West Seattle, Washington
11 Thursday
The only local boys team still in the postseason-basketball picture had a big win last night: Seattle Lutheran High School senior Bryce Morgan (#3, above) put up a three-point shot with 32 seconds to go in the game, which gave the Saints the one-point lead that netted a win over visiting Auburn Adventist Academy, 48-47 – with a round of photos following:
Ahead, more photos and game notes:
(Live view from the east-facing WS Bridge camera; see other cameras on the WSB Traffic page)
6:16 PM: Happy Valentine’s Day! No problems as this day begins, so here are the West Seattle Bridge and Highway 99 camera views …
Seattle Public Schools students have a half-day today, out three hours early, the start of the newly shortened mid-winter break; they are also off Friday and Monday.
And remember that this weekend has two major closures – the I-5 Spokane St. Interchange Bridge Repair and Delridge repaving projects. For the former, the eastbound Spokane Street Viaduct will be closed after the 4th Avenue S. ramp, so you can’t get to I-5 or Beacon Hill from the eastbound West Seattle Bridge; detours are listed here. On Delridge, the intersection at Trenton will be closed both ways; the detour map is here. And BOTH closures are scheduled to last until TUESDAY morning, since it’s a holiday weekend.
1:47 PM UPDATE: The Delridge/Trenton weekend closure is now POSTPONED, probably until the following weekend.
(WSB photo by Katie Meyer)
11 PM: Another armed robbery tonight, and according to scanner traffic, investigators will be looking to find out whether there is any link to the series of robberies just over the city/county line. Police are at 35th and Roxbury, and we are working to verify whether the business robbed tonight is the same one hit 3 weeks ago. Tonight, they are again looking for an armed robber and according to scanner traffic are trying to determine if there’s a link to a series of robberies on the other side of the city/county border. The only description we have so far is that the male robber was wearing a light blue bandana covering his face and a light blue windbreaker jacket. (Photos of the King County serial robber are in our report from last week.)
6:08 AM UPDATE: Police confirm the robbery was at the same business hit last month, the smoke/beverage shop.
(The southernmost camera, by the Fauntleroy ferry dock)
The City Council committee that first approved receiving a federal grant for the surveillance cameras that are going up in West Seattle and elsewhere will take another look at it next week. That’s what Councilmember Bruce Harrell, chair of the Public Safety, Technology, and Civil Rights Committee (and a candidate for mayor), told WSB late today, as part of a lengthy response to our request for comment:
I have scheduled SPD to be at the Public Safety, Civil Rights, and Technology committee on February 20, 2pm to discuss this issue. The committee is currently examining legislation to prevent the cameras from operating in residential zones and disabling the 360 degree feature to prevent the cameras from viewing any residential buildings. I am requiring legislation to restrict its use and protect the public’s privacy before they can go online. I have always asked SPD to be proactive in its community outreach and SPD should have held meetings with the community adjacent to the proposed locations before any installations.
More to come on Councilmember Harrell’s plan. It’s been two weeks since we broke the news about the camera network, after WSB readers noticed two of the half-dozen cameras that by that time were clearly visible in the greater Alki area. Back on Monday, we reported Mayor McGinn’s first public comments on the cameras, including his promise of a “thorough public vetting” before they become operational. The 30-camera network is planned to stretch from Golden Gardens in Ballard southward to the camera you see in our photo, next to the Fauntleroy ferry dock.
That’s the pitch video for a Kickstarter campaign launched this week by two West Seattle entrepreneurs, Fran Dunaway and Naomi Gonzalez:
Their brand Tomboy Exchange aims to make clothing and accessories geared to women over 40 (preview it here), with an “attitude that reminds us of our daring younger selves,” as Fran says in the video, adding in an interview on their website, “As we get older I think there are very few women who can actually pull off the same look that they rocked as younger women. They still want to look good but comfort and fit are key now.” Tomboy Exchange’s founders hope to raise $75,000 to get the business going in a big way – including making the clothes right here in Seattle – and they’ve given themselves a month to do it. After just two days, they’re already a sixth of the way there.
