West Seattle, Washington
25 Thursday
6:00 AM: Good morning! It’s Thursday, April 25.
LOW-BRIDGE CLOSURE
The West Seattle low bridge is closed for a sixth day, expected to reopen by Monday morning; here’s SDOT info about the closure, including how to get free bus or Water Taxi trips.
SDOT said on Wednesday that “the control system upgrade continues. 90% of the system is in place, and we’re booting up and testing the programmable logic control units one by one.”
ROAD-WORK ALERTS
*The Delridge pedestrian-bridge earthquake-safety project continues at Delridge/Oregon, down to two lanes for the project’s duration, up to one year.
*Final work on the permanent Highland Park Way/Holden signal is under way, as previewed here. We photographed the crew on Wednesday:
WEATHER + SUNRISE/SUNSET TIMES
Cloudy, rain, high in the mid-50s. Today’s sunrise will be at 6:01 am, sunset at 8:14 pm.
(Wednesday sunset, photographed by Gene Pavola)
TRANSIT NOTES
Metro today – Regular schedule; check advisories here.
Water Taxi today – Regular schedule. Check the real-time map if you need to see where the boat is.
Washington State Ferries today – The usual 2 boats on the Triangle Route. Check WSF alerts for last-minute changes. Use the real-time map to see where your ferry is.
SPOTLIGHT TRAFFIC CAMERAS
Delridge cameras: Besides the one below (Delridge/Orchard), cameras are also at Delridge/Genesee, Delridge/Juneau, Delridge/Henderson, Delridge/Oregon, and video-only (so you have to go to the map), Delridge/Holden and Delridge/Thistle.
High Bridge – the main camera:
High Bridge – the view from its southwest end (when SDOT points the 35th/Avalon/Fauntleroy camera that way):
1st Ave. S. Bridge:
Highway 99: – northbound side at Lander:
MORE TRAFFIC CAMS: All functioning traffic cams citywide are here; West Seattle and vicinity-relevant cameras are on this WSB page.
BRIDGE INFO: The @SDOTBridges feed on X (ex-Twitter) shows whether the city’s movable bridges are open for vessel traffic.
If you see a problem on the bridges/streets/paths/water, please text or call our hotline (when you can do that safely, and after you’ve reported to authorities if they’re not already on scene) – 206-293-6302. Thank you!
After multiple 911 calls about suspected gunfire in South Delridge, police looking for evidence have found some – one casing so far, which an officer told dispatch he found in the 1400 block of SW Henderson. No injuries or property damage reported so far.
Almost three weeks ago, we reported that a woman had been attacked and robbed at the Westwood Village Rite-Aid, and followed up with a report on the charges filed against the 13-year-old arrested shortly after the attack. On Wednesday, SPD released this video of both the incident and the arrest:
The SPD post featuring the video did not include any case information beyond what we reported back when this happened. As we noted in our first follow-up report, the suspect already had two warrants out for his arrest before the Rite Aid incident, including one related to a business robbery and assault in Normandy Park in September that had been the subject of TV-news reports because of security video. The other was for a stolen-car case in Renton in October. He also was wanted for escape after cutting his home-detention bracelet and leaving home six days after being released from secure detention back in February.
So here’s what court documents say has happened since our last report:
-He’s been charged with second-degree robbery for this month’s Westwood Rite Aid incident.
-He’s been charged with second-degree escape for cutting off the monitoring device and leaving home in February
-He’s been charged with possession of a stolen vehicle for another October incident in Renton, this one involving a Kia Soul stolen from Auburn
With all that, the suspect is now charged with five felonies. He’s still in secure detention and is due in court today (Thursday) to be arraigned on the three newest felony charges. We’ll update when we find out what happens.
We’ve just received this missing-person report, and Colleen’s family hopes you can help find her:
Colleen has health issues that require medication and care. Time is of the essence!
Colleen
Caucasian female, age 57
DOB 3/29/1967
Brown hair, brown eyes
Missing from West Seattle/Alki Beach area of Seattle
(6100 block SW Stevens)
Last contact with family was 4/17 via text/phone
Missing from apartment since 4/19 or possibly earlier
Often rides Metro bus route from Alki Ave., may ride bus to Seattle or Bellevue
Seattle Police case # 24-109880
Call 911 if you see her.
