 California & 4400 Alaska; air quality; DESC project; more
June 27, 2013 11:48 am
|      10 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

Phantom Orchid

That photo shared via the WSB Flickr group is by Dennis Cheasebro, who explains that it’s a phantom orchid found in Lincoln Park: “This orchid is rare and getting rarer, preferring deep, moist forests, and it’s extraordinary to find it here in the city. … If you see it, please let it be.” You can see wider views . On to the highlights for today/tonight from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:

LOG HOUSE MUSEUM: Thursdays-Sundays, it’s open to visitors, noon-4 pm. (61st/Stevens)

WADING POOL NOTE: *If* we had sunshine and 70-plus temps, this would have been opening day for Delridge Playfield’s wading pool. So probably tomorrow if the forecast is true! Here’s the ongoing wading-pool schedule (including the hotline you can always call to check on the city’s plan).

ADVENTURE RACE: Tonight, starting from Alki, 5 pm. Read about it (and how to be part of it) here.

WSDW HOSTS RON SIMS: The former county executive is the special guest at tonight’s meeting of the West Seattle Democratic Women, 6 pm @ West Seattle Golf Course – details here. (4470 35th SW)

AIR QUALITY MEETING: The Port of Seattle is airing a Northwest Ports Clean Air Strategy update in a meeting at 6 pm tonight, Youngstown Cultural Arts Center. (4408 Delridge Way SW)

DESIGN REVIEW DOUBLEHEADER: With the current apartment-development boom, most Southwest Design Review Board meetings are back to two projects, twice monthly. Tonight’s meetings are at the Senior Center of West Seattle (upstairs) and begin at 6:30 pm with the second Early Design Guidance session for the ~150-apartment project at 3210 California SW (here’s the official info/renderings “packet”; here’s our recent update on changes in the proposal). Then at 8 pm, the board is scheduled to move on to its first look at 4400 SW Alaska, a 37-apartment plan first reported here a month ago; here’s the official packet. Both meetings will include a public-comment period. (California/Oregon).

DESC DELRIDGE SUPPORTIVE HOUSING ADVISORY COMMITTEE: Though it’s not listed on the committee’s official webpage, an announcement on the North Delridge e-mail group says there is a meeting tonight for community concerns/information about the under-construction homeless-housing complex that will also include the new Delridge Grocery. Meeting’s at 6:30 pm, Youngstown Cultural Arts Center. (4408 Delridge Way SW)

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Need tools? West Seattle Tool Library expanding hours, days
June 27, 2013 10:25 am
|      2 COMMENTS
 |   Sustainable West Seattle | West Seattle news

Just in from Sustainable West Seattle‘s Kate Kaemerle – the WS Tool Library is adding more hours for summer:

As of July 1st, WSTL is adding hours on Tuesdays from 5-8 pm. They are also adjusting their hours on Thursday and weekends to serve more member requests for tools and workshop use.

“We’re expanding our hours to keep up with demand for our tools,” said WSTL Manager Micah Summers. “Our new hours should help accommodate more people and increase the convenience of checking tools in and out.”

The new West Seattle Tool Library summer schedule begins July 1st:

Tuesday 5-8 pm (new day)
Thursday 5-8 pm (new hours)
Saturday 11 am – 4 pm (new hours)
Sunday 11 am -4 pm (new hours)

The West Seattle Tool Library is a non-profit, community service, offering access to a collection of over 1,500 tools. With more than 1,000 members, the tool library has helped build orchards, playgrounds, greenhouses and supported thousands of home, yard and neighborhood projects.

The West Seattle Tool Library is located at:

Youngstown Cultural Arts Center, 4408 Delridge Way SW

The West Seattle Tool Library is a project of Sustainable West Seattle and was made possible by a neighborhood grant from the Seattle Department of Neighborhoods and is powered by the LocalTools.com lending-library-management system.

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West Seattle Weather Watch: Heat-wave heads-up
June 27, 2013 10:03 am
|      16 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle weather

Just in case you haven’t already heard – and even though it might be hard to believe on another day of summer rain – the National Weather Service says hot weather really is on the way. This morning, they issued a Special Weather Statement – read it here – with word that by next Tuesday or so, temperatures could go into the 90s. So if nothing else, this is early warning to get the fan(s) out of the basement, among other preparations.

