West Seattle, Washington
31 Wednesday
The red arrow in the photo above (from this page on the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency website) shows the spot where the Nucor steel plant (Delridge/Andover) wants to upgrade a crane so it can operate more hours. Because more hours mean more emissions, Nucor needs state and regional permits; tonight’s public hearing at the Alki Community Center provided the chance for supporters and opponents to have their say. One of the shortest public hearings we’ve ever attended:Read More
What we heard from Seattle Public Schools administration at the end of the school board’s Denny-Sealth shared-campus project work session tonight boiled down to something a lot like what we heard at a meeting about it that we covered here in West Seattle last summer — Yes, we know, we didn’t get a whole lot of public input before roaring forward with this plan, but really, we’re in it too deep now to pull back, though we’ll get you a little more information on what it would cost to change course, if you really, really want it. The majority of the board members, of course, have been elected since the project was approved last year — 4 of the 7 school board members are brand new — and even though board president Cheryl Chow warned them not to get bowled over by the “freshman rush” of project opponents hitting them up, they asked for a chance to reconsider anyway.Read More
That’s the Bradford Arms at 3911 California (map), the latest West Seattle apartment building put up for sale (12 units, $2.2 million). As of this writing, the listing calls it a “condo-quality building.”
Ellen Hansen from Metro just forwarded details on the newly added Westwood-area meeting planned to discuss RapidRide (as mentioned in our report below on the RR briefing at last night’s JuNO meeting): It’s not on the Metro website yet but she says it will be 6-7:30 pm February 19 at the Southwest Library.
Thanks to Pete R, who says he got that photo near Don Armeni with “awesome zoom” – he says he has seen this pup before, and saw its mom swim by a few times while he was watching. Meantime, word of a daytime coyote sighting also landed in the inbox, from SH:
I wanted to let all the cat and dog owners know that I saw a coyote loping down the middle of Northrop Pl SW at noon yesterday. He was a beautiful animal, looked well-fed. I thought that the cats would be safe out during the day, but I am having second thoughts about that now. Thought I would let my neighbors know about it too.
Northrop is a short street here in the Upper Fauntleroy/Gatewood border zone (its south end is at the top of the Thistle Street stairs); here’s a map.
Thanks to SW for e-mailing WSB to say work has really intensified today at the mixed-use project site at 35th & Avalon. We last discussed this project in mid-December, when the city granted a permit for shoring/mass excavation/erosion control. As you can see from the photo (taken from the bus stop on 35th, looking northeast at the site), all sorts of heavy equipment is there today; a new check of the city files reveals they’ve just applied for the building permit too. You can check architect Mark Travers‘ website to see what the future building is supposed to look like (we’re still wondering if they’re really going to build another Starbucks so close to the drive-thru!).
Many have asked what’s up with the long-stalled park project at the old substation site (2007 photo above) north of The Junction. Now there’s a long-awaited update from Friends of Dakota Place Park:Read More
Among the latest police reports filed at the Southwest Precinct, here are some of the most notable: In the 4500 block of 56th SW, at least four vehicles were broken into Sunday night-Monday morning. An SUV owner told police that a window was smashed and a GPS was taken; another owner said someone got into three of his vehicles, breaking the window of a truck and stealing a camera and gas card, then looking through the 2 other vehicles without damaging or stealing anything. More ahead:Read More
In case you missed it in comments below our original coverage, Erin Thomsen has left this on behalf of Angelia Paulsen‘s family, after reading all the memories and tributes in those comments:
To all of you who have left such wonderful memories of Angelia, we thank you from the bottoms of our hearts. Reading about the love and kindness and laughter she shared with everyone of you has meant the world to all of us. Her smile and radiance will live forever in every life she touched.
10:50 PM ADDENDUM: Thank you to Angi’s longtime friend Krissi for sharing the photos we just added above.
As we first reported this morning, a car crash on I-5 early Monday killed Red Cup Espresso owner Angelia Paulsen, and her memorial service is this Friday. Now there’s word of a tribute Saturday night outside her shop – this just in from Patty:
There will be a candlelight vigil to celebrate the life of Angi outside of Red Cup espresso on Sat at 7 p.m. All are welcome to join us. Angi was a very dear friend to us all. She will be truly missed.