Tonight SPD published a request for help in solving a possible kidnapping reported along SW Roxbury two weeks ago. From SPD Blotter:
Seattle Police are seeking the public’s assistance for any information about a woman that was forced into a truck in a West Seattle neighborhood.
On April 10th, the Seattle Police Department received 911 calls regarding a woman being forced into a truck. The location of the incident was Southwest Roxbury Street near White Center.
Police responded to the scene, and quickly located the suspected vehicle. Officers stopped the truck at 14th Avenue Southwest and Southwest Roxbury Street. When officers went to contact the occupants of the truck, it fled the scene.
Officers pursued and lost sight of the truck as it traveled southbound onto Highway 509.
The attached photos are from the SPD traffic stop and Metro Transit buses that were in the area at the time of incident.
If you have any information about this case, please call SPD Violent Crimes Tip Line at 206-233-5000 or Crime Stoppers at 800-222-TIPS (8477).
Thanks to Savannah for the heads-up on more than a month of work ahead at 30th/Holden – her neighborhood got notices about it, and she thought others who travel through the area should know too. We subsequently obtained the construction notice from Seattle Public Utilities. They tell us this work will replace a 15-foot section of 10-inch-wide sewer pipe, with some added accessibility features on the sidewalk:
For this work, SPU contractor crews will excavate, remove, and replace the section of pipe. New ADA curb ramps will also be installed in the work area. Crews will then restore the roadway. This work is part of a larger citywide sewer rehabilitation effort that enables SPU to provide reliable sewer service to you and your neighbors.
LOCATION
Work will occur near the intersection of 30th Ave SW and SW Holden St. View the map for approximate work location and equipment staging.SCHEDULE
Construction is scheduled to begin as soon as April 29 with work taking up to 5 weeks to complete. Construction activities will occur on weekdays, 7:30-3:30 pm. Please note that the start date, duration, and working hours are subject to change due to permitting, weather, crew availability, and other factors.ANTICIPATED IMPACTS
Residents and businesses will continue to receive normal sewer services during construction. However, you can also expect:• Lanes will be reduced on SW Holden St in the work area. Traffic control measures and signage will be in place to direct traffic.
• Construction noise, dirt, dust, and vibrations
• Increased construction traffic and staging of large equipment near the intersection of SW Holden St and 30th Ave SW
• Parking restrictions near the work area. Please abide by all “no parking” signs.
• Crews will coordinate garbage/recycling/compost pick-up, mail delivery, and emergency access, as needed
• Residents and businesses next to the repair may be asked to limit water usage. Crews will provide notification when performing work that will require reduced flow
See the full construction notice here.
We’ve had two reports of brown water today – Barrie in Admiral reported it late this morning, and Katie west of The Junction just emailed to say, “We’ve got brown water at 45th and Alaska.” We also received one report, with a photo, on Tuesday:
Brian in Gatewood/south Morgan Junction sent that, reporting, “This is like the 4th time this year,” in the 4300 block of SW Frontenac.
The Seattle Public Utilities water-trouble map shows an emergency repair last night near 20th/Roxbury, but that’s not close enough to factor into any of the aforementioned reports, so hydrant testing might be the culprit; if it happens to you, always report it to SPU’s hotline, 206-386-1800.
That’s Seattle Channel video of the public-safety forum led by Mayor Harrell and chiefs/department heads last month, at which time it was promised that regional forums around the city would follow, one for each police-precinct area. Today, the dates and locations of those forums have just been announced; the one for our area will be Tuesday, May 14, in South Park. Here’s the city announcement:
Today, Mayor Bruce Harrell announced five additional community safety forums that will give the public opportunity to help shape the soon-to-be-released One Seattle Safety Framework.
Building on lessons learned from the citywide public safety forum held in March, the five community forums will be held in neighborhoods across the city, starting at Garfield High School on April 30, 2024. Each forum will give the public opportunity to share their ideas for how to make Seattle safer and interact with officials from the city’s public safety departments.