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West Seattle summer: 2nd busy session for Chief Sealth camp
June 27, 2013 9:17 am
|      1 COMMENT
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle schools | WS & Sports

Chief Sealth Basketball and Life Skills Camp is in its second weeklong session of the summer, and Sealth coach Colin Slingsby shared photos while reporting that each of the first two weeks has hosted more than 130 campers. It’s not just about basketball, he reminds us:

More than 30 camp staff members consisting of current and former Chief Sealth International High School and Denny International Middle School students underwent hours of training to staff the camp and coach campers on basketball fundamentals, life skills, and academic success strategies.

Each day, campers take part in a classroom session where they hear from high school and college student coach speakers, and study under a curriculum rooted in learning social skills and academic success strategies. One of the longest standing and most recognized community-based programs at Sealth International High School (16 years running), the camp continues its success in bringing together youth in the community for a positive and fun learning environment and the chance to grow and compete on the court! This summer features two more sessions in August which still have space available- Camp Session #3 (August 12th-16th) and the brand-new Advanced Concepts Session (August 19th-23rd).

Registration information and other details are in this online brochure.

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TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: 1 week till 4th of July
June 27, 2013 6:03 am
|      1 COMMENT
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

(Live view from the east-facing WS Bridge camera; other cameras are on the WSB Traffic page)
And the commute begins. Today we’re starting by looking ahead – not just by noting that we’re a week away from the 4th of July, but also, some dates we noticed on the latest edition of the weekly traffic preview:

DELRIDGE REPAVING, PHASE 4: That preview says Monday, July 8th, is the current target date for moving on to Phase 4 of the Delridge Way Repaving Project – the section between Holden and Orchard.

HIGHWAY 99 CLOSURE NORTH OF BATTERY STREET TUNNEL: The weekend after the holiday – Friday night 7/5 through Monday morning 7/8 – will see Highway 99 closed both ways between Valley Street and the Battery St. Tunnel for lane-shifting.

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Heard those booms? Fireworks, police say
June 26, 2013 11:22 pm
|      25 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news

From the “in case you also wondered” file: We heard the two loud booms from the Lincoln Park area and mentioned them on Twitter; word of the booms then turned up on the scanner, and police affirmed to dispatchers that they were fireworks. (We’re hearing more, smaller ones, as we type.) This gives us reason to remind you that while fireworks of all kind are illegal in Seattle, they remain legal in the unincorporated area immediately south of West Seattle and go on sale at noon this Friday, so brace yourself. (Here’s the list of local fireworks rules for the whole state.)

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West Seattle Crime Watch: Police at Lincoln Park; charges in crash, burglary cases
June 26, 2013 10:31 pm
|      10 COMMENTS
 |   Crime | West Seattle news

Three notes in West Seattle Crime Watch tonight:

POLICE AT LINCOLN PARK: If you were at, or passing, Lincoln Park early this evening, you might have seen the big police response in the north parking lot. We went to the scene after several tips and found out that it basically wasn’t as big a deal as it looked, and did NOT involve any kind of crime happening in the park. Following up with Southwest Precinct Lt. Alan Williams, he said it started with police finding a vehicle in Lincoln Park that resembled one being sought in connection with an unspecified incident in the unincorporated King County area, but in the end, Lt. Williams says, “We detained and identified three individuals, then released them after discussing the situation with County.”

Now, two updates on cases we’ve been following:

CHARGES IN 17TH/CAMBRIDGE CRASH: 26-year-old Kalameu Paulo of Seatac is charged with two counts of vehicular assault and one count of felony hit-and-run in connection with the Sunday morning crash that seriously injured two people. Court documents tell the same story reported here in our Tuesday followup – that she allegedly ran a stop sign and T-boned the victims’ car, then was caught running away from the scene. She was described as showing signs of intoxication, and the court documents add the additional detail of a witness saying she had seen Paulo at the Locker Room bar in White Center earlier in the evening, appearing “particularly drunk.” The documents say alcohol/drug test results are not back yet. Her bail remains at $75,000.

