West Seattle, Washington
25 Thursday
One week ago, we reported the likelihood of a plea bargain for the second defendant in the Highland Park hate-crime attack on a teenager (the first defendant, 23-year-old Ahmed Mohamed, pleaded guilty in December and was sentenced last month) – and today, that’s exactly what has happened. 21-year-old Jonathan Baquiring pleaded guilty this morning; details from our partners at the Seattle Times. Baquiring will be sentenced on March 11th; he has remained in jail since his arrest last September.
9:31 PM UPDATE: Kristin Storm just confirmed to WSB that her daughter Alex is home safe. Thanks to WSB’er “Ad” for the original report in comments (p.s. Kristin has posted there too).
ORIGINAL 11:58 AM STORY: Kristin Storm is asking for your help in finding her runaway daughter Alex. Here’s what she just e-mailed us:
My daughter, Alex Storm (age 14, 5’4″, 120 lbs) has been missing since Sunday, February 6th at around 10:00 pm. At around 9:30 pm I discovered that Alex was trying to help another runaway when I found the girl in her bedroom. After calling the girl’s father he requested that I call the police due to her being a repeated runaway and has a warrant out for her arrest as a suspect in a robbery. The girl panicked and jumped out my daughter’s window and called for Alex to follow her. They both left with the clothes on their backs. At that time Alex was wearing a white puffy jacket with a hood with fur trim, but as she’s been spotted around the West Seattle area it appears she may have other clothes. The other girl, according to the father, probably had $1,000 on her.
I have been networking with West Seattle community centers and parks, police, friends and local business and have posters up at several bus stops along Delridge and 16th Ave SW from South Seattle Community College to Westwood Village. These are the areas she may be frequenting, including Denny Middle School and Sealth High School, especially around lunch time and after school typically with a mixed group of teenagers. She may also be seen on the bus routes in West Seattle, especially the 120, 125 and 128.
According to one of my sources, my daughter’s friend is not allowed to return to many of the places that would be safe for her to stay due to her behavior, so I’m extremely worried for my daughter’s safey as I haven’t been able to determine where she’s staying. It appears that some of Alex’s friends are trying to help me find her and some of her friends are trying to help hide her which so far has been a catch 22 as I’m always one step behind. The friends that know both girls are both worried and very surprised that Alex befriended this person and runaway with her.
I want to send the message out that I just want Alex to know that she can come home safely. She is not in trouble with the police (running away is not illegal and therefore not a crime, they are just trying to help me find her) and I’m not trying to get anyone else involved in trouble. I just want her to come home. I love her very much as well as her friends, family and pets. We all miss her.
If anyone spots her please call me at 206-290-5956 so I can take down the information very quickly and then head that way and then call 9-1-1 to report her being seen as well.
They’re celebrating a big anniversary at Tom’s Automotive Service (WSB sponsor) in The Triangle today – 40 years in business! Though the office is decked with balloons and streamers, and trays of cupcakes are on the counter and in the waiting room – all in the red/white/blue theme that are also their company colors – they’re not stopping down for a party; we could barely get everyone together for our photo; the phone just kept ringing. Tom’s was founded at 6047 1/2 California SW on this date in 1971 (that’s namesake Tom Smith in our photo, fourth from the right). The business moved to The Triangle in 1973. There’s a bit more about Tom’s Automotive in our official WSB welcome from last year, including their community involvement (signs of which are all over the office – with certificates, photos, and the basket for food-bank donations you’re invited to bring in for a discount on your bill).
There’s so much going on tomorrow around West Seattle, organizers of the planning meeting for the new 34th/Barton P-Patch want to make sure their big event doesn’t get lost in the shuffle: They hope everyone interested in the new community garden can join them for the first community design meeting, 1:30-3:30 pm Saturday at Southwest Community Center (map).