“Public safety is our highest priority – the One Seattle Safety Framework defines the outcomes we aim to achieve and the vision to help get us there, based on what we know works and have put into effect, new approaches, and our shared values,” said Mayor Harrell. “Ensuring the framework is informed by meaningful community input is critical for its success – and these public forums will help add and enhance specific actions most impactful to neighbors and communities. I am grateful for the hard work our emergency responders do every day, and I look forward to working with them, the City Council, the City Attorney’s Office, and our neighbors to continue building a safer Seattle.”
Mayor Harrell’s vision for the One Seattle Safety Framework is to create a city where everyone, in every neighborhood, is safe and feels secure. The framework includes six key strategies, which the public is invited to comment on at the upcoming community safety forums.
-Reduce gun violence and other violent crime with evidence-based solutions and enforcement strategies.
-Respond to 9-1-1 calls efficiently and effectively by hiring more officers and diversifying response options.
-Address the root causes and impacts of violence by investing in community-based solutions and upstream interventions.
-Prioritize a public health and trauma-informed approach to reduce overdoses, reduce violence, and better support victims and survivors.
-Coordinate community safety efforts to avoid duplication and inefficiencies by breaking down silos between departments.
-Build and maintain community trust through strong accountability systems and community engagement on law enforcement priorities.Based on feedback received at the upcoming forums, the City will continue to refine a comprehensive One Seattle Safety Framework with detailed approaches for the above strategies. The City is also releasing a new promotional video showcasing the coordinated approach of the CARE, Fire, and Police departments under this framework, watch here.
The community forums “will feature staff from the Seattle Mayor’s Office, Police Department, Fire Department, CARE Department, Department of Transportation, and youth liaisons,” and will “include specific local information,” the city says. For our area, it’s 6-7:30 pm Tuesday, May 14, at Concord International Elementary School in South Park (723 S. Concord); RSVP here.
Less than four weeks until the first match for West Seattle’s new pre-pro soccer club, Junction FC. The schedule and roster are set. One ball still in play – housing for players! Junction FC sent this announcement in search of hosts:
In the spirit of community engagement, West Seattle Junction FC is reaching out to our vibrant community for assistance in identifying and acquiring volunteers who are willing to open their homes to provide temporary housing for each of the out-of-state players who are on our roster for the season. The dates needed for temporary housing are May 3, 2024, through August 4, 2024. By offering a comfortable and supportive living space, volunteers play a crucial role in helping our athletes thrive both on and off the field.
Interested in hosting a player? Learn more here: wsjunctionfc.club/housing-program
The season starts at 2 pm Sunday, May 19, at Nino Cantu Southwest Athletic Complex.
(Texted photo)
Thanks for the tips and photos. Close call in The Junction about an hour ago – what was dispatched as a two-car collision left one of the vehicles up on the sidewalk and against the exterior of Season’s salon on the ground floor of Mural, across 42nd from Jefferson Square.
(Photo sent by Mike)
The other car was a Camry. No serious injuries reported, nor was anyone reported hit on the sidewalk, but we’re following up with SFD to verify.
11:29 AM: That’s the vehicle whose driver hit and killed an 81-year-old man at 15th/Roxbury on Monday night, as previously reported here., according to the King County Sheriff’s Office, which just released the photo with this request for help:
Case#: C24013796
On Monday, April 22nd, just after 10:00 PM, the King County Sheriff’s Office received 911 calls reporting a hit and run just south of the intersection of SW Roxbury Street and 15th Ave SW in unincorporated White Center.
On arrival, deputies located the victim, an adult male in his 80s. The victim was transported to Harborview Medical Center, where he later was pronounced deceased.
KCSO’s Major Accident Response & Reconstruction (MARR) detectives are asking for the community’s help in locating the fleeing vehicle. The suspected vehicle (picture attached) is described as a silver, 2007-2016 Jeep Compass with front-end damage to the grill and hood.
If you have any information about the incident or were in the area and may have dash camera footage, call 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), visit P3Tips.com, or use the P3 Tip App. Tips are anonymous.
4:12 PM: The King County Medical Examiner’s Office released the victim’s name this afternoon: Thomas J. Garrett.