Five reader reports in West Seattle Crime Watch tonight, starting with a stolen vehicle:
William writes:
Hy 94 Nissan Pathfinder was stolen last night from where I park at my gf’s house most nights. Photo attached. Seattle Police incident# 13-505070 First three license plate #’s are ACZ.
Heather from Seaview reports her home was broken into:
I wanted to let you know that my house was broken into yesterday afternoon around 5:00 pm. The thief broke open my back door and entered my bedroom where many valuable things were stolen – specifically an entire jewelry box along with other less valuable items. We believe the suspect was seen by a visitor at a neighbor’s house who saw him, one guy, leave in a black older Volvo with my jewelry box and a suitcase (which he filled with other stuff). Police were called and searched my home and tested for fingerprints. The individual was described as a white male with long face, unsure of age, driving an older black 5 door Volvo, wearing a black jacket and a hat. We are hoping one of the neighbors video surveillance may have captured the suspect.
Also of importance is that the thief broke in while my dog was there. She was not injured or stolen but surprised that they would hit a home with a dog (border collie pit bull mix – not aggressive at all).
An anonymous report of car prowlers in Upper Fauntleroy:
Please let the community know there have been a series of car break-ins over the last week just south of Thistle on Sullivan Street. Thieves rifled through cars and took small items. Our neighborhood watch is keeping an eye out, and yours should, too!
A package theft report from Jillian:
We had a package stolen off of our porch at 35th and Dakota. It happened yesterday between noon and 6:00 p.m. My boyfriend came home at 6:00 and noticed that someone had taken the package and replaced it with an empty Cabela’s box that looks like it was stolen out of a neighbor’s recycling bin. We are having all of our packages sent to our work addresses now, and I would advise our neighbors to do the same.
And Ray says someone is tearing up the grass at Hiawatha again:
Just got back from walking my dogs through Hiawatha by WSHS. Someone, for the second time in about 3 weeks, drove all over the lawn on the east side of the community center. Needless to say, the grass is all torn up. … I wish whoever is doing this to our park would get caught.
As noted here earlier today, park safety/security is the topic when the West Seattle Crime Prevention Council meets next Tuesday.
Suzanne just e-mailed us about a trimaran that’s been taking on water just off central Beach Drive, barely 15 feet from shore, in the Emma Schmitz Viewpoint vicinity. Our friends at Beach Drive Blog report that the captain says it’s NOT an emergency and was working on repairs.
4:55 PM: Thanks to Beef and Mark, both of whom e-mailed notes and photos (that’s Beef‘s picture above) to let us know that demolition is under way at the old Highland Park wading pool, to make way for West Seattle’s first spray park, which will be built in its place. Back when the idea of converting the wading pool into a spray park was first proposed in 2009, construction was expected to start the next year, but there’ve been changes along the way, including extra Parks and Green Spaces Levy money to take the project beyond a bare-bones spray feature. The Seattle Parks project page says it should be done in mid-May and open this summer. That’ll be five years after the wading pool was last open; in late 2008, the federal government mandated safety retrofits that were never installed because Parks expected to redevelop the site. You can see the spraypark’s design plan on the Parks website.
6:39 PM UPDATE: After Beef and Mark sent word of the construction work, we sent an inquiry to project manager Kelly Goold at Seattle Parks, to look for a few more specifics. Kelly’s reply:
Yes, it is exciting news that we are finally breaking ground. Current schedule is to have construction complete and the spray-park operational by May 27th (the typical opening day for spray-parks and wading pools).
Also, the art installation project is moving forward. The artist Leo Berk is doing great work on the project you have described in WSB in previous posts.
The art project involves the building at the site; here’s our report, with renderings, from last November.
Four reminders for tonight, if you haven’t already checked the calendar:
DESC ADVISORY COMMITTEE: As the Delridge Supportive Housing project continues to go up, the community advisory committee set up to address concerns/issues continues to meet. Tonight at 6:30 pm at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center (4408 Delridge Way SW) is the next meeting.