Meantime, you might recall that some wondered about possibly naming the new P-Patch after the late Tony Genzale, longtime owner of the Tony’s Market produce stand across the street; WSB’er Mike has been checking into that and reports that city staffers have told him that naming the P-Patch in honor of a person would be a possibility, but would require getting a feel for what the community thinks, among other factors. Mike says, “It is my hope that ‘Tony’s P-Patch’ would be special and heartwarming. He was a great guy!” (P.S. If you missed the news, Tony’s Market reopened this week, with Tony’s son Joey in charge – here’s our story.)
West Seattle-based Grindline, which (as a subcontractor) created the design (above) for Delridge Skatepark, is one step closer to building it. A week and a half after the word that Grindline had submitted the “apparent low bid” in the second round of bidding (here’s backstory on the 1st round), project manager Kelly Davidson has an update this morning: “The formal Request to Award to Grindline has been submitted to City Contracting. This means that Parks has reviewed and approved all pre-qualifications and we will move forward with contracting and bonding. This process can take 2-4 weeks.” Once the bid is awarded, then a date will be set for construction to start. The city says Grindline’s bid was $483,000 (almost $20,000 lower than its bid in the 1st round).
(Photos and video by Christopher Boffoli for WSB)
Tonight’s West Seattle Art Walk highlighted imagination and whimsy as well as boldness and brightness in the wide range of art on display around the peninsula. Laura Castellanos was at Click! Design That Fits (WSB sponsor) – you might recognize her “bummerbunny.” Bright night overall at Click!
Also in The Junction, more imagination and whimsy courtesy of Kate Endle, at CAPERS:
Kate is an accomplished illustrator and also works in collage, using decorative and hand-painted paper. You’ll find some of her children’s books on sale at CAPERS, too. Next Junction stop – ArtsWest:
Encaustic abstract artist Kate Fluckinger is one of the artists who are “Spinning Straw Into Gold” in the ArtsWest Gallery‘s current exhibition. A bit off the beaten Junction track, Joya Marie was the featured artist at the Nature Consortium offices, showing her linocuts:
Live music there, too, from Bando-Rio:
Finally, two stops outside The Junction – Art Walk night is always busy at C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor), with Wine Club and a featured artist – this time, Chris Hunter:
His “day job” is at Alki Beach Tattoo, but he’s been painting longer than he’s been tattooing, and that’s what C&P is showcasing – watercolor and ink paintings and drawings. Last but by no means least, a stop at Stephanie Hargrave‘s South Admiral studio to say hi to Jean Lovejoy, who drew a full house of fans for her retrospective:
Last night we featured Stephanie’s story about Jean, who’s going strong at 91. Remember, most venues display their artists’ work all month long, so even if you couldn’t get out tonight, you’ve got time to wander around and enjoy it in the weeks ahead. Next West Seattle Art Walk: March 10.
Three gorgeous pictures came in from wonderful West Seattle photographers today – we’re sharing two tonight, and saving one for tomorrow’s morning preview. Thanks to Mike Scharer for the paddleboarder picture above, and Robin Lindsey (also known for her Seal Sitters work) for the great-blue-heron image below:
Got a photo to share with your West Seattle neighbors via WSB? Here’s how.
Both West Seattle High School and Chief Sealth International High School had home games tonight in Metro League tournament play. The Seahawks defeated Lakeside; close game for the Wildcats, but they were on the losing end. More after the jump:Read More
Another week, another speeder roundup on the Admiral Way hill north of the West Seattle Bridge (map), according to a report just published on Seattle Police’s SPD Blotter. After last week’s roundup, WSB’ers had a lot to say. But did the speeders heed the warning? Apparently not, according to tonight’s report, which says they caught one driver at 64 miles per hour:
On February 10th from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. the SPD Traffic Unit’s Aggressive Driver Response Team conducted a speed enforcement emphasis in the 3300 block of SW Admiral Way. Emphasis patrols are regularly conducted in accordance with the Traffic Unit’s mission to promote traffic safety through the vigorous enforcement of city and state traffic laws. The posted speed limit on this stretch of road is 30 mph.