(WSB file photo, Fauntleroy WSF terminal)
We’ve been reporting for three years on planning for Washington State Ferries‘ upcoming replacement of the Fauntleroy dock/terminal, but with construction not planned until late in the decade, it’s still in a relatively early stage – multiple alternatives are under consideration, all bigger than the current dock, by varying degrees. WSF is offering you the chance to catch up via an “online open house” that just launched, as well as two online meetings in early May. The “open house” includes this review of the dock-design alternatives currently under consideration. You can visit any time for the next month. You’re also invited to an online meeting – two options for attending what’s promised to be the same meeting – 6 pm Tuesday, May 7 (register here), or noon Wednesday, May 8 (register here).
Meantime, the planning process we’ve been covering continues with the next Community Advisory Group meeting, online at 6 pm Wednesday, May 15 (here’s our report on their most-recent meeting, in March). The public is welcome to observe those meetings (register here).
(Photo by Rosalie Miller, who explains: “Cornflower [before its showy reveal]”)
Here’s what’s happening in the hours ahead:
EXPANDED FAUNTLEROY YMCA HOURS: Fourth week for the Fauntleroy YMCA (WSB sponsor) expanded hours – 9 am to noon and 4 pm to 7 pm, Mondays through Thursdays – now with classes (schedules are linked here).
TODDLER READING TIME: 10:30 am Wednesdays at Paper Boat Booksellers (6040 California SW).
SECRETS TO AFFORDING SENIOR LIVING: 3 pm, free presentation at Senior Center of West Seattle (4217 SW Oregon).
FIX-IT WORKSHOP: DO fix what IS broke, to reconfigure the saying. Weekly event, 5:30-7:30 pm at West Seattle Tool Library (4408 Delridge Way SW, northeast side of Youngstown Cultural Arts Center).
FREE ART CLASS: Watercolor mixed-media class, at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center (4408 Delridge Way SW), 6-8 pm.
FREE GROUP RUN: Meet at West Seattle Runner (2743 California SW; WSB sponsor) for the weekly 6:15 pm group run. All welcome!
TRIVIA x 4: Four places to play tonight. At 6 pm, Locust Cider (2820 Alki SW) offers trivia … Larry’s Tavern (3405 California SW) hosts Wednesday-night trivia starting at 7:30 pm … Quiz Night begins at 8 pm at Beveridge Place Pub (6413 California SW) … and at 8:30 pm, trivia with Phil T at Talarico’s (4718 California SW).
HPAC MONTHLY MEETING: What’s the future of the Delridge/Highland Park “Healthy Street”? That’s the spotlight topic when HPAC – the community coalition for Highland Park, Riverview, and South Delridge – meets tonight at 6:30 pm at Southwest Library (9010 35th SW) – here’s the full preview.
LIVE MUSIC AT THE LOCOL: 6:30 pm. 21+. Rotating performer slate. (7902 35th SW)
PARENT EDUCATION EVENT POSTPONED: “Parents Engaging with Anti-Bias Education” has been postponed, according to the RSVP page.
DUELING PIANO: Live music at Otter on the Rocks (4210 SW Admiral Way), 7 pm.
MUSIC BINGO: Play weekly at The Good Society (California/Lander), 7 pm.
SKYLARK OPEN MIC: 7:30 pm signups for West Seattle’s longest-running open mic. (3803 Delridge Way SW)
If you’re planning a presentation, meeting, performance, reading, tour, fundraiser, sale, discussion, etc., and it’s open to the community, please send us info so we can get it onto West Seattle’s only comprehensive event calendar! westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!
That’s a brief preview of The Byrd Ensemble‘s concert this Saturday night at Holy Rosary (42nd/Genesee). They’re an internationally acclaimed chamber-vocal ensemble, performing for 20 years and recording for more than a decade, sponsoring WSB this week to be sure you know about their West Seattle concert. It’s at 7:30 pm Saturday (April 27) and you can see the program here, summarized as follows:
The centerpiece of this program of Renaissance and modern music is Allegri’s Miserere. The work was exclusively sung by the Sistine Chapel Choir, though legend says that a 14-year old Mozart visited Rome and wrote out the piece perfectly from memory after just one hearing, sending the Vatican’s guarded secret into the world. The psalm setting is famously known for a high C, sung by a soprano soloist.
The program also features two elaborate psalm settings by English Renaissance composers Robert White and John Sheppard and motets by modern composers John Tavener, Eric Whitacre, and Arvo Pärt.
Tickets are available online here, and you can get a 30 percent discount on general, senior, and student admission with the code WSBLOG30.