CRIME PREVENTION THROUGH ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN: That’s the topic of tonight’s second-in-a-series Highland Park community-safety meeting at Highland Park Improvement Club, 7 pm (12th/Holden), details here.
34TH DISTRICT DEMOCRATS: From the online agenda: The featured program is about carbon taxes, with Dr. Yoram Bauman, the “standup economist,” plus resolutions to be considered including one about the Seattle Public Schools MAP testing controversy. 7 pm, The Hall at Fauntleroy (9131 California SW)
CYRCUS NIGHT AT SHADOWLAND: A free aerial arts/circus show at Shadowland in The Junction (California/Oregon), 9 pm – find out more at cyrcus.org.
Just in from Metro Transit, reminders for this Saturday’s service change and Monday’s Presidents Day holiday:
On Presidents Day – Monday, Feb. 18 – King County Metro Transit will operate a regular weekday schedule with some trips canceled because the University of Washington is not in session. Peak fares will not be charged. The King County Water Taxi service will not operate either the Vashon or West Seattle routes on Feb. 18.
These routes have designated trips canceled when the UW is not in session (as identified in timetables): 31, 32, 65, 67, 68, 75, 167, 197, 205, 271, 277, 372, 373.
As a reminder, Metro Transit also will change service beginning Saturday, Feb. 16, affecting several routes. Highlights include Metro’s response addressing concerns from transit customers about crowding and a lack of access to late evening buses. As a result, Metro is adding a late evening trip between Magnolia and downtown Seattle and eliminating a Route 216 stop to help address overcrowding during the afternoon commute. Metro also is testing a new style RapidRide printed timetable for the C and D Lines that shows departure times along their routes – a move that makes it easier to plan travel and make connections to other bus routes.
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
Sixteen people filled the board room at Fauntleroy Schoolhouse last night for the Fauntleroy Community Association‘s monthly board meeting. One of the major items of business was something YOU can help with right now – if you live and/or work in the Fauntleroy area:
THE SURVEY: To find out more about how best to serve the community, among other things, FCA is conducting a survey right now. It was announced via their website and Facebook page, as well as via postal-mail postcard, and more than 180 responses have come in so far. As the group gets ready for its annual membership meeting (more on that shortly), they would love to get hundreds more – since it asks about a wide range of community issues and concerns. If you have ties to Fauntleroy, here’s where the survey begins.
Ahead – a new wildlife advocacy group debuted at the FCA meeting, and the group was briefed on two big King County Wastewater Treatment Division projects in the area:
Just announced for the next West Seattle Crime Prevention Council meeting (Tuesday, February 19th, 7 pm, Southwest Precinct) – President Richard Miller says that Seattle Parks‘ resources manager Robert Stowers will be there to “address questions regarding safety and security at park facilities” – an especially timely topic given high-profile cases such as last month’s Roxhill Park robberies. Also scheduled: Sarah Sorensen, Volunteer Supervisor from the Seattle Police Victim Support Team, to talk about upcoming training and how to volunteer with the VST.
Need Valentine flowers? Fleurt (WSB sponsor) in The Junction is still taking Valentine’s Day orders, and will be open extended hours tomorrow – 8:30 am to 8:30 pm. From left in our photo, you see Fleurt’s Tiffany, proprietor Sam, and Devon, who are still on cloud 9 after Fleurt was crowned the city’s “Best Flower and Garden Shop” by Seattle Magazine. As noted recently on the West Seattle Junction Association website, Fleurt offers gift options way beyond flowers, too. Find Fleurt at 4536 California SW.
We’ve been reporting on local schools/classrooms taking Arbor Heights Elementary teacher Marcia Ingerslev and her students up on the challenge to collect at least 100 nonperishable food items, to commemorate the 100th day of school. For Seattle Public Schools, that’s February 20th; for some independent schools, it’s earlier, like Holy Rosary School, whose Lynne Crockett mentioned their kindergarteners’ food drive in a WSB comment yesterday; we subsequently requested a photo, and here it is!