ALAN POLEVIA CHARGED: Bail also remains set at $75,000 for 32-year-old Alan Polevia, now charged with second-degree burglary in connection with the incident for which he was arrested Monday afternoon, less than 24 hours after being released from a jail stay that began with an Arbor Heights arrest on June 11th. As reported here last night, police say he broke into a home in the 10000 block of 28th SW, and was arrested shortly thereafter. But there’s a new detail in court documents: While, as reported here, he was allowed to leave jail previously with a condition that he would be living at a Burien address where his father allegedly lived, we now learn he told police after the arrest Monday that he does not know where his father lives now, and had instead been picked up from jail by a girlfriend who took him to her house. Prosecutors asked the judge today to keep bail at $75,000 because out of 12 cases against Polevia in the past 12 years, 10 of them have resulted in warrants.

The court documents reveal that the “vacant” home Polevia allegedly broke into is the home damaged in a fire we covered last month for our partner site White Center Now. Court documents say he denied to police that he had broken into the house and said he had gone there because “some guy” told him he might find some coins there.

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West Seattle restaurants: Pecado Bueno to ex-Wing Dome spot
June 26, 2013 4:49 pm
|      91 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle restaurants

Thanks to Sean for spotting the liquor-license-application posting and sending the tip our way: The nine-months-vacant Wing Dome spot in The Junction at 4523 California SW is slated to become the home of the second Pecado Bueno. The first one opened in Fremont in 2011. According to this PSBJ story, founder James Schmidt was a co-founder of Taco Del Mar. He told PSBJ that he didn’t want to turn Pecado Bueno into a major chain – maybe just five or six places. The concept is described as order-at-the-counter – here’s the menu – with a full bar (which is the type of liquor license that is being sought). This would be the fifth Mexican eatery in The Junction, after Puerto Vallarta, Taqueria Guaymas, Matador, and Pica Border Grill. We have messages out to see what more we can find out, such as timeframe for opening.

6:28 PM UPDATE: Just spoke by phone with owner James Schmidt, who says they could open as soon as August 1st – he’s expecting the “minor” changes they need to the space to be done before then, so the liquor license is what’s likely to be the biggest factor in the time frame. But he also made it clear, it’s a restaurant with a full bar, NOT “another bar.”

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West Seattle coyotes: Seen at Camp Long & golf course
June 26, 2013 4:39 pm
|      59 COMMENTS
 |   Coyotes | West Seattle news | Wildlife

Early Tuesday, we published a coyote-sighting report for the first time in a while, after some had asked us if they somehow weren’t around any more. Yes, they are, as these photos show – Mark Wangerin photographed the coyote pup above, earlier this week at Camp Long, and not far away, minutes ago, Zane sent us this photo from the West Seattle Golf Course:

Zane saw the coyote and a pup around the 12th hole, fifteen minutes ago. Reminder: It’s best for us and them if they keep their distance – lots of advice here about not providing food, and about scaring them away if they get too close.

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Newly proposed microhousing rules go to Council committee Friday
June 26, 2013 3:58 pm
|      5 COMMENTS
 |   Development | West Seattle housing | West Seattle news

The city’s first take at “microhousing” regulations is scheduled for a special meeting Friday (June 28th) of the City Council’s Planning, Land Use, and Sustainability Committee. That’s the date mentioned by DPD director Diane Sugimura when she visited the Southwest District Council earlier this month; now the agenda’s out, with the draft of what’s being proposed. The map above accompanies the agenda and includes four locations where microhousing is under construction or planned in our area. (See the addresses and unit counts on this list.) Among other things, as laid out in this memo, it sets up new terminology such as “micro dwelling unit” – up to 8 living units sharing a kitchen – and “congregate residences,” 9 or more living units sharing one. But the term “dwelling unit” will still apply to that group of up to 8 living units, for State Environmental Policy Act review purposes, anyway. And for purposes of tracking neighborhood growth, a group of four living units would count as one “unit.”

As for parking:

*Parking minimums are not required or are reduced in certain areas of the city, primarily
urban villages, centers and frequent transit served locations.

*Outside the areas noted above, required vehicle parking for most multi-family residential
uses is 1 required parking space for each dwelling unit (SMC 23.54.015).

*For congregate residences, and for assisted living facilities the vehicle parking requirement
is 1 space for each 4 residents.

*In areas of the city where parking is required, add a parking requirement for micro dwelling units
consistent to that of congregate residences: 1 space for 4 micros

*Currently the amount of required off street bicycle parking required for residential uses is one (1)
bicycle parking space for every 4 dwelling units in multifamily housing, and 1 bicycle parking
space for every twenty (20) residents in congregate residences. (Table E, SMC 23.54.015)

Micro dwelling units appear to have higher demand for bicycle usage than other forms of
development; increase the requirement for off-street bicycle parking for micro dwelling units to
1 bicycle space to 4 micros.

