West Seattle, Washington
20 Friday
The video clip is from a Seattle Times (WSB partner) interview with 42-year-old Thyda Luellen Phan, the only person who survived being shot at a Highland Park home one week ago today. She is the daughter of the woman police say killed three before killing herself, 60-year-old Saroueun Sok; the three who died were Phan’s husband, 43-year-old Choeun Harm, and daughters, 14-year-old Molina Phan and 17-year-old Jennifer Harm. The Times reports that the funerals will be held this Saturday; you can read their full story, which is accompanied by the video clip, by going here. Meantime, as announced by the family last Friday, there is a fund to which you can contribute, through BECU:
‘Phan/Harm Memorial Fund’ – Acct # 3586082948
BECU
PO BOX 34044
SEATTLE, WA 98124-1044BECU members can call: (800) 233-2328
The Kenney‘s CEO Kevin McFeely had an extra reason to be all smiles Wednesday afternoon – friends and colleagues from around the area crowded one of the West Seattle retirement center’s meeting rooms for a reception in his honor. The occasion: He’s been elected to chair the board of Aging Services of Washington, whose CEO Deb Murphy is with him in the top photo. According to an announcement from The Kenney, McFeely will serve a one-year term working with Murphy “in support of Aging Services’ legislative advocacy and professional development programs.” Serious work – though he got a goofy gift from his staff, worn ever so briefly at the reception:
McFeely has been on the Aging Services of Washington board since 2001. You can find out more about the group at agingwa.org.
Got the tip from a community advocate: The former Boren Middle School on Delridge – home to Chief Sealth International High School the past two years, but empty this year – is being boarded up, apparently without notice to the neighborhood. We went by to check it out, and indeed, crews like the one in our photo (taken on the north side of the Boren building) were covering the windows with sheets of wood. When we called Seattle Public Schools, our inquiry was referred to facilities communication director Tom Redman. He told us it’s a matter of security, since the school is not scheduled for use any time soon – though it remains on the roster as a possible emergency backup facility if some other SPS facility has to be suddenly taken out of service, and he said it might somehow figure into BEX 4 – BEX 3 was the ballot measure that included the Denny/Sealth rebuild/renovation/colocation project. We asked if the district had plans to watch for graffiti vandalism, since boarded windows might seem like more attractive targets than glass windows, and he said they certainly would respond to reports/complaints. He didn’t know, however, if boarding up unused schools was standard procedure (we’ll be looking at Genesee Hill and Fairmount Park, the two empty elementaries in West Seattle, both of which were offered for lease earlier this year along with the former EC Hughes, but while Hughes was snapped up by Westside School [WSB sponsor], Genesee and Fairmount had no takers).
THURSDAY AFTERNOON UPDATE: Redman clarifies the district’s policy:
We are selective. We try to balance asset protection with the cost of boarding the buildings not in use. Although not every window on every building not in use is boarded, we assess each building on a case by case basis.
Just in from the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office: Charges are now filed against 20-year-old Shavelle Lewis, who had to be released from jail last night (WSB coverage here) because charges hadn’t been filed against her yet for the crash that killed 51-year-old William “Tony” Padilla, a driver for West Seattle-based GT Towing. She is charged with Vehicular Homicide and Felony Hit and Run, and a $150,000 warrant is out for her re-arrest. [Update: Lewis was booked back into jail at 6:23 pm.] We have the charging documents and will transcribe the narrative as soon as possible. ADDED 4:50 PM: The narrative from the charging documents (added in stages but complete as of 5:25 pm), after the jump:Read More
That’s what outgoing Southwest Precinct commander Capt. Joe Kessler told his team around noontime today as the precinct held an informal drop-in farewell reception. In our video, you see him with Lt. Von Levandowski and new commander Capt. Steve Paulsen. Like most office farewells, it was a time for handshakes and hugs – and cake…
(The SW logo is the same as the one on the new pins that we mentioned in our report two weeks ago on the command transition.) There was also a gift:
On the shirt sleeve, it says Precinct #1, in honor of the West Precinct that Capt. Kessler is about to take over (as announced two weeks ago) – headquartered downtown, but covering a wide span of the city, including Magnolia, Queen Anne, downtown, even the stadiums. Also on hand for today’s sendoff, Precinct Advisory Committee chair Pete Spalding of Pigeon Point:
It was roll-call time just before the event, so officers came and went – among those we saw, Sgt. Tony Baily, hailed last Friday by SPD leadership for calmly taking charge of the chaotic situation at the 14th SW murder-suicide scene a day earlier – he’s at left in this photo with Community Police Team Officer Kevin McDaniel:
The official transition day is this Friday – but the two captains already have been spending some time at their new posts. Capt. Kessler has led the SWP for almost two and a half years; Capt. Paulsen returns after 9 months working downtown, which followed more than four years at the SWP, where he was the Operations Lieutenant – second in command – before his move in January.