We loved the idea of collecting 100 cans of food for the food bank. Between Mrs. Crockett and Mrs. Clarke’s classes, we collected over 200 cans of food for the White Center Food Bank. Attached is a photo of Reese, in the back of her family SUV among the bags of canned goods going to be delivered to the food bank. Again, thanks to the other schools who gave us this great idea!
The other schools participating have chosen to collect for the West Seattle Food Bank; as we frequently note, WC Food Bank serves part of West Seattle as well. Congratulations to everybody who’s joined in, and we’ll be happy to publish other progress reports/results too.
(AMA photo from last night: Rep. Cody with (at left) Terry Moran of ABC News and AMA Board Chair Steven J. Stack, M.D.)
Congratulations to longtime State Rep. Eileen Cody of West Seattle, who chairs the State House committee overseeing health-care issues and is a nurse by profession – she just received a major award. Here’s the announcement:
The American Medical Association (AMA) honored Washington state Rep. Eileen Cody with the Dr. Nathan Davis Award for Outstanding Government Service, its top award for government service in health care. Rep. Cody was honored with the award last night at the AMA’s National Advocacy Conference in Washington, D.C.
“Rep. Cody has led efforts toward improving health care access for low income individuals and transforming mental health services in Washington state,” said AMA Board Chair Steven J. Stack, M.D. “Her dedication to public health has also earned the state national recognition for its long term health care services and support system.”
Different format as we launch today’s traffic/transit tracker because we already have problems:
ROXBURY/25TH FIRE RESPONSE, TRAFFIC EFFECTS UPDATE:
6:05 AM – Crews are mopping up at the scene of the house fire we’ve been covering. Buses are being rerouted too, including RapidRide and Sound Transit 560, according to text alerts from Metro. (Update: Metro just texted at 6:32 am that Route 22 is back to normal on Roxbury. Waiting for word on other words.)
7:15 AM – Just checked back. WESTBOUND Roxbury is fine now. Eastbound still is blocked by fire/sheriff’s vehicles.
7:50 AM: Route 21, RapidRide, ST 560 also back to normal on Roxbury, per text alerts.
ONGOING: NO WEST SEATTLE WATER TAXI THIS MORNING: As announced last night; service is expected to be available this afternoon, but NOT this morning.
BRIDGE CAM: In case you’re looking for it:
(Live view from the east-facing WS Bridge camera; see other cameras on the WSB Traffic page)
5:25 AM: A fire response on the county side is reportedly backing up traffic on eastbound Roxbury in the 24th-26th vicinity and affecting westbound to some degree as well. We are en route to check.
5:46 AM: Just back from the scene. A vacant home (photo above) caught fire on the south side of Roxbury, east of 26th. No one inside, no injuries, according to the North Highline Fire Department. No flames but still smoke, an hour or so after the first report. They don’t know yet what caused it, nor the full extent of the damage – we’ll check back later after it’s light. (P.S. If you’re hearing a helicopter – it’s TV, checking out the fire scene/traffic backup.)
7:17 AM UPDATE: Just back from re-checking the scene. Westbound Roxbury is now fully open; eastbound still is tied up at 25th with fire/sheriff’s vehicles. Investigators are checking the house:
We’ll check again on eastbound Roxbury after 8 am.
8:59 AM: Fully open again. Also, there’s now a sign on the house, including the word ARSON – we are checking with investigators.
11:43 AM: Sgt. Cindi West with the King County Sheriff’s Office confirms their investigators ruled it arson: “It does appear to be an intentionally set fire that started in the basement.As you probably saw from the sign on the house there is a reward for information leading to an arrest.”
Sometimes, neighborhood councils really have to get down to business – as in, finances. They are not funded by the city, or by anyone else for that matter; some don’t even collect dues. But invariably, they have to handle money, and that requires some decisions.
The Admiral Neighborhood Association, for example, spent a chunk of time at Tuesday night’s monthly meeting talking about the process of becoming a 501(c)3 nonprofit. One major decision: Hire a professional to deal with the paperwork, rather than trying to deal with it themselves. Advantages, as noted by president David Whiting, would include having the pro empowered to deal directly with the IRS as needed. Also discussed at Tuesday night’s meeting: Updates including ANA involvement with the upcoming Hiawatha Community Center egg hunt on March 30th, and collaboration with Admiral merchants to provide prize baskets.