EVENING UPDATE: Please see other coverage higher up the WSB home page (here and here) for additional info; we did, however, just add the photos seen above, sent by friend Krissi. AFTERNOON UPDATE: Just checked the Red Cup door; the service for Angelia Paulsen is this Friday morning, 11 am @ St. Stephen the Martyr Church in Renton. Here’s the note that’s on the door:
ORIGINAL 9:23 AM REPORT: Meredith just e-mailed to say that Red Cup Espresso in The Junction is closed and a note on the door says its owner has died. 9:28 AM UPDATE: Another reader e-mail says the owner died in a traffic accident yesterday morning and services are this Friday. 9:40 AM UPDATE: Washington State Patrol public information officer Trooper Jeff Merrill just confirmed to WSB that 36-year-old Angelia Paulsen, Red Cup’s owner, is the woman killed when her car crashed on I-5 in South Seattle early yesterday. Citywide media covered that crash; thanks to “k” for finding a short mention in the middle of this Times “digest.”
Seattle Fire investigators say the 15th SW apartment fire was an accident – started by “smoking materials” thrown into a trash bag. (Additional photos at top and bottom of this post just sent in today by DJ Sonsteng.) Meantime, WSMom posted this comment following the original WSB report. Way to go:
I happened upon the apartment fire and called 911 at about 3:30 this afternoon. “Seattle Police and Fire, can you hold please†is the answer I received. It’s interesting what goes through your mind at a time like this. The fire was quite big and there was an impressive amount of smoke. I stayed on hold, hoping someone else had already gotten through to a real operator. Not knowing what I should do, I started pounding on doors and yelling “FIRE, GET OUTâ€. We should all learn how to say “fire†and “get out of the building†in Spanish. When the 911 operator came on the line, she asked if there were people in the building and when I said yes she told me to get them out. It was actually reassuring to be told to do what I was already doing. I carried a little boy out of his family’s apartment and helped him get his shoes on once we were at the sidewalk. His parents had their hands full lifting their newborn’s stroller down the stairs. It was very cold outside and all the little boy had on were pajamas, so I was glad to find some of my son’s outgrown clothes in a giveaway bag in my car and I set to work putting some warm clothes on the child. His parents didn’t speak English so I used the universal language of pointing and shivering to get their permission to dress their child. Right about this time the first of four or five fire trucks pulled up and quickly got the fire under control. My son sat patiently in the car the whole time waiting for me to get back and continue on to his brother’s basketball game. I’m going to make it a point tomorrow to learn how to say “fire, get out†in Spanish just in case.
These numbers just in from West Seattle Realtor (and WSB sponsor) Bill Barna:
Average market time: 2006: 34 days / 2007: 42 days (up 24%)
Median price: 2006: $390,000 / 2007: $402,000 (up 3.1%)
Average price: 2006: $445,422 / 2007: $469,473 (up 5.3%)
Number of homes sold: 2006: 1,728 / 2007: 1,642 (down 5.0%)
Bill adds, “Although the annual appreciation is off a little from the record year of 2005 (almost 15% that year!) we are still growing here in West Seattle.” The numbers are from a detailed report he compiles every year, and he says anyone who wants a full copy is welcome to e-mail him (click here).
Today we’re extending the traditional WSB welcome to our newest sponsor, Illusions Hair Design (on California between Alaska and Morgan Junctions). This year, Illusions is celebrating 30 years in business, and its achievements over the years — including a Mayor’s Small Business Award and repeat annual votes as “Best on the Westside.” Clicking on the new Illusions ad you see on the right sidebar of this page will take you to information about a special offer regarding one of their many specialties — color services — they do more than 4,000 every year, and provide their stylists with continuing education in haircutting and all chemical services. Illusions also supports the community with donations to more than 100 local organizations each year, including two major fundraisers that they started: “Have a Heart Day” in February, and “Pencil Me in for Kids” during the summer (read more about that here). You may have seen their distinctive VW Bug around town (we photographed it in our Hi-Yu Parade coverage last summer). Thanks to Illusions and all our sponsors for supporting WSB; if you are interested in finding out how to join them, check out our Advertise page (which also lists the current sponsor lineup and our newest opportunities).