As reported here yesterday, the Parks and Green Spaces Levy Oversight Committee has drafted a list of final contenders for the first round of the levy’s Opportunity Fund money, after a months-long process reviewing the 95 community-generated projects that sought a share. One of West Seattle’s reps on the committee, Pete Spalding, had told us that the draft list included 2 peninsula projects, Puget Ridge Edible Park and an expansion of the planned Highland Park wading-pool-to-spray-feature conversion. The full citywide list wasn’t available till today – but now you can get it (PDF) from the Parks website. As Pete also mentioned in a followup conversation today, the location of the October 25th public hearing has changed – it’ll be at Miller Community Center on Capitol Hill, signups at 6 pm, hearing at 7. The full timeline for decisions on which projects get funded can be found here.
Today, we welcome a new WSB sponsor, All Souls Church. New sponsors are offered the opportunity to let you know what they’re about – so here’s their story: All Souls is a brand new church for the city, in our neighborhood, hosting their first Sunday worship on October 3, 10 am, at Madison Middle School. They are West Seattle locals, working and serving and playing where they live. They’re fixtures in the neighborhood –– familiar faces at the farmers’ market, the beach, the places with the best kids’ happy hours, the deli with the ice cream, that beverage place, that breakfast spot with the rotating menu, the cafe in the record store, and the park with the zipline. But this growing community is forming here not because our beautiful city is whole, but because it lacks wholeness. And certainly not because it needs more religion or self-help. Instead, All Souls exists because Seattle is filled with people just like us who can’t make themselves whole on their own, and can’t perfect themselves on their own, but who long to experience healing, significance, and hope.
All Souls, part of a network of grassroots, locally grown churches committed to changing cities by renewing neighborhoods, is not a church ‘just for ourselves’ — a community that makes sense only to its own members. Instead, it’s for folks on every corner of the spiritual grid. While ‘the church’ has not traditionally been a safe place to ask questions, express doubt, and work through life’s tattered edges in community, that’s precisely the hope for All Souls: a place to process freely and safely the audacious claims of Jesus, and the inevitable tension between the beauty and scandal of the historic Christian gospel. Because we haven’t heard the gospel for what it really is if we don’t find it at once horribly offensive and staggeringly beautiful. It is both heart-breaking and heart-mending.
So wherever you are on your spiritual journey, whether skeptical or mildly curious about the Christian faith, or whether you are already a committed follower of Christ, All Souls welcomes you. Because Jesus hasn’t come merely to make us Christians. He came to make us new. Learn more at www.allsoulsseattle.org, and discover All Souls Kids at www.allsoulsseattle.org/kids.
We thank All Souls Church for sponsoring independent, community-collaborative neighborhood news on WSB; find our sponsor team, and info on joining, all here.
As demolition continues, the old Admiral Safeway is almost entirely rubble now, except for the brick pillars holding steel triangles, as part of its former facade. The wall along California SW came down about two hours ago, quite the lesson for the students across the street, as explained by Luckie, who shared the photos:
Most of Lafayette Elementary was standing on the sidewalk at 10:30 this morning. The construction company at Safeway contacted principal Virginia Turner to let her know the brick wall along California Ave. would be demolished today. Each “bite” of the excavator was met with cheers, shrieks, and enthusiastic jumping up and down.
Here’s our photo of how things currently look at the site:
If we get more demolition photos later, we’ll add them here. The new store is scheduled to be complete and open next summer; a residential/work-share building along 42nd SW is being built separately. 1:46 PM UPDATE: Just talked to Ron from the demolition crew. He says the twin pillar/triangle structures probably won’t come down till next week, after the debris are all cleared (they’ve been filling and taking away truckloads, just while we’ve been staked out).