A later section of the memo addresses microhousing built in Residential Parking Zones, and says there should be up to four permits for each “micro dwelling unit.” Meantime, the agenda for Friday’s meeting also includes a memo from the Seattle Planning Commission, which says these types of apartments “fill a unique niche” in the city and should be permitted wherever multifamily development is allowed. But the SPC does think the buildings should be required to have more amenities. Friday’s meeting is at 9:30 am at City Hall.

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Youngstown Cultural Arts Center seeking more ‘Civic Partnerships’
June 26, 2013 2:12 pm
|      3 COMMENTS
 |   Delridge | West Seattle news | WS culture/arts

(2012 WSB photo of Youngtown Cultural Arts Center)
There’s a new opportunity for more arts/cultural organizations to get involved with West Seattle’s Youngstown Cultural Arts Center, without having to commit to something longterm: Youngstown is starting a new push to get the word out about its Civic Partnerships Program, in which it’s an “incubating hub” for start-up arts programs. The push was announced earlier this week at an event celebrating the success of performance-art group Saint Genet, whose director Ryan Mitchell is at left in our photo below with Youngstown director David Bestock:

At a Monday night reception at Youngstown, they talked about the Civic Partnerships Program, which offers the use of Youngstown space and “some gear or equipment” for “dance, theater, visual art, music production, culinary arts, or any creative endeavor that offers a good fit,” on a quarterly agreement, instead of requiring tenancy. Saint Genet used Youngstown space for choreography in one of its recent works, “Paradisiacal Rites.” If you’re interested in applying for a Civic Partnership at Youngstown, you can contact Bestock at david@youngstownarts.org.

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Marriage-equality rulings: West Seattle notes; downtown rally
June 26, 2013 12:11 pm
|      11 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle people

Side notes to the U.S. Supreme Court rulings today on marriage equality:

OVERTURNED DONUTS: This photo is being shared by West Seattle’s King County Councilmember Joe McDermott – whose note on the box declares them to be “Overturned Donuts to Celebrate Overturning DOMA” (the Defense of Marriage Act, struck down in one of today’s rulings). (added) His official statement on today’s rulings:

“I am filled with simply overwhelming pride today as the US Supreme Court overturns DOMA!

“King County has been a leader in equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people, so it was with sheer joy that my fiancé Michael and I celebrated with hundreds of couples as King County issued the first marriage licenses to same sex couples in the state last December. Now the federal government will treat those couples equally as well! This equality extends from military couples to seniors on Social Security, reaching so many hardworking families and providing them the security they deserve.

“This will indeed be a happy Pride Weekend!”

KING COUNTY EXECUTIVE’S STATEMENT: County Executive Dow Constantine is also among the local leaders who have issued statements today:

“I am pleased and proud that the Supreme Court has officially recognized the civil rights of same-sex couples, rights that Washington State voters embraced last year.

Being able to issue the first marriage licenses to happy same-sex couples was one of the highlights of my career. Thankfully, it appears that there will be many more such joyful moments as our nation moves, sometimes slowly, sometimes quickly, ever closer to the ideals announced at our founding. I am proud of King County and Washington State for helping to nudge the nation toward justice.”

PRIDE PARADE GRAND MARSHALS: This Sunday is the Seattle Pride Parade, and West Seattle’s trailblazing couple Jane Lighty and Pete-e Petersen – first to get a marriage license when they became available last December, one month after the statewide marriage-equality vote – are among the grand marshals, as is another West Seattleite, Sarah Toce, founder and editor-in-chief of online publication The Seattle Lesbian. Her site is where we found out about …

RALLY TONIGHT DOWNTOWN: There’s a 5 pm rally to celebrate the Supreme Court rulings, outside the U.S. Court of Appeals, 1010 Fifth Avenue downtown.

ADDED WEDNESDAY NIGHT: A photo from Steph Brusig‘s gallery of scenes from that rally, with a turnout estimated by organizers at more than 300:

Steph’s gallery is on Facebook, here.

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Remembering Linnea Long, ‘Erik’s mom,’ steadfast friend, & more
June 26, 2013 10:11 am
|      7 COMMENTS
 |   Obituaries | West Seattle news | West Seattle people

The family of Linnea Long, gone too soon at 60, shares this remembrance with the community:

On May 9, 2013, Linnea opened the door to yesterday, walked through, and the door closed behind her.

