West Seattle, Washington
06 Monday
As promised, here’s the video from last night’s Seattle School Board candidates forum in West Seattle – all four incumbents, all four challengers, brought together at Madison Middle School by local PTSA/PTA groups. While board members represent specific districts, in the general election, all voters in the district get to vote in all the races, so you will find all four of these matches on your ballot – which should arrive soon, since King County Elections was expecting to put them in the mail today. The candidates are listed here (with links to information about them).
Our video includes the entire hour-plus section of the forum in which the eight candidates answered questions, both written Q’s from the audience and follow-ups by moderator Phyllis Fletcher from KUOW, some in “lightning round” style, some more at length. The video is in three parts – between parts 1 and 2, there was some stopping down to arrange everybody; then the camera itself shut down for a second between parts 2 and 3. If you want to watch any one of the clips fullscreen, click the YouTube logo on that clip, and it’ll take you to the page where you can do that. (The forum began with about half an hour focused on the Families/Education Levy; we have video of that too and will publish it within the next few days.)
Three more Alaskan Way Viaduct closure-related notes as the 7:30 pm Friday start time approaches (graphic at left courtesy of Hotwire Online Coffeehouse, whose news is item #3):
WEST SEATTLE POLITICIANS’ COMMUTE CHALLENGE: The idea was hatched at last week’s West Seattle High School open house about the Viaduct closure – but at the time, City Councilmember Tom Rasmussen told us, he and County Councilmember Joe McDermott just had to get County Executive Dow Constantine to commit to it. Apparently he has, because it’s just been announced that the three West Seattle-residing elected officials will showcase commuting alternatives this Friday in a race of sorts. McDermott will take the Water Taxi; Constantine will take Metro; Rasmussen will bike (weather permitting). The starting line: Heart of The Junction (California/Alaska), around 7:30 am Friday; finish line, City Hall, an hour or so later. The media has been amply alerted, so watch for cameras along the way …
RIDING YOUR BIKE? Thanks to Max for pointing this out – the Cascade Bicycle Club is going to give bicyclists a boost if they choose to head from West Seattle into downtown, with a special station on the west side of the “low bridge” on Monday and Wednesday (and a post-closure followup on Halloween morning), followed by a “bike train” ride. Details here.
VIADEALS: Stay home and save! That’s the message local businesses are starting to get out. Among the first: WSB’s original sponsor, Hotwire Online Coffeehouse in The Junction. Proprietor Lora Swift is offering a full hour of Internet access with a beverage purchase throughout closure week – and reminding commute-bravers that they can use TextWire to save time and order in advance. Read all about it here.
The 29-year-old man suspected of exposing himself to children in the Whale Tail Park area, as well as elsewhere around the city, had a bail hearing this afternoon. The King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office says bail was set at $100,000, and they have until tomorrow to file charges. They also released court documents that say he has at least two aliases, and was convicted of indecent exposure in December 2005. One of the non-WS incidents in which he is suspected, court documents say, went beyond “exposing” – he allegedly got close enough to one young victim to get bodily fluids on her. In the September 29th Alki incident, reported to WSB by a parent, he allegedly stalked a group of kids for several blocks before the exposure incident.He was arrested late Monday night at his home in Kenmore.
And suddenly, there is one more closure in the mix – this afternoon, SDOT announced that tomorrow (Thursday) night, the westbound Spokane Street Viaduct will be closed, 10 pm to 5 am. That’s the section of the West Seattle Bridge between I-5 and Highway 99. While it’s closed during that time frame, you will not be able to get to the bridge from I-5, but you will be able to reach it from 99. SDOT says this closure, part of the ongoing project to widen that section of the bridge, is “to test techniques for preparing old deck for new paving.”
(WSDOT photo via Flickr – equipment ready to tear down much of the Viaduct’s southern section during the closure)
We’ve been talking about it for four and a half months – and now, the nine-day, ten-night Alaskan Way Viaduct closure is finally almost here. The official bullet points (the unofficial stuff is coming up separately):
*Scheduled to start 7:30 pm this Friday (October 21) and end by 5 am a week from Monday (October 31)
*Entire southbound stretch will be closed that entire time
*Northbound, West Seattle Bridge to Royal Brougham will be closed the entire time, but from Royal Brougham (stadium zones) on, it’ll be open 5 am-7 pm weekdays (and “special events”)
*Extra Metro buses, plus reroutes (which start at 7 pm Friday) – details here
*Extra King County Water Taxi runs (here’s the special schedule), plus bigger shuttles and parking at Don Armeni
*Travel times and city cams (including live WS Bridge video) on the Travelers’ Information map
Lots of other details from our reports in recent weeks … but those are the toplines. If you still have a question about getting around during the closure, or about the project, post a comment and we’ll seek out answers. And/or PLEASE join us and our friends at KING 5 – with whom we’re teaming up next week for maximum traffic-tackling oomph – for a last-minute online chat on Friday morning, 11 am-noon: The page is already set up – find it here!