In the one-hour-long emphasis, five officers issued a total of 42 citations. Among those citations included some notable excessive speeds: Two violators at 50 mph, one at 51 mph, one at 52 mph, and one at 64 mph (who also had no proof of insurance).
The top speed reported in the crackdown a week earlier was 55 mph.
From West Seattle Montessori/West Seattle Academy (WSB sponsor) – If you have a blanket you don’t need (or can buy a new one to donate), get ready to donate it in a blanket drive, inspired by pre-primary student Morgan Williams, who wants to “help the homeless people of West Seattle stay warm,” according to the school’s announcement. Next week, February 14-18, they’ll be collecting clean blankets – new and used – in a bin set up outside the school, so anybody can donate, not just students, staff and families. They’re at 11215 15th SW (map). P.S. Morgan says, “You can give them coats, too!” (One more WSMS note – the elementary play “Fiddler on the Roof” will be performed again tomorrow night, 7 pm, West Seattle High School Theater.)
65-year-old Gregory Paul Hess is now charged in the videotaped stickup at Roxbury Shell that brought him the nickname “Polite Robber” – eight years after, as we first reported early Tuesday, he gained infamy as the “Transaction Bandit.” The King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office charged Hess with one count of first-degree robbery for last Saturday’s heist. The charging documents reveal a few new details about what happened after the videotaped robbery: First, the station owner didn’t just stand there – he called 911 and then walked out into the parking lot to try to get the license-plate number of the vehicle the robber got away in. The King County Sheriff’s Office (which has jurisdiction because the gas station is outside city limits) got “several tips” on the Monday after the robbery, all identifying the man on the video as Gregory Hess. A detective looked up the name and found it belonged to a 65-year-old man on probation after serving time for bank robbery; federal probation authorities had an address for him in the Top Hat area, and investigators got a search warrant (after the robbery victim identified Hess in a photo lineup). When they found him there, the charging papers say, he told them, “I’m the one you’re looking for.” He also is reported to have pointed them to the pellet gun used during the robbery. While being questioned, authorities say, Hess confessed, saying he got $200 from the robbery and used it to buy food and gas and to pay a cell-phone bill, then depositing the remaining $90 in his bank account. Tonight, he remains in jail in lieu of $250,000 bail, and his arraignment is set for two weeks from today. (Photo: Washington Department of Corrections)
With six weeks having gone by since our last progress report on the West Seattle Trader Joe’s, we weren’t surprised to see questions come up in the comment thread on this past Monday’s Triangle open house. Then, just as we got ready to start on an update, two people e-mailed to say the Burien Trader Joe’s staff — long a source of West Seattle rumors, it seems – had told West Seattle shoppers that the project was allegedly having permit problems. Keep in mind, the formal permit application was made just two months ago, and these things seldom move swiftly through the city pipeline. But to get a better idea of where it’s at, we did two things: 1. Went downtown to the Department of Planning and Development to look into the application file. 2. Talked to John Wunder, who represents properties (including this one at 4545 Fauntleroy Way) owned by Steve Huling and family (the site was the longtime Huling Brothers Buick showroom). Here’s what we found out:
THE FILE: The documents we reviewed at DPD HQ at noontime yesterday appear relatively routine. The newest one-sheet, from the land-use review, was dated February 1st. Most of the back-and-forth has to do with parking for the store, some of which will be on the building’s rooftop parking area, some of which will be on the ground-level lot. According to the documents, some of the parking was in conflict with a strip that’s on the record as an alley, so the city asked that parking proposed for that “alley” area be removed. The city asked for a traffic study and more information on where the “loading berth” will be. A few data points of interest are also in the application – it’s expected the project will generate 1,365 daily vehicle trips. The exterior modifications (architect rendering at right) will bring the height to 39’9″ in at least one spot, a few feet higher than it is now. It appears that only one comment was received during the recent open-comment period for the project’s environmental review; a North Seattle woman wrote that she felt the project would have an environmental impact, and hoped that trees would be included. (The proposal does call for adding “landscaping islands” that are projected to reduce the amount of “impervious” surface on the site.)