(Photo by Christopher Boffoli, substituted at 6:03 pm for our original cameraphone photo)
“Johnnyblegs” broke the story in the WSB Forums – the new West Seattle Bowl restaurant, Highstrike Grill, is now open. Check out the forum thread, which even includes an early review. They don’t open till 3 pm, so we’ll have to go back for a peek inside; the menu’s posted by the door, though, if you want a preview (we took some photos we hope to add if they’re clear enough). Their website’s not up as of this moment but they are on Facebook – go here. Highstrike Grill opens less than four months after first word that its predecessor, Terrace West Chinese Restaurant, would close and be replaced. ADDED 2:04 PM: Short news release just in from West Seattle Bowl owner Andrew Carl:
HIGHSTRIKE Grill opens today with a menu that will excite not only bowlers at the West Seattle Bowl, but others who love fresh, high-quality burgers, steaks, pizza and seafood.
Chef Ian Joyce brings his experience at Anthony’s Homeport and The Art Institute of Seattle’s Culinary school and has created signature dishes that are mouthwatering, hand-crafted and modern.
“Whether you want a quick appetizer, dessert or a full meal – I have created a menu that will satisfy any craving and leave you wanting more.” said Chef Joyce.
Recreating the restaurant is part West Seattle Bowl’s ongoing commitment to provide a great experience for customers; from families and league bowlers to team building events and parties. The transformation started several years ago and includes new lanes, new scoring and an easy, online reservation system.
For a full menu visit Highstrikegrill.com. West Seattle Bowl has been providing a fun venue for bowling since 1948.
ADDED 6:03 PM: Christopher Boffoli took photos for WSB inside the newly opened restaurant:
He also confirms – as noted in comments – the website’s up; here’s the link to the menu.
The folks working to create the Community Orchard of West Seattle are hoping that stack of cardboard along the southwestern fence of the South Seattle Community College campus will grow a lot bigger with donations – got some? It’s on the south edge of the blackberry-covered acre that will soon be cleared to make way for the orchard – we chatted there this morning with orchard volunteer Bruce Falzarano and Community Harvest of Southwest Seattle‘s Aviva Furman:
They were at the site because of a different project reaching a milestone this morning – an experimental corn patch using biochar (we’ll have that as a separate story). In the meantime, if you have cardboard to donate to help mulch the orchard site, Aviva says, just take it there (it’s alongside the southernmost edge of the SSCC parking lot, 6000 16th SW – you have to walk past a small outbuilding and you’ll see it along the orchard-to-be site) and drop it off! (They’ve been getting coffee grounds donated by Starbucks, too, and hope to ring the site with it – coffee grounds can be a great soil amendment.)
Tomorrow’s the night – and organizers tell WSB a few tickets remain for the 7th annual Eat Local Now! dinner/auction/entertainment/education extravaganza at Sodo Park, the event venue run by West Seattle-founded Herban Feast (parent to Junction restaurant Fresh Bistro, whose Chef Dalis Chea is among those cooking up a sustainable-local-food storm for the event, which starts at 6 pm Thursday). We previewed the chefs last week; today, we also have a list of some of the businesses – many from West Seattle – that have donated silent-auction items – click ahead to read (and/or click here right now to buy tickets for Eat Local Now!, which has co-sponsors including WSB):Read More
From the WSB West Seattle Events calendar: This is the first “early dismissal” day of the year for Seattle Public Schools – students are out two hours early so that teachers have professional-development time … And that’s not the only SPS note: West Seattle’s school board rep Steve Sundquist has a community chat availability at 11 am today, Delridge Library, plus, West Seattle High School‘s PTSA has its first meeting of the year tonight, 7 pm in the school library (all welcome, you do not have to be a member) … High Point Library is hosting Game On! for teens this afternoon, 3-5 pm, featuring Wii and Dance Dance Revolution games plus refreshments … The closest King County budget public hearing to West Seattle is at 6:30 tonight at County Council chambers downtown … The West Seattle location of Dream Dinners (longtime WSB sponsor) invites you to an Open House/tasting, east side of Jefferson Square (facing 41st SW), to try out their October menu – RSVP by clicking here and then going to “view sessions for October menu” – choose either 5:30, 6 or 6:30 (event password is “dinner”); call 206-938-5999 with questions … More on WSB West Seattle Events calendarthe calendar!