The Admiral Neighborhood Association meets second Tuesdays, 7 pm, at Admiral Congregational Church.
If you’re noticing the police search in THe Junction – officers are looking for a man who is reported to have tried to hold somebody up. The partial description we have so far is a black man wearing a gray ski mask. He was last seen near Edmunds and 41st, possibly in the alley between 41st and 42nd, heading south. More as we get it.
8:29 PM: Tonight’s first and only vote count is in for the two Seattle Public Schools levies on today’s special-election ballot, and both are passing handily. 
– #1 is for operations funding, and #2 is the BEX levy for projects including building large all-new elementary schools on the current Genesee Hill and Arbor Heights sites, as well as reopening Fairmount Park, and other projects citywide. From the King County Elections website, here are the percentages and totals (each needs only a simple majority to pass):
OPERATIONS LEVY:
Yes 74 percent (80,112)
No 26 percent (27,990)
BUILDING EXCELLENCE LEVY
Yes 72 percent (77,222)
No 28 percent (30,659)
The next vote count is expected tomorrow afternoon.
ADDED 11:52 PM: “Wonderful results” is how Superintendent José Banda described the vote, according to Seattle Times (WSB partner) coverage.
Just in from King County:
Due to a mechanical issue on the Rachel Marie Tuesday night, there will be no water taxi service on the West Seattle route for Wednesday morning, February 13. Normal service will resume beginning with the 3:45 pm departure on Wednesday afternoon from Pier 50.
(NDNC co-chair Parie Hines speaks while a heart collage is assembled; foreground, Amanda Leonard holds infant son Harpo)
Eleven adults and a baby comprised the turnout for last night’s North Delridge Neighborhood Council meeting. Having the next generation on hand seemed especially appropriate, since the agenda looked to the future, as well as dealing with the present and past.
Icebreaker question: “What makes Delridge different from other neighborhoods?”
The first reply: “More greenspace per capita.”
One of the other answers: “Longfellow Creek.”
Yet another: “A very low number of snobby people.”
And yet another: “The number of engaged neighbors.”
Likely an offshoot of that: “The sheer diversity of community-driven events and initiatives.”
Closeness to downtown was mentioned too, as were two huge institutions in North Delridge – the Nucor Steel plant, and Youngstown Cultural Arts Center, and last but not least, “The Delridge Move” – explained as, using Delridge’s continuous center turn lane to pass other cars.
They wrote their favorite things about Delridge on Valentine-style pieces of red paper – mentions for Dragonfly Park, Pearl’s Coffee and Tea, flowers in traffic circles, the Camp Long ropes course drew a mention, among others. (A collage resulted – in progress, in our photo above; see the full result on the NDNC website.)
What kind of projects and activities from the past would members like to do again? Building projects – like the playground – with a tangible result; small, social events like cider-press gatherings and ice-cream socials; street improvements (like the recent ones on 25th SW); community cleanups – which led to a side discussion about teaming up with nearby Puget Ridge if possible.
How to improve the neighborhood and strengthen love for it? Block parties, reaching out to neighbors, celebrate Neighbor Appreciation Day, Night Out block parties, organize walks … those were among the ideas offered. Also, periodically singling out a local volunteer for honors.
The community cleanup idea came back around, with beautification chair Lisa Taylor-Whitley suggesting monthly projects, not just the quarterly Adopt-A-Street. Perhaps they could focus on some of the area’s myriad stairways, it was suggested. (Watch the North Delridge Facebook group for event signup and pages.)
RESEARCH: A researcher who is studying this area as part of a UW project titled “Encountering Poverty: Everyday Life in Mixed-Income Neighborhoods” – told the group that she and her colleagues have been talking to people such as social-service professionals, and hope soon to start talking to neighborhood-council reps such as the NDNC members who were gathered for the meeting.