THE PROPERTY REP: John Wunder says he’s checked with key players on the project, and there’s really nothing to say other than, it’s proceeding. They hope to finish the permit process this spring.
The documents on file with the city project a 175-day construction schedule – that’s just under six months – so you could certainly conclude the store is not likely to be open before late summer/early fall. (The original TJ’s announcement last June promised only “2011.”) According to the documents, Trader Joe’s would seek to “commence construction immediately” once the permits are granted. The file also notes that “50 to 75 employees” are expected to work at the store.
By Megan Sheppard
On the WSBeat, for West Seattle Blog
From reports on cases handled recently by Southwest Precinct officers:
*On Monday afternoon, a ongoing beef between two groups of teens came to a peaceful end when the heads of the two groups shook hands. Witnesses described the genesis of the disturbance to an officer who, in the report, states, “There was a stand-off much like the one between The Sharks and The Jets, but without the finger snapping.”
*Two juveniles had a verbal argument last week, but the victim of threats told officers he wasn’t too concerned: For one thing, the suspect claimed the incorrect gang affiliation for his part of town. (“He doesn’t live there. He should have claimed “xxxx” gang instead.”) And with street lingo favoring the word “cap” for “shoot,” the victim was apparently reassured when the suspect threatened, instead, to “clap” him.
Ahead, six more summaries, including the forger-turned-nanny and the case of the misplaced car keys:Read More
(Illusions Hair Design Twitpic from last year’s Have a Heart Day)
Need a haircut? You have a chance to combine a good look with a good deed if you get an appointment for this Sunday’s “Have a Heart Day” at Illusions Hair Design (longtime WSB sponsor). The Illusions team is donating its time so that all proceeds go to charity – they’ve done it every year since 1994. This year the beneficiary is Pencil Me in for Kids, which gets school supplies to students who have trouble affording them otherwise. Illusions says some spots are still left (and prices are reduced, too) – 11 am-4 pm this Sunday, February 13th. Call for an appointment ASAP – 206-938-3675.
Olympia was on a lot of minds last night as this area’s largest political organization, the 34th District Democrats, gathered for the first time since their January reorganization meeting. West Seattle-residing City Councilmember Tom Rasmussen spoke toward meeting’s end about a measure that he’d just gone to the state capital to support – House Bill 1536, proposing a vehicle-licensing fee for two years to shore up transit funding and stave off cuts. (West Seattle’s State House Reps. Eileen Cody and Joe Fitzgibbon are among the sponsors.) Rasmussen said its prospects look “favorable,” though all it would do is buy time until a more stable source of longterm funding is found. More from the 34th DDs’ meeting ahead:
(Cormorant and kayakers off Harbor Avenue shoreline; photo by Christopher Boffoli)
From the WSB West Seattle Events calendar: Tonight’s main event is the West Seattle Art Walk, 6-9 pm all around the peninsula. A separate preview’s ahead with highlights but in the meantime, you can find out more about some of the artists on the official Art Walk website … Valentine celebrations begin with the Toddler Valentine event at High Point Community Center this morning, 10 am-12 pm, “an upgraded version of our Toddler Open Gym program” with activities and games … School tours/open houses: West Seattle High School has tours this morning till 10 am; Hope Lutheran has a tour at 9 am; Alki Elementary has a “new student open house” 6:30-7:30 tonight; Lincoln Park Preschool‘s open house is 6-7:30 pm (details on the official flyer); not in West Seattle, but dozens of WS students are at The Center School, a public high school, at Seattle Center, and its open house is at 6 tonight … Seattle Tilth teaches “Starting with Baby Chicks,” 6 pm, Youngstown Arts Center (full details on the Sustainable West Seattle website) … The new Yarrow Spa celebrates its grand opening 6-9 tonight at ActivSpace (3400 Harbor Avenue) … Skylark Café (WSB sponsor) is the place at 8 tonight for a fundraiser on behalf of Tilted Thunder Rail Birds …
ATTENTION, WINE LOVERS: Not 1, not 2, not 3, but 4 wine events – Noon-5 pm, it’s the start of the 3-day Valentine’s wine event at South Seattle Community College‘s Northwest Wine Academy – get full details here … 5:30-9 pm, taste wines of Latin America and Spain at West Seattle Cellars … 6-8 pm, wine tasting with the monthly Wine Club at C & P Coffee (WSB sponsor) $15/person, $20 for two … 6-9 pm at Bin 41 wine: An Italian winemaker from Reverdito is on hand for Art Walk night ($5 tasting fee) … Yet more today/tonight events here.