6:01 AM: Good morning! It’s Wednesday, April 24.
LOW-BRIDGE CLOSURE
The West Seattle low bridge is closed for a fifth day, expected to reopen by Monday morning; here’s SDOT info about the closure, including how to get free bus or Water Taxi trips.
ROAD-WORK ALERTS
*The Delridge pedestrian-bridge earthquake-safety project is now fully under way at Delridge/Oregon.
Delridge will be narrowed to two lanes through the work zone for up to one year. We’ll take a closer look at the project later today.
*Final work on the permanent Highland Park Way/Holden signal is under way, as previewed here.
WEATHER + SUNRISE/SUNSET TIMES
Chance of rain, high in the upper 50s. Today’s sunrise will be at 6:02 am, sunset at 8:12 pm.
TRANSIT NOTES
Metro today – Regular schedule; check advisories here.
Water Taxi today – Regular schedule. Check the real-time map if you need to see where the boat is.
Washington State Ferries today – The usual 2 boats on the Triangle Route. Check WSF alerts for last-minute changes. Use the real-time map to see where your ferry is.
SPOTLIGHT TRAFFIC CAMERAS
Delridge cameras: Besides the one below (Delridge/Orchard), cameras are also at Delridge/Genesee, Delridge/Juneau, Delridge/Henderson, Delridge/Oregon, and video-only (so you have to go to the map), Delridge/Holden and Delridge/Thistle.
High Bridge – the main camera:
High Bridge – the view from its southwest end (when SDOT points the 35th/Avalon/Fauntleroy camera that way):
1st Ave. S. Bridge:
Highway 99: – northbound side at Lander:
MORE TRAFFIC CAMS: All functioning traffic cams citywide are here; West Seattle and vicinity-relevant cameras are on this WSB page.
BRIDGE INFO: The @SDOTBridges feed on X (ex-Twitter) shows whether the city’s movable bridges are open for vessel traffic.
If you see a problem on the bridges/streets/paths/water, please text or call our hotline (when you can do that safely, and after you’ve reported to authorities if they’re not already on scene) – 206-293-6302. Thank you!
WEEKEND ROBBERIES: We hadn’t heard about these two holdups within a matter of minutes early Sunday until Seattle Police released weekend summaries today. Both were reported to police around 4:30 am, and investigators believe the same robbers might be responsible for both. One robbery happened at the 35th/Avalon 7-11; seven people entered, approached the register and demanded that the clerk open it. They took money and merchandise and left in “an unknown vehicle.” The other robbery happened at a bus stop at California/Fauntleroy; the victim said a black sedan pulled up and five people got out. One showed a gun; the other punched the victim in the face. They took his belongings, got back in their car, and were last seen westbound on Fauntleroy. No descriptive info on the robbers. The store robbery is case 24-107877; the bus-stop robbery is case 24-107875.
HAMMERED CAR: This one is a reader report about a vandalism attack on 45th SW in Fauntleroy:
At around 10 AM this morning, a tall slender blonde-haired male looking to be in his 20s was seen putting a hammer through the windshield of my Mazda Miata and walking away. This happened nearly at the corner of Director St and 45th, and very close to Wildwood Market. If anyone saw anything, any information would be helpful. This act appears to be random as (the victim) has no known contacts in Seattle and is very new to the area.
8:36 PM: Seattle Fire is on the scene of what’s described as a fire in a townhouse in the 3200 block of SW Graham [vicinity map]. Updates to come.
8:39 PM: SFD says it’s a dryer fire that hasn’t spread. They’re going to start dismissing units.
8:44 PM: No injuries reported, and the big task now is ventilating the townhome to clear out the smoke.
With two days of registration remaining, West Seattle Community Garage Sale Day 2024 on Saturday, May 11, is already set to be the biggest yet – 410+ sales signed up as of tonight! From individual houses, townhouses, and apartments, to block/building sales, to business sales, it’s an lively list, and we’ve only read through the first 300 signups so far. Among those signups is Hotwire Coffee (4410 California SW), which is again offering parking-lot spots to small sellers who don’t have their own spaces – go to hotwirecoffee.com to see if they’re still signing up people for spaces. Otherwise, if you are planning to be part of West Seattle Community Garage Sale Day (an annual tradition on the second Saturday of May since 2005, coordinated by WSB since 2008), be sure to register by 11:30 pm this Thursday, April 25 – that’s when we have to start work on the map and guide, so they’ll be available a week in advance for shoppers to start planning! Ready to register? Got your 20-word sale listing? Here’s where to start!