(Click! proprietors Frances and John Smersh look into their new space from its rear “mezzanine”)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
By the time they closed its doors after a farewell toast, John and Frances Smersh had nicknamed their original Click! Design That Fits location in the Admiral District “Click! Classic.”
Sunday was the last day their home accents/jewelry/more store (a longtime WSB sponsor) was open at the “classic” location. They are working now to finish their new West Seattle Junction space in hopes of a “soft open” this Friday – the sixth anniversary of the day they opened “Click! Classic” – with an official “grand opening” celebration planned for October 16.
One night last week, we met with Frances and John to check out the construction at the new Click! space (4540 California SW, vacated just a month ago when Friends and Company consolidated its operations on the Eastside).Read More
The Southwest Precinct‘s new – yet not-so-new – commander made a guest appearance at tonight’s meeting of the West Seattle Blockwatch Captains Network. Nine months after leaving his prior West Seattle post as the precinct’s 2nd-in-command, newly promoted Captain Steve Paulsen is returning to take over for Captain Joe Kessler, who’s moving to the sprawling West Precinct (headquartered downtown but including turf far to the north and south). Tonight, Capt. Paulsen – pictured above with WSBWCN’s Deborah Greer – told the Block Watch group, “I’m your biggest cheerleader for this thing – please let me know what we can do.” Several said they would like to know sooner when crime happens on their block – they appreciate the flyers that Crime Prevention Coordinator Benjamin Kinlow has been distributing after burglaries, but those come days if not weeks later. Capt. Paulsen mentioned the city’s new crime maps (which you can explore here and here), describing them as a work in progress. Ahead – the Block Watch angle on last week’s deadly crimes, and on the newly proposed city budget:Read More
Two burglary reports tonight from the WSB inbox – first one, from a newlywed couple describing it as a “heartbreaking way to start our lives together,” with a message to the burglar(s) – read on:Read More
If you drove or walked past Explorer West Middle School this morning and saw those tents – you might have wondered if it was a round of outdoor on-campus camping. Nope. Explorer West had an earthquake drill that went beyond the usual “duck and cover” – with students playing roles including “injured” quake victims:
Other students handled first-aid role-playing. And then, they had some real-life emergency personnel on hand:
Since Explorer West – an independent middle school (grades 6-8) is just over the city-limits line, the firefighters were from the North Highline Fire Department:
Explorer West history teacher Ben Wheeler organized the drill, and told us they learn something new every time they do it. (While we’re talking emergency preparedness, don’t forget the awesome online resources at West Seattle Be Prepared – and stand by for news of a quake drill coming up soon!)
Thanks to Jennifer and Heather for the tip – a crash has closed the Admiral exit from the westbound West Seattle Bridge. Jennifer reports seeing one person on a stretcher and says it appears to be a one-car crash. No word how long it’ll be closed. 8:44 PM UPDATE: Eryka sent an eyewitness report:
My husband and I were right in front of the car that crashed. We didn’t actually see the crash but we heard a loud crash behind us and thought at first it was a loose grate in the road. But as we looked back for the grate we would have driven over we saw that a silver car had crashed head on into the triangular barrier that separates the bridge from the Admiral exit. Two cars that must have been behind the car stopped and were already climbing out of their cars by the time we had looked back and it was impossible for us to stop and help.
We’ll be checking with police to see if we can find out more.
As first reported here over the weekend (thanks again to Julie for the tip!), 16th SW is open again both ways after the completion of road-rebuilding work. SDOT just formally announced it and added that a bit of work remains – striping (tomorrow if the weather’s not too bad) and speed bumps. No more detours are planned, but flaggers might be used.
Thanks to those who called to let us know about a significant police presence at 32nd/Cloverdale, including officers with rifles out. Southwest Precinct Lt. Norm James says it involved a report of an armed man apparently threatening to harm himself. He says the man is in custody.
(Memorial in Roxhill Park paying tribute to the victim, photographed by WSB last Sunday)
Just in from Seattle Police – a 21-year-old man is in custody in connection with last week’s Roxhill Park murder (original WSB report here). The brief police update is on SPD Blotter – it says the suspect’s been in custody since last Thursday. That’s the same day the victim found early Wednesday morning was officially identified as 40-year-old Bernard Martin, as the Medical Examiner confirmed he was killed by injuries including broken ribs. More info to come.