THREE MORE SCHOOL EVENTS: WSB sponsor West Seattle Montessori School‘s elementary play “Fiddler on the Roof” is tonight and tomorrow, 7 pm, West Seattle High School theater, tickets $10 adults/$6 students, all welcome … Two high-school-basketball postseason games tonight: Lakeside at Chief Sealth and Eastside Catholic at WSHS, both at 7 pm.
(Photo by Christopher Boffoli for WSB)
Thanks to Blake for the tip on this: For the second night in a row, Seattle Police officers (including what appeared to be SWAT/undercover officers) showed up in force at a West Seattle location. This time, it was in the 6700 block of California SW. No word if anyone was arrested; before Christopher Boffoli got there for WSB, tipster Blake said it appeared nobody was home when police arrived. Christopher talked with officers, who said they could only say they were there serving a search warrant and conducting an investigation. The trucks shown in our photo towed multiple cars (according to Blake, they were checked out first by K-9). We’ll see if more information is available later this morning.
SIDE NOTE: No indication so far if this has anything to do with last night’s arrest of a man at 41st/Edmunds, but there’s a followup detail on that; the King County Jail Register shows that suspect got out around 9:30 last night after posting bond for $50,000 bail.
THURSDAY MORNING UPDATE: Seattle Police spokesperson Det. Mark Jamieson says it was a “narcotics search warrant served by the (Anti-Crime Team),” no further details at this point.
A West Seattle student is among the winners in the city’s Neighbor Appreciation Day student art contest. Above, Sanislo Elementary fifth-grader Chandra Burnham took third place (see a bigger version of her work here). Winners (all listed here) are being honored this Saturday during Neighbor Appreciation Day, which also features myriad special fun city events (fire station tours, free swim at Southwest Pool, and more) – see them listed on the WSB West Seattle Events calendar.
One more art note before the night’s out: Though the West Seattle Art Walk (tomorrow, 6-9 pm) is definitely the bigger of the two, the White Center Art Walk is livening up our southern neighbor each month too … and tonight, WSB’er Amanda is putting out the call for more participants:
Calling all West Seattle Blog and White Center Now-reading artists! The White Center Art Walk happens every 3rd Saturday of the month from 6pm – 9pm. Proletariat Pizza, Full Tilt, Big Al’s, Dzul Tattoo, Dubsea, Company, Salvadorean Bakery, and Rozella’s are some of the participants. With all the new places moving into White Center, it’s becoming a great place to see local art!
We are looking for artists to participate. There are no commissions or hanging fees either! We are in need of two artists for this month (the 19th) at Full Tilt and Big Al’s. Looking for family friendly art, but are open to all kinds of art. Please contact Amanda Kay Helmick for submission information. smyliegrl at gmail dot com
(Photo of Jean Lovejoy, courtesy Stephanie Hargrave)
Tomorrow night, all around West Seattle, it’s the February Art Walk, 6-9 pm, with a stop or two off the official map. One that’s come to our attention is Jean Lovejoy‘s retrospective, presented by Stephanie Hargrave in South Admiral (3234 California SW). Stephanie notes that Jean is 91 years old and still going strong. She hopes you’ll come by to meet her and enjoy her art. Here’s what Stephanie has to say about Jean:
I met Jean Lovejoy a year ago at an art sale/fundraising event I was having at my studio. She came with one of her daughters, Madeline, who mentioned she was an artist. I was immediately intrigued. She embodied something. As it turned out, that ‘something’ was a lifetime of art making – the type of dedicated, focused art making that can keep a person curious, creating and constantly learning for years. I just adored her. To me, she was a presence not unlike what Georgia O’Keefe must have been – petite, solid, bright and imaginative.