ANNOUNCEMENTS: The DESC project’s Advisory Committee will meet at 6:30 pm Wednesday at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center, with a focus on crime prevention/safety elements in the project’s design … Transportation Committee chair Jake Vanderplas said two new bus stops are supposed to be set up before the Metro service change on February 16 kicks in the intended path for Route 50.
NDNC meets the second Monday of the month, 6:30 pm, usually at Delridge Library, but sometimes elsewhere, so keep an eye on their website at ndnc.org!
5:53 PM: West Seattle/White Center/Vashon (and vicinity) County Councilmember Joe McDermott mentioned on Facebook that he was in Washington, D.C., for the State of the Union; we asked for a photo but didn’t expect to get one, since he also mentioned everyone had to turn in their electronic devices upon entrance. But he managed to e-mail this just before going into the House gallery – a photo with North Sound U.S. House Rep. Rick Larsen and County Executive Dow Constantine, taken by Larsen staffer Bryan Thomas. The president’s speech is set to begin at 6 pm, televised/streamed/broadcast in a multitude of places.
P.S. Speaking of politics, one more reminder – Election Day for the Seattle school levies; the ballot-dropoff van is at West Seattle Stadium, along the driveway between the parking lot and 35th SW, till 8 pm, and we’re expecting the first results (only announcement of the night) around 8:15.
ADDED 10:24 PM: We invited Councilmember McDermott to share thoughts/observations after the State of the Union address:
I flew to Washington DC this afternoon to lobby our federal leaders over the next two days on behalf of King County. As I was in the air Congressman Jim McDermott’s office confirmed that I could attend the State of the Union as his guest.
As political theater it is an inspiring event to witness the President comply with Article II Section 3 of the United States Constitution, but it was personal specifics that spoke to me in the House Chamber tonight.
When President Obama announced the Fix it First program to repair 70,000 structurally deficient bridges across the country, I stood and applauded. Not many in the Gallery jump up — even if members of one or both parties on the floor do. Few others in the Gallery stood for this. But not everyone in the Gallery has had a major bridge in their district close due to safety concerns from age and deterioration. Thankfully the South Park Bridge will open in just about a year but the fact that it closed harming the South Park community and broader economy is a failure. I welcome cooperation with the federal government to prevent that happening to other communities.
The President addressed sequestration and how it will harm people and our economy. This underlines the message I will take to Capitol Hill tomorrow. For instance, I am concerned about the effects of an 8.2% cut to the Women Infants and Children Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (WIC SNAP) in the Farm Bill sequestration. Those cuts alone would affect 3,100 clients in King County.
Having worked on voting and election issues as a state legislator and now supporting the work of King County’s elections Director Sherril Huff, the call to action on voting rights struck a chord with me. That a guest who was in the First Lady’s box this evening waited six hours to vote — regardless of her age — demands to be addressed nationally and in every local community. Our vote by mail program doesn’t mean there aren’t other improvements possible locally.
In the most emotional moment of the evening, President Obama addressed gun safety in the wake of the Newtown shooting. The Chamber fell silent. The President demanded a vote. People rose and applauded the demand. Members chanted “Vote!” The King County Board of Health, which I chair, joined this call last month when we passed a resolution calling for state and federal action and committing to do what little state and federal laws allow local jurisdictions to adopt. Reasonable measures must be taken before even more are lost to gun violence — a public health crisis we can and must address.
Throughout the speech I reflected on how legislators and elected officials — Representatives and Senators in this case, but on any level — need to recommit to achieving the common good for our jurisdictions. In campaigns we can fight, but in governing we must put the fight aside, certainly there will be debate, and then act in the common good. I recommit to this imperative myself.
Within all of this policy and politics, the speech touched me most personally when in the beginning President Obama referred to ensuring equal opportunity for all. In doing so he spoke to who needs to be included and specifically called out that equal opportunity must be available to people regardless of who they love. To hear the President speak to inclusion of my lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community inspires me in how far we have come in equal opportunity. I am renewed in working for equal opportunity for all and encouraged by the state of our union.
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