In lieu of our regular daily preview, pre-empted by this morning’s developing story, please check out the WSB West Seattle Events calendar to see what’s up today/tonight. In Morgan Junction, the Morgan Community Association has its quarterly meeting at 7 at The Kenney; to the east, the Delridge Neighborhoods District Council meets at 7 at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center, with a vision for Delridge Way’s future on the agenda. Plus, early Halloween, with “Evil Dead” opening at ArtsWest and a special spooky Art Jam at Feedback Lounge (WSB sponsor). Full list here.
4:13 AM: Police and fire crews are in the 2600 block of 50th SW, and visible from Admiral Way nearby, after responding to a call described on the SFD log as “assault with weapons” – which is used in a variety of incident types, so that doesn’t necessarily mean someone has been attacked. We’re still working to find out exactly what they believe happened; more shortly.
4:48 AM UPDATE: We’re down the block from the scene and have heard the use of a bullhorn to try to contact someone inside the house that police were called to. KING 5 reports that police say a man called them from the house after 3 am, claiming to have shot someone. Though this is unfolding just about a block off Admiral Way, it’s not affecting traffic – police are conducting their operation on residential streets, including 50th and Waite.
5:10 AM UPDATE: In the “media staging area” east of the scene (photo above), with all TV stations on hand. SWAT vehicles rolled by a few minutes ago.
5:40 AM UPDATE: Southwest Precinct commander Capt. Steve Paulsen just talked with us briefly at the media staging area. He says they still don’t know for sure whether the man who called 911 is in the house or not. He clarifies that the caller, whom he described as “elderly,” claimed he had shot his wife.
6 AM UPDATE: Loud boom/bang sounds in the area are part of the attempt to reach the man, if he is indeed inside.
7:06 AM UPDATE: Det. Mark Jamieson from the SPD Media Unit just briefed us all. Same information, basically, except that he added that police are not going to rush into the house until they’re sure it’s a safe situation – even though, as he acknowledged, there’s a possibility someone is injured in there. He says they do not believe the neighborhood is in danger, though he doesn’t know if any gunshots were actually heard before the man called 911. They are relatively sure that original call after 3 am was made from inside the house – it was via a land line.
7:22 AM UPDATE: Det. Jamieson had an update just a few moments ago – SWAT officers went into the house and found two people dead, a man and woman. Murder-suicide is suspected; investigators are now at work to find out more, and they will have an update later this morning. The murder victim would be the first in West Seattle since the Fauntleroy stabbing death of the vaudeville artist best known as Hokum W. Jeebs back in February. The last murder-suicide case was the quadruple shooting in Highland Park in September of last year.
7:43 PM UPDATE: The SWAT units are leaving.
(Photo by Christopher Boffoli for WSB)
9:58 AM UPDATE: Added a photo of police investigating at the house – media was not allowed near it, for obvious reasons, while the SWAT team was still there and unsure what was happening inside.
10:32 AM UPDATE: Police have posted their summary of what happened; no new information, though. But unofficial sources have said the wife, 80 according to online records, was very ill – including this WSB commenter.
THURSDAY UPDATE: One of the couple’s children talked with our partners at the Seattle Times, identifying the couple as Helen and Harvey Spicer, and saying Mrs. Spicer had Parkinson’s disease.
Seattle Police confirm they are investigating a reported home-invasion robbery in Alki late last night. We checked with them after getting a call from a woman who said her neighbors in the 5600 block of SW Lander (map) were robbed by two armed men who forced their way in. Southwest Precinct Lt. Alan Williams tells WSB they did respond to that call about 10:20 pm: “Initial reports were that 2 males in their early 20’s forced their way into a home and detained the two occupants at gunpoint. The suspects took a variety of personal items, then left on foot. No one was injured. A K9 unit responded and attempted to track the suspects, but the suspects likely left in a car that was nearby.” The caller told us the robbers were reported to have taken off with loot “in pillowcases.” No descriptions at this point; we’ll check back with police later this morning.