Your bids are welcome right now in the 11th annual auction to benefit two local nonprofit bilingual preschools on Delridge, Southwest Early Learning and the Refugee and Immigrant Family Center. Here’s the announcement we were asked to share:
For the past 15 years, RIFC & SWEL Bilingual Preschools have provided high-quality, culturally enriching preschools, serving families in and around our West Seattle community. Many of the children we serve come from lower-income families that do not have the resources to go on field trips, learn a second language, or explore their interests. The money we raise through this Silent Auction will significantly benefit the children, providing enriching learning.
Our auction this year is virtual and will run until Friday, April 26th. We have many great items like self-care kits, homemade food, museum passes, and gift cards to many local shops and restaurants. All the proceeds from this auction go right back into our classroom to support our two non-profit preschools. We will coordinate pick up with the winner of our items at the end of the auction.
To browse and bid, go here!
As noted in the newest West Seattle Junction Association newsletter, Top Pot Doughnuts is returning to West Seattle, three years after they lost their lease and left Alki. When we contacted Top Pot to ask, a spokesperson replied, “The future is very exciting for Top Pot — and we are thrilled to return to West Seattle. While we do not have anything specific to announce … let’s just say that the dough is in the proofer!” They wouldn’t confirm a location, but sources tell WSB it’s believed to be the former Wildflour/Flying Apron space, which recently posted LEASED signage:
Top Pot’s Alki space, open for almost six years, was the eastern half of where West Seattle Arcade is located now.
Two reader reports:
STOLEN PICKUP TRUCK: From Ketsy:
Our locked gray Ford F-350 diesel truck was stolen from in front of our home this morning. Near Morgan and 38th Avenue. License plate D27510A. Police case # 24-110012.
ABANDONED-PROBABLY-STOLEN BIKE: From Mark:
We found an abandoned bike in our alley near Solstice Park, I would guess stolen but looks to have been used hard recently as both tires are now flat. If there is an owner out there, would love for them to get it back.
If it’s yours, contact us and we’ll connect you.
(Friday photo, sent by Craig)
Back on Friday night, we reported on that Jeep Compass that turned up on a rocky stretch of shore in southwesternmost West Seattle, between the dead-ends of Seola Lane and Arroyo Beach Place [map]. Last night, via an update from tipster Craig, we learned it’s still there. We asked Seattle Police why. Thanks to Officer Brian Pritchard for giving us an update via reports that tell a tangled tale. In short, Seattle Police, the U.S. Coast Guard, and the Department of Ecology have all been to the site, and private salvagers have been consulted, but no one has been able to figure out how to get the vehicle out, via land or sea, either towing it out, pulling it out, or even floating it out. So far, the only major action taken is that Ecology removed the fuel that was in the SUV’s gas tank.
(Monday photo, sent by Craig)
So what about the person who owns it? Apparently that’s not the person who showed up on a nearby resident’s doorstep asking for a ride early Friday. Police say they’ve spoken to the resident and they weren’t aware the vehicle was on the beach at the time. The vehicle wasn’t reported stolen, Officer Pritchard just told us, until a short time ago, when its owner contacted police to tell them her vehicle had been taken while she was visiting friends last Thursday in North Seattle. So it might be her responsibility – or her insurer – to figure out how to get it off the beach. We’ll continue following up.
Just received the agenda for the next meeting of the Seattle Board of Parks and Recreation Commissioners, and it includes one item of potential West Seattle interest – a presentation on the department’s “pickleball and tennis vision.” A proposal to convert a former Lincoln Park tennis court into pickleball courts sparked a significant amount of controversy last year, and the department has yet to officially update its status. The last Parks official to address the plan at a West Seattle meeting, deputy superintendent Andy Sheffer, is listed as co-presenting the briefing; we don’t yet know if it will include specifics on locations or will be just a policy overview. It’s on the agenda for 6:30 pm Thursday (April 25); the board meets in-person at Parks HQ downtown, and you can also attend online – info is in our calendar listing.
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