As the January 15th deadline for Seattle (Alki) Statue of Liberty Plaza Project fundraising draws near, organizers Paul and Libby Carr have issued another financial update this weekend regarding what they’ve raised and what they’re still trying to bring in:Read More
This just in as a comment below our original report, posted there by Reasa Shuck, who says the diver was her fiance’, and included details on the underwater proposal that WSB contributing photojournalist Christopher Boffoli learned about at the scene. Reasa identifies her fiance as Joshua Magee. (Update: Less than an hour after we first published this report, authorities confirmed the diver’s death, though without officially releasing his name.):
I am the diver’s fiancee who had a accident at Alki Yesterday afternoon. He wasn’t able to be revived. He surfaced to tell me he was okay and went back under a little while later he surfaced I waved to show him where I was on shore. He went back down and then came up a bit later and screamed help me. I was calling him telling him I was on my way. I got other divers’ attention to where he was and to try to get to him. I tried swimming to him but the water was too cold. Meanwhile other people on the shore called 911. When they pulled him from the water the diver was not breathing and they started rescue breaths. The emergency crews were there to take over after that. He was taken to the hospital and they were still trying to revive him but were not able to. The diver’s name was Joshua Magee and he was a great person and my fiance. Here is the story that Josh wrote about our engagement.
“Ok: If you got this, then it means that I give a rats booty about you. What, you think I keep friends around just for the hell of it? No. I’m done with that game. And I want you to know of a very significant development in my life. As you know, I have been dating the amazing Reasa, for a little over a year now. And she has become an incredible, and irreplaceable part of my life. I truly could not imagine my life without her by my side, nor do I ever want to. With that said, you can probably guess what my next step would be: go on a badass scuba dive, right? What, you didn’t see that coming? Ok, I’ll explain: On Oct. 15th (our 1 year anniversary), I got her SCUBA lessons. “Babe, that’s really cool, but not very romantic,” she said.
“Despite her disappointment, she was a great sport. She took her nightly classes, and passed all of her deep dives with flying colors. Once she was certified, my plan began to unfold. Oh yes, I had a badass plan to go with the badass love I had for this unknowing damsel.
“So, Nov. 24th, I took my soon to be bride to the San Juan Islands, to the beautiful Keystone Jetty, and took our very first dive together. Her trust in me to keep her safe made me feel incredible. I tried to protect her from all the huge sea life there, but I have to admit that a face-to-face encounter with a Giant Pacific Octopus scared the poop out of me, and I franticly swam away without my precious dive buddy. Sorry babe. Anyway, once I gained my composure, I called my love to me. I signaled that I was getting low on air, and it was time to search for a seashell memento of our first dive together, and head for the surface.
“As she began searching, I pulled out the clamshell that I had put together. It was a beautiful shell with purple and white lines. I epoxied the two halves together with an operational hinge, and a rubber-coated clip to hold her ring. No, not the REAL ring, are you crazy?! It was a cheap-o for the dive.
“Now as you have already realized I’m sure, I put a lot of work into this clamshell. So I didn’t want it to get broken before I could pop my big question. So I put it in a Tupperware container to protect it. But one small detail that I did not consider, (anyone that is a diver knows where this going) is that under the pressure of the water, I could not open the Tupperware to save my life! It suctioned closed so tightly that I was truly terrified! I clawed at it, and slammed it against a rock, trying to get it open. I even tried to use my teeth to get it open – sorry mom. But even that didn’t work. Finally I thought to pry it open with my dive knife. Mind you all this, without her seeing my struggle!
“Once I got the shell free, I called her over, and pointed out the great shell sitting in the sand. She expressed her excitement, and reached for the colorful shell. Of course I beat her to it, and scooped it up. I opened the clamshell to reveal a gorgeous ring, and the words on the inside that read ‘Marry me?’.
“Once she realized what I was doing and read the inscription, she eagerly shook her head yes! Was my job done? Oh hell no! If you know me at all, you know better than to think I would let her off that easily.
“As I took the ring out of the shell, and handed it to her, I intentionally dropped it! It sank into the seafloor silt, and was gone forever. I wrote on our underwater slate that I dropped it, and did she see where it fell? She realized the huge problem at hand, and began to frantically search for the ring in the seabed.
“I let her panic for a minute or so, and even pretended to look for the lost ring, and then I wrote on the slate that the real ring was waiting in the truck.
“Yeah, she will probably kill me at some point for this one. Give it your best-shot babe, I don’t sweat you!”
(After sharing that story, Reasa continues in her comment posting): Thank you to the dive community for all of your help and support.
Josh Magee also shared the story of his engagement to Reasa on a MySpace page we found, where his profile quote was a book passage from Stephen Harrigan‘s “Water and Light: A Diver’s Journey,” including “Scuba diving, from the beginning, had an air of dangerous allure. Every landlocked schoolboy knew of its intriguing hazards … and rapture of the deep, which took away his reason, filled his heart with false contentment, and drew him down into the ocean gloom.”
The last diving death at Seacrest was five months ago; 43-year-old Wayne Hernandez died July 31st. One month before that, a diver died near Alki Point on July 1st.