12:33 PM: SPD has just posted its summary of what happened, with some additional details.
From tonight’s PTA/PTSAs-sponsored School Board candidates’ forum at Madison Middle School: Beyond how the candidates and challengers handled questions – coverage of that, with video, to come – a new proposal for addressing West Seattle’s school-overcrowding challenges emerged.
When what the district terms “capacity management” came up, board president (and WS rep) Steve Sundquist revealed his new idea: Reopen the former Boren Junior High School in Delridge next fall for two elementary schools – one drawing from the north (where Lafayette and Schmitz Park are both overflowing) and one from the south. Reopening Boren is widely expected to be an all-but-done deal for next fall, but the rest of Sundquist’s idea is new: Work would begin on figuring out how to redevelop or renovate the closed Genesee Hill Elementary site as a new, permanent north-end school, and do the same for the leased E.C. Hughes Elementary site for the south end, with the goal of opening both in fall 2015, at which time Boren would go back to being an emergency backup site (its current designation).
We followed up with Sundquist after the forum, and he stressed that this is not a formal proposal yet – he has asked district staff to look into what it would take. He also noted that this idea would allow independent Westside School (WSB sponsor), which leased and renovated Hughes, to stay there through its five-year lease period. (We talked with Westside two weeks ago when the possibility of the campus being taken back by SPS first came up, and will follow up with them tomorrow.) The district is currently drafting a proposal to address “capacity management” for next year, following a whirlwind round of public meetings including this one in West Seattle, and a board vote is expected in mid-November.
Video from the forum – which spanned a wide range of topics, including some ongoing controversies – to be added here later! (Wednesday note: Overnight breaking news has delayed this; when we finish uploading the forum video, it will be in a separate story, but we’ll link it here.)
As SeattleFoodTruck.com called it in a note on the WSB Facebook page, there’s an “emerging food truck scene in West Seattle,” and there’s another addition to report: The owner of Snout and Company confirms that his truck plans to start showing up at Hans VW Repair in High Point, 11 am-3 pm Sundays. That’s the same lot (35th and Graham) where you can find Marination Mobile on Saturdays, 11 am-2 pm (the first food truck to have a regular schedule in West Seattle).
(Two of Highland Park’s three trucks, photographed last Saturday)
Meantime, Highland Park Improvement Club will have its third food-truck Saturday this weekend, starting at 11 (Lumpia World, Curry Now, and Charlie’s Buns & Stuff), while the new Junction food-truck pod will roll out for a second time in the Uptown Espresso (Junction, Edmunds/California/Erskine) lot on Friday at 11 (Bigfood, Fusion on the Run, Raney Brothers’ Barbecue), with a Sunday addition expected this week (BUNS, 11 am) … and these are just the food trucks that rove around the city – yes, we know WS has a few “fixed” trucks too.
As the spooky season begins in a few days, one of the first festivities is the annual Halloween-time production by the West Seattle-based Cabiri, an 11-person troupe of acrobats, contortionists, aerialists, and dancers. This year, the show is “The Ghost Game: Winternacht,” described in the Cabiri’s announcement as “a dark, festive evening of dessert theater featuring aerial acrobatics, modern dance, and scary winter tales from folklore and mythology.” Suitable for 15 and up, they say (a little too scary for youth below that age). Not only does the setting at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center give you a close-up look at the flying, dancing performers “depicting ghosts, witches, and cold, wintry tales from ages long since past,” Winternacht also offers treats from dessert sponsors including Sugar Rush Baking Company and Dilettante Mocha Café. The show opens this Friday (October 21st); Sunday (October 23rd) is pay-what-you-can night, October 30th is “PG night” (OK for 10 and up), and Halloween is “audience storyteller night.” You can buy tickets online here.
After a few WSB’er inquiries, we’ve checked in with the companies opening Umpqua Bank (which just joined the WSB sponsor team) and Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt (here’s our July story) in the new commercial building on the northwest side of the Admiral Safeway site. Umpqua tells us they’re tentatively planning on November 2nd, while a Menchie’s spokesperson says, “Unfortunately we do not have a confirmed date, but we expect that it will open in early November.”