Linnea was born in Inglewood, California, in December 1952, to a WWII veteran father and a mother who was often mistaken for Doris Day. She was the middle child in a family of two girls and a boy. Linnea grew up in the South Bay of Los Angeles and loved to ride her bike along the Strand. When she moved north with her husband David Benton in the 1980s, they eventually settled in Alki, after a short stay on 38th Ave SW east of Jefferson Square. Linnea would often jog along the beach, quickly becoming a nodding acquaintance of many. She would ride her bike to the Water Taxi and then to work. At lunch she would ride up to Interbay and after work, ride home along Alki.

Linnea was a strong and protective mom who made sure that her son Erik knew he was both wanted and loved. Erik attended Schmitz Park, Explorer West, and Seattle Lutheran High School before he moved onto Western Washington University. Many may know her as “Erik’s Mom,” Linnea was also a steadfast friend to many over the years and she was both loyal and supportive. Linnea helped sponsor and serve on the Cormorant Cove and Constellation Park Steering Committees, and encouraged her family to do so as well. Linnea loved living in Alki, and named the house “Close Enough,” meaning that it was close enough to a beach for her and her family. Many beaches she enjoyed in addition to Alki were Manhattan Beach, Newport Beach, and Cannon Beach.

After her family, at the heart of Linnea’s life were books; whether seated on a kitchen stool or relaxing in a beach chair, Linnea would read. After becoming a “recovering attorney” after many years employed in private practice and at Time Oil as corporate counsel, she went back to the UW and obtained a second graduate degree in Information Sciences and reincarnated her second career as a Special Librarian while still remaining a member of the Bar. She joined Avvo in early 2007 and served as Content Acquisition Manager, helping the company grow to become the leading web-based source for information about legal matters and lawyer qualifications.

Linnea continued working while her cancer spread, determined not to be a victim, but to keep on being a mom to Erik and wife to David. Her family and her good friend Laurie D’Allesandro aided her in her fight. She managed the struggle until early May 2013. She is survived by her husband, her son, her brother, John Long, and her sister Colleen Campbell.

There will be no formal religious service, and in lieu of flowers, her family asks that donations in her name be made to the Global Resource for Advancing Cancer Education at cancergrace.org/about-us

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West Seattle Weather Watch: Thunderstorms possible again today
June 26, 2013 9:26 am
|      4 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle weather

The thunderstorms that led to a big West Seattle power outage seemed to come out of nowhere yesterday – but today, the National Weather Service is issuing early warning that similar storm bursts are possible; here’s the Special Weather Statement that’s in effect. If nothing else, make sure your phone’s charged! On the truly bright side, the Special Weather Statement also says warm, sunny weather is on the way for the weekend.

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TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: Showery Wednesday
June 26, 2013 6:03 am
|    Comments Off on TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: Showery Wednesday
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

(Live view from the east-facing WS Bridge camera; other cameras are on the WSB Traffic page)
And the commute is on. Heads up for later today – the National Weather Service says there’s a chance of more thunderstorms this afternoon/evening. Here’s hoping anything that happens won’t be as intense as Tuesday!

MIDDAY UPDATE: Thanks to the person who tipped us to a bus stalled in the outside lane on the bridge. Turned out not to be a traffic problem – we drove by it shortly afterward – but it really helps to know.

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West Seattle sports: WSHS basketball camp for 4th-9th graders
June 26, 2013 5:15 am
|    Comments Off on West Seattle sports: WSHS basketball camp for 4th-9th graders
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle schools | WS & Sports

Coach Keffrey Fazio from West Seattle High School has announced that WSHS is offering a two-day basketball camp next month, no advance registration required – you can sign up at the door. It’s for 4th through 9th graders, girls and boys, 9 am-4 pm on Friday, July 19th, and 10 am-2 pm on Saturday, July 20th. More details on the official flyer, and online at wsbasketballboosters.com

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Update: WSB Forums technical trouble
June 25, 2013 9:46 pm
|      7 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle online

9:46 PM: If you are a WSB Forums user, you have likely noticed that section of our site is unusable right now. Trouble hit during this evening’s storm coverage, and while the rest of the site has recovered, the Forums haven’t. At some point later tonight, the entire site will be down for maintenance/repairs in hopes of getting that fixed. We’re sorry for the trouble and appreciate your patience.