2:36 PM UPDATE: King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office says the suspect, 21-year-old Chatri Lime Thip (DOC mugshot added, at right), is charged with second-degree murder and is jailed in lieu of $1 million bail. The motive was said to be “rage” experienced by the suspect after the victim walked up to him and asked for a beer while Thip was drinking beer reportedly stolen nearby. The murder weapon: A shopping cart. We are reviewing the paperwork now and will add more details from the narrative shortly.
ADDED 2:56 PM:The narrative, transcribed, in progress – adding in chunks (so keep refreshing if you see this before it’s finished):Read More
(Flowers and a flag decorate the victim’s truck at the GT yard on Harbor Avenue)
ORIGINAL 12:22 PM UPDATE: Four days after the hit-run crash on I-5 that killed a driver for West Seattle-based GT Towing (here’s our Friday report), the suspect will be released from jail, according to the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office. Today is the deadline for either filing charges or releasing the 20-year-old suspect, and KCPAO spokesperson Dan Donohoe says the case hasn’t yet been referred to their office by the Washington State Patrol, so no charges will be filed today, which means the law requires the suspect be released. That does NOT mean charges aren’t possible at a future date, however. The suspect, a 20-year-old woman, is believed to have been at the wheel when hit and killed 51-year-old GT driver William Padilla of Burien, known as Tony according to comments in our original report. We checked with GT, and they don’t have word on memorial arrangements for Mr. Padilla yet – most of his family, they say, is out of state. King County Jail records, meantime, show the suspect was in jail less than 24 hours before the crash, on a failure-to-appear warrant from a previous hit-run case, and that this was her fifth stay in the jail since February; the other cases also included prostitution arrests. (Note: As of 4:26 pm, she is still in jail.)
7:11 PM UPDATE: Just checked the jail register. The suspect is out as of just minutes ago (6:58 pm). As per a link noted by JanS in comments, the State Patrol told the Seattle Times that the case will be referred tomorrow, that the investigator did not want to rush it and make a mistake.
(At 2009 St. John the Baptist “Blessing of the Animals,” Br. Kris Wilder blessing Pizazz the dog)
It’s an annual tradition around the Feast Day for St. Francis of Assisi, patron saint of animals, and again this year, three West Seattle “Blessing of the Animals” events are planned. First, we just got word from Providence Mount St. Vincent about this planned event this Saturday, 10:30 am (after 9:30 am Mass) – gather in the lobby (4831 35th SW). From the announcement: “Participants will convene in the lobby. Father Lyle Konen, CSsR, will be the Mass celebrant and will lead the participants – pets with their owners – throughout the building to bless all of the Mount’s cats, dogs, birds and fish.” And from the WSB Events calendar, St. John the Baptist Church in Admiral will have its annual Blessing of the Animals this Sunday at noon in the church parking lot, rain or shine. From Rev. Peter DeVeau‘s announcement: “The community is invited to bring all creatures great and small for this celebration and thanksgiving for the gift of animals. This is an annual event hosted by the people of St. John’s Episcopal Church.” Minutes after publishing the first version of this story, we also found Alki UCC‘s website notes they’re having a Blessing of the Animals again this year, 10 am Sunday service.
Two West Seattle projects are moving ahead in the quest for the first round of money in the Parks and Green Spaces Levy Opportunity Fund – created in the voter-approved 2008 levy so that community groups/members could propose projects, separate from city-initiated projects funded by the levy. Pigeon Point’s Pete Spalding, who is on the Levy Oversight Committee, tells WSB, “We met until about 10:30 pm (last night) 
putting together the draft list of projects that will move forward in the first round of the Opportunity Fund. Two projects from the SW sector made the list. The two projects from the SW are (1) Puget Ridge Edible Park and (2) Highland Park Spray Park.” Here’s a little more info about the Edible Park; the spray park (converting the wading pool at right) already is set for bare-bones city funding, but the Opportunity Fund proposal (as explained here) seeks money to upgrade the plan. Citywide, 95 Opportunity Fund applications were received; they are listed here. We are checking with Parks staff today to see if last night’s full citywide draft list is available for publication yet. This Parks webpage lists the next steps to determine which projects get funded (including a public hearing in about a month).
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