(Photo added 3:37 pm – police off SW Alaska, block west of Delridge)
1:55 PM: Police are still in North Delridge searching for two burglary suspects – and have arrested two others. Part of the search has involved the West Seattle Golf Course. Here’s what Seattle Police Officer Renée Witt says happened: They got a call around quarter till 1 about a burglary in the 5400 block of 30th SW. Someone saw suspects described as three black males and one heavyset black female, all in their 20s, one male with gray sweatshirt and black pants. First the person who called police was out looking for them; then police arrived, saw two suspects, saw two more run onto the Golf Course from SW Brandon. Two arrests were made, but an extensive search continues for the other two. We’re awaiting more information from police to see if they have any additional descriptive information about the two they’re still seeking.
2:14 PM UPDATE: Officer Witt just shared updated information – ONE suspect in custody, two others still being sought, and there’s still an “active track inside the golf course.”
3:37 PM UPDATE: That hasn’t stopped the golfing, in case you wondered – at least not along the north side of the course (SW Genesee) when we drove by a little while ago. Meantime, police were still combing the neighborhood as of our check (photo added above). If no formal updates come within the next few hours, we’ll check at tonight’s West Seattle Crime Prevention Council meeting, 7 pm at the precinct (Delridge/Webster), all welcome to hear about crime trends and discuss neighborhood crime concerns.
Seattle Police report this morning that the man they’ve been seeking in connection with at least five cases of indecent exposure – including an incident in Alki’s Whale Tail Park area – is in custody. From SPD Blotter:
The man detectives believe responsible for at least 5 indecent exposure incidents was arrested at his residence in Kenmore this morning at approximately 1:00 a.m. During the course of their investigation, detectives discovered that the suspect had been at Westlake Park, participating in Occupy Wall Street. Flyers of the suspect was circulated to officers and the public at the event.
The suspect was booked into King County Jail this morning for Investigation of Indecent Exposure.
Here’s our original report about the Alki incident; here’s the SPD report from last week about the search for him, including a sketch. Our fellow online-only neighborhood-news site CapitolHillSeattle.com has a bit more about how police found him. We’re checking on the suspect’s background right now, to see if he has any obvious West Seattle ties.
ADDED 11:16 AM: The suspect is 29 years old, according to online records. So far court records do not show anything major.
ADDED 3:49 PM: Since he is not yet charged, we are not using his name, but the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office says he is scheduled for a bail hearing tomorrow.
(Click for larger image)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
After the first time a Seattle Parks team came to Southwest Library to talk about what will replace the beloved but deteriorating “castle” in the Roxhill Playground renovation project, some wondered if its successor could be another castle.
It could, but it probably won’t be.
Last night, at the second community design meeting – spirited despite a turnout with a grand total of seven – though possible replacement “castles” were shown, in the end, a “fort”-style design proved the most popular.
This was the meeting to present a “schematic design” for the $450,000 playground overhaul, which will be built at the same time as the adjacent Roxhill Skatespot. It also tackled site issues beyond the future play structure.
You might have noticed the scene at Fauntleroy/Alaska/38th if you drove by on the way to work, or walked past to catch a bus: The pageantry of stocking a new Les Schwab Tires store is in full swing, or more like full roll. When we toured the site with area manager Rich Baalman last week, he told us that around 7 am on opening day, tire-laden semi’s would roll in from distribution headquarters in Prineville, Oregon, and the 40-plus store managers he supervises would get busy getting them inside the new store:
Once the tires are all out of the trucks and in the store, around mid-morning, they’ll open for business – this is the basement of the one-time Huling Brothers used-car-lot building, filling up fast:
On the counter, a different set of stacks that will eventually be tackled:
The company has about 400 stores, all in Western states, selling tires and wheels as well as offering related services (such as brakes/shocks/alignment).
From the WSB West Seattle Events calendar:
AT THE LIBRARIES: From the Seattle Public Library Calendar of Events, what’s up at local branches today/tonight: Toddler Story Time, 10:30 am, West Seattle branch; Baby Story Time, 11:30 am, Southwest branch; Somali Story Time, 1:30 pm, High Point branch.
JOB SEARCH HELP: “Notes from the Job Search” meets Tuesdays at C&P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor; 5612 California SW), 11 am, networking and support for job-seekers.
SCHOOL-BOARD CANDIDATES: Candidate forum at Madison Middle School for School Board races, meet the candidates at 6:30, forum starts at 6:55.