3:54 AM: As noted in a “sticky” post in the Forum, we have restored the database to a backup that is a few days old. We are still investigating to see if there is any way to get those days’ content back too and hope to have an opinion on that by mid-morning. The threads that had been updated in those ensuing days are still displaying on the forum index page as authored by “anonymous,” but if you click on any one of them, you will see the authors and posts – up to that several-days-old backup. Again, our apologies for this problem, which was internal to the server, NOT caused by anything/anyone external such as hackers or spammers (though spam was displaying on the index for a while until deleted).

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West Seattle Weather Watch: Rainbow(s) after the storm
June 25, 2013 9:06 pm
|      6 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle weather

(UPDATED with more photos late Tuesday/early Wednesday)

Thanks to everyone who’s sending beautiful rainbow photos (and other spectacular sky shots from the storm’s aftermath)! Here’s a double rainbow for starters, in unsigned mail from Arbor Heights. Next, looking east to the stadium zone, Carolyn shared this:

Back to Arbor Heights for a panorama from Kane:

The sky to the west, from JayDee:

Another view of the full-half-circle and its companion, this one from Andy Cote:

ADDED EARLY WEDNESDAY: Beth Anderson shared this sunset view via the WSB Facebook page:

She says the view was from Me-Kwa-Mooks Park on Beach Drive. Back to rainbows – Joe says his view showed them over White Center:

And from Dave, looking south:

Thanks to everyone who shared theirs!

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West Seattle Weather Watch: Thunderstorm; power outage
June 25, 2013 5:28 pm
|      128 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle weather

5:28 PM UPDATE: After lightning which one WSB crew member happened to see from downtown, we have reports of power out in some parts of West Seattle, including Alki and Seaview. You?

5:36 PM UPDATE: Perhaps we should rephrase the question – who still HAS power?

5:41 PM UPDATE: The City Light map now shows the outage. 4,800 homes and businesses. Screengrab from their site:

The National Weather Service says that heavy rain will continue and that the temperature has dropped six degrees in a matter of minutes.

5:56 PM UPDATE: No estimate yet from City Light on when they’ll be able to restore the power (please let us know via comments or editor@westseattleblog.com when you get yours back!) – the storm clouds look to be easing up a bit. And in Upper Fauntleroy, we’re seeing light mist and some ground fog. The Weather Service now says the storm’s moving eastward.

6:29 PM UPDATE: Thanks for the updates on power returning. City Light says about a third of the original outage is fixed – still more than 3,000 homes/businesses with no power.

7:09 PM UPDATE: And more people report they have power back. As of about quarter till 7, City Light spokesperson Mark Van Oss said, they still had at least six transformers to fix, and crews were traveling the length of the feeder involved in the outage.

7:47 PM UPDATE: Down to a relative handful of homes/businesses affected – about 70 per the SCL map. Meantime, we have had one lingering problem as our server buckled under heavy traffic a few times – the WSB Forums are experiencing a database error right now; topic titles are showing but not the posts within them. Got somebody working on it.

7:53 PM UPDATE: As another heavy rain squall moves through, checking out a crash at 42nd/100th that initially brought a “rescue” response but has been downgraded.

10:13 PM UPDATE: City Light confirms about 75 homes/businesses remain without power, and is hoping to have them back somewhere around midnight.

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$75,000 bail also set for 17th/Cambridge crash suspect
June 25, 2013 5:10 pm
|      17 COMMENTS
 |   Crime | Delridge | West Seattle news

This afternoon’s other bail hearing of West Seattle note was for the 26-year-old Seatac woman who police say was driving the van that hit a car in South Delridge early Sunday, sending two people to the hospital with serious injuries. Until today, her name wasn’t on the jail register because, police said, she did not have ID and they had trouble verifying who she was; she is listed as having two aliases (we aren’t identifying her until and unless she is charged). The police narrative says she was one of two people seen running across Delridge by police arriving at the scene; nearby residents told them she was the driver. While one officer was trying to get identification from her, the documents say, she started screaming, “I killed him! I killed him! I’ve never killed anyone before.” Police later were told that, before the crash, she was seen and heard “at a gas station just across the county line … in White Center … physically fighting with two males,” and that when those two drove away, northbound into Seattle, the van driver “drove after them at a high rate of speed in an attempt to continue the fight.” Driving northbound on 17th SW, police say, she ran a stop sign and smashed into the smaller car. One of the officers who talked with her reported “a strong odor of alcoholic intoxicants” on her breath, and that she “was also slurring her speech.” Her bail was set today at $75,000, and she is due back in court tomorrow.