Madeline mentioned that Jean was looking for a gallery to show her work, and that she wanted to do a retrospective show. I told her she was welcome to have a show at my studio if she liked, and to my delight, she accepted.
We spoke the other day over tea, and I asked some questions about her life and art. At the age of 30, she told her husband she’d really like to take some art classes, and began with printmaking. She absolutely loved it and was good at it. Her teachers noticed her, often commenting on how talented she was. She continued taking classes and workshops – drawing and design classes at the UW, three years at The Factory of Visual Arts, three years of collagraph classes with Barbara Bruch, three years of painting under Jacob Elshin, six years of painting under Allen Wolf, more drawing and printmaking workshops and classes at Pratt Fine Arts Center as well as the Seattle Parks Department. She has also taught art to seniors over the years.
Three coyote sightings to share tonight – two in the same spot, so may well have been the same coyote – read on!Read More
Family, friends, and history buffs are among those mourning Fauntleroy resident Ron Richardson, who has died after a year-plus fight with cancer. He is known well for his involvement with so many parts of the West Seattle community, particularly the Southwest Seattle Historical Society.
We first met Ron in 2008 after running a story about the ever-changing war-toll sign in front of his home across from Lincoln Park – he himself then provided a followup. Later that year, Ron and wife Sherry Richardson were featured here again for their campaign to get signs reminding people not to idle while in the ferry lines.
Despite the public nature of some of what he was involved with, Ron, who was 75, had always been a private, humble person, and dealt with his health challenge with quiet dignity as well. We spoke with Sherry Richardson this afternoon; she says Ron’s memorial is set for 2 pm Tuesday, February 22nd, at The Hall at Fauntleroy.
We asked Sherry what she wanted people to know about her husband, if they didn’t know him well and know all this already: She talked about his community involvement, particularly with Fauntleroy, which was central to his study of local history. Instead of just looking to historical events, she says, Ron believed that everyone had a story to tell – not just regarding their history, but a story that existed on several levels. A sincere interest in people is what drew him into the study of history. We were lucky to have benefited from some of his contributions here (like this story about a historic Fauntleroy estate) and on our partner site White Center Now (he studied WC history too, with one example this HistoryLink.org article about the old roller rink).
SWSHS past president Judy Bentley (added Thursday) adds, “Ron was a member of the Southwest Seattle Historical Society Board until the end of 2010, when he could no longer participate in board meetings but kept coming to events at the Log House Museum. Ron loved local history and was known for his walking tours of the Fauntleroy and White Center neighborhoods. A tour led by Ron always held delightful surprises — front-porch interviews with long-time residents, little known paths along the waterfront, new bakeries that brought neighborhood history and culture alive. He was a passionate and dogged advocate for historic preservation, most recently for the Seaview building at The Kenney.”
Instead of flowers, memorial donations are invited for any or all of three causes: The SWSHS (which you can reach through the Log House Museum); the University of Washington Brain Tumor Research Fund (donations will be accepted in Ron’s name through the Neurology Department); and the school-building Central Asia Institute, known through the book “Three Cups of Tea.”
4:12 PM: Local whale experts have spotted the orcas off West Seattle again – Fauntleroy and heading north within the past hour – so if you’re by the water, keep an eye out.
4:28 PM: A caller just mentioned that there’s a NOAA research boat in the area of the whales – so if you’re looking for them, look for that boat.
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