BOOK RELEASE PARTY: 7 pm at Feedback Lounge (WSB sponsor), “The Strangest Tribe” book release party. Join Stephen Tow, the author of “The Strangest Tribe: How a Group of Seattle Rock Bands Invented Grunge,” plus, compete in grunge trivia and catch a special live performance by The Tom Price Desert Classic.
CRIME TRENDS IN YOUR ‘HOOD: Hear from local police as the West Seattle Crime Prevention Council meets, Southwest Precinct, 7 pm.
SHAKE IT! Alauda belly-dance showcase at Skylark Café and Club, 7:30 pm.
This time next Monday night, hundreds of people will be abuzz about another fabulous edition of the annual local-food celebration, Eat Local Now! It’s happening that night, October 24th, at Sodo Park, which is owned by West Seattle-founded Herban Feast, and there are organizers/beneficiaries from this side of the bay, too, including Sustainable West Seattle and CoolMom. Chef/author Greg Atkinson – acclaimed for his work at Canlis and IslandWood – will speak, and will sign his new book “At the Kitchen Table: The Craft of Cooking at Home.” The cuisine for Eat Local Now! will be prepared by Herban Feast’s award-winning Chef Dalis Chea. There’s lots more to do than just chow down – a cash bar will offer locally/sustainably produced wine, beer, and fresh cider; a silent auction will tempt you with fun things to bid on; and informational displays will share new knowledge about the local-food scene. Buy your ticket on the official Eat Local Now! website, or call 800-838-3006.
From the WSB inbox tonight:
Today my mother and I took our two dogs to Westcrest dog park. Around 1:30 pm, my mother started feeling symptoms of what seemed to be a heart attack. I’d like to say a BIG thanks to the woman who helped my mother and I. I’m so grateful you were there willing to help – calling the ambulance and providing water, etc. So, THANK YOU! Also a thanks to everyone else who were concerned and offered to help, it was much appreciated.
It is unknown what was wrong, but now my mom is doing just fine and is now resting. Thank you again for all your help. I am so grateful to live in such a great place filled with great, caring people.
Nikita Mighell
Story and photos by Keri DeTore
Reporting for West Seattle Blog
Seattle Public Utilities brought its CSO (Combined Sewer Overflow) Planning crew to Youngstown Cultural Arts Center tonight for a community open house to share information and to get public comments related to overflow-reduction projects around the city.
A CSO is what happens when heavy rainfall overloads the capacity of existing tanks at treatment plants. Excess water is deposited directly into Puget Sound, Lake Washington and other streams and creeks without being treated — putting oil, toxins, and raw sewage directly into our waterways.
You may have heard about CSOs here before over the past two years – but that was about the plans for county facilities; now, it’s the city’s turn.
(WSHS photo: L-R, Corvina Pritchett, Ms. Paula Tortorice, Benson Hoang, Ms. Marguerite Jones)
From West Seattle High School assistant principal Michael Kelly, news of a new way to show off school spirit:
West Seattle High School has a new addition to its scenery. It is a six-foot-wide planter in the gym lobby area that now holds a twenty-five-foot tree and school colors (blue and gold) plants. Principal Ruth Medsker has provided a new opportunity for some of our special-education students to help them learn about planting and taking care of a variety of plants. The planter itself weighs 3800 lbs. Shop teacher Peter McCue had to design a special lift to get it off of the pallet jack that brought the planter into the school. With the help of about 20 students the planter was rotated into place. Next time you visit West Seattle High School, be sure to visit the planter and see the work of our special WSHS gardners!
Thanks to Emily Austin for the view of tonight’s sunset! Another sunny day is expected tomorrow, says the National Weather Service … but after that, things get murky again.
(Rain or shine, trick-or-treating goes on! WSB photo from The Junction last year)
Two weeks till Halloween 2011! The WSB Halloween page will be up by tomorrow morning, but first, tonight, the answers to the most-frequently asked question: When are the business-district trick-or-treat events?
WEST SEATTLE JUNCTION: 1-3 pm October 29th (Saturday); more info here.
ADMIRAL DISTRICT: 3-6 pm October 31st (Monday) – here’s the map; here’s the list.
WESTWOOD VILLAGE: 5-7 pm October 31st (Monday)
WHITE CENTER: 5-8 pm October 31st (Monday) – more info here
(If your business or organization is having a Halloween event – please send us the info so it can be on the Events calendar – thanks!)
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