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West Seattle Crime Watch followup: $75,000 bail for Alan Polevia
June 25, 2013 4:01 pm
|      22 COMMENTS
 |   Crime | West Seattle news

Just in from the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office: One day after his arrest less than 24 hours after he was released from jail, Alan Polevia has just appeared at a bail hearing. His bail was set at $75,000. And we’ve confirmed that he was the person arrested in the Seola/Shorewood area at midday yesterday. We received some details of the incident from King County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Sgt. Kathleen Larson. She says the break-in was in the 10000 block of 28th SW – a vacant home whose owner was checking the property and discovered a door had been pried open, and a bag “filled with property” was in the back yard. He then saw a man come out of the hedge; the property owner followed him, while calling 911. Deputies brought a K-9 team and set up containment; eventually they found him in the woods, she said – up in a tree. He’s due back in court tomorrow.

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Seattle World Cruiser christening Saturday: Your invitation!
June 25, 2013 3:40 pm
|      5 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle people

That’s the Seattle World Cruiser – whose co-pilot, a former West Seattleite, sent this invitation for us to share with you (and any other aviation/history fans, and dreamers!, with whom you care to share it):

Dr. Diane Weglin Dempster, Seattle World Cruiser co-pilot, educator, and graduate of West Seattle High School Class of 1972, invites YOU–her West Seattle Community, to join in the Fun of Making History at TWO Very Special Events:

Event Number One, FREE and Open to the Public–The Rollout and Christening Ceremony of Seattle II, a full-scale, flying reproduction of the 1924 Douglas World Cruiser aircraft, first airplane to fly around the world. MEET friends, families, and Special VIP Guests at the event! THRILL to the rousing music of The Ballard Sedentary Sousa Band! FOLLOW THE PROGRESS of the 1920’s Model T Truck, proudly towing The Seattle World Cruiser along the taxiway to the ceremony! SIGH with the wistful drone of bagpipes!

REJOICE in the spirit of Chief Seattle and his namesake City and Aeroplane in a special Duwamish Blessing of “Thunder Canoe!”

APPLAUD as World Cruiser Pilot Bob Dempster [pictured above with the plane and below with Dr. Diane Dempster] presents a bottle of Lake Washington water to christen the Seattle World Cruiser, Seattle II, and DANCE with joy for what’s to come! And…If conditions are favorable, there might even be the ROAR of the Mighty 400hp Lincoln Motor Company Liberty V-12 engine and a HOP down the runway…We shall see….

Saturday, June 29th between 10 am and 2 pm, with the ceremony commencing at 10:45, outdoors, airport side, at the Museum of Flight, 9404 East Marginal Way South (info link here)

Also visit the Museum of Flight’s Lobby to see the Rickenbacker coupe automobile and the 10-foot Douglas World Cruiser model airplane…AND the Museum’s newly-installed, Special Exhibit (along the Lobby’s north glass wall) on the Seattle World Cruiser Project.

Backstory from Dr. Dempster, ahead:

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West Seattle Crime Watch: Custom drum set among loot in apartment-building break-in
June 25, 2013 2:09 pm
|      3 COMMENTS
 |   Crime | West Seattle news

That’s Caleb‘s drum set- stolen from the storage unit of his apartment building in the 5000 block of California SW (just south of The Junction) sometime Monday. He and one of his neighbors, Yolanda, e-mailed us early today about the break-in with multiple victims. She said storage units had been broken into and ransacked, with “random valuables” taken. Among the stolen items, Caleb lost his “C&C custom Mahogany drum set, my cymbals, and all my hardware.” He believes it happened between noon and 1:30 pm Monday: “My downstairs neighbor went for a walk around that time and came back to (find the) storage-room door broken open. I’m pretty sure they moved it though the back alley behind my building because I found one of my drum pads back there. Maybe somebody saw something?” The door was locked, Yolanda said, but apparently yielded to being kicked in, and then the burglar(s) broke the locks off the storage units. If you have any information about this, or other crimes, contact SPD.

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