On ScubaBoard, one of the people who pulled the diver out of the water at Seacrest Saturday afternoon (see earlier WSB coverage) has posted his story. A thread on the Northwest Dive Club board suggests there’s a report circulating that the diver didn’t make it, but there are no updates at this moment on the Fire Department or Medical Examiner media hotlines, nor in the citywide media.
First: While out checking on the Seacrest diver rescue (see report below this one) and West Seattle bridge accident (second report below this one), we also drove along Alki and happened onto this amazing scene: Dozens of people crossing over to the beach at Pepperdock (first photo) around 2 pm, carrying red balloons, which after what looked like a moment of reflection (second photo), they released (third photo). Since we were in our car, we couldn’t ask who or what it was for – please post a comment if you know. 10:20 PM UPDATE: Finally found confirmation; a memorial gathering for a young woman who died.
Second: West Seattle’s Rainbow Girls braved the blusteriness at midday to collect Christmas trees outside the Masonic Hall in The Junction for the treecycling fundraiser we mentioned here on WSB. If you missed it, our other treecycling info is here.
First pic, Cub Scout Pack 793 in West Seattle; second pic, 598th Maintenance Company in Iraq. During what Pack 793 advisers describe as “their most successful popcorn-selling season ever” — more than $12,000 sold, beating last year’s record $9,000-plus — they collected community donations so they could send popcorn to the soldiers for Christmas — and that effort resulted in $710 worth of caramel corn, chocolate caramel crunch, and microwave popcorn going overseas. Why the 598th, you ask? One of its soldiers is uncle to one of the Scouts. (Read more on the Pack 793 website.)
One of the police reports we reviewed at the Seattle Police Southwest Precinct late today got even better with some added information forwarded by Lt. Steve Paulsen – turns out that one arrest following a gas-station break-in early yesterday helped detectives solve 9 burglaries in all. It all started just before 5 am Thursday, with calls to police reporting someone smashing in the front door of the Chevron station at 35th and Holden. The callers gave police excellent information — describing the suspect and his car, and which way he headed after he took off. An officer spotted the car, a white T-Bird with a sunroof, at 35th and Morgan, and pulled it over in the 7100 block of Delridge. The car’s registered owner gave police permission to search its trunk, where officers found items including 33 unopened packages of cigarettes. One of the detectives who questioned the suspect, Detective Donald Henderson, picks up the story from there, in an e-mail forwarded to WSB by Lt. Paulsen:
A consent to search was obtained from the registered owner. Stolen Property and Burglary Tools were recovered, and placed into evidence. Detectives were able to solve eight commercial burglary cases in West Seattle, and one from North Seattle. Well done to West Seattle Citizens for getting involved, and reporting suspicious activity to 9-1-1.
Lt. Paulsen adds, “This all began with a citizen call and one of our newer police officers on the morning watch (Officer Melissa Wengard). Great example of the public calling in things that don’t look right!” You may recall another WSB report three weeks ago about another stack of burglary cases solved by the Southwest Precinct team. Meantime, here are half a dozen more new and noteworthy West Seattle police reports:Read More
Thanks to Michelle for sending the photo and the tip. What’s on that sign is all the info we have – we just tried calling but no answer and no recorded message. (If you’re not familiar with Admiralty House, it’s at 2141 California in North Admiral.)
COYOTE REPORT: Just in from Katherine – “WOW! Heard maybe 3 coyotes howling and crying early this morning from Pelly Place Natural Area, which is near Lowman Beach Park.” (ADDED 10:30 PM, Alex reports a coyote trying to cross California SW tonight near SW Willow; traffic spooked it, he said, and it retreated back westbound onto Willow.)
TREE TAKEDOWN: No doubt this will be a big weekend for taking down the Christmas tree. In addition to the tree-recycling/disposal info we featured in this post-Christmas report, we also have more details about a youth group’s treecycling fundraiser on Saturday: Local Rainbow Girls are taking trees 10 am-2 pm tomorrow at the Alki Masonic Hall (4736 40th; map here) for a $5 donation; the trees will be mulched.
SCHOOL-TOUR TIME: Some West Seattle private schools are already back in post-winter-break session; public schools return Monday. At both private and public schools, tour and open-house time is kicking into high gear, because it’s application season for the ’08-’09 school year (already!). We are adding tour and open-house info to the WSB Events page as fast as we find/receive it; please let us know what’s up at your school. More to come on school-decision season – including a spotlight on some multischool events including the West Seattle Middle School Information Night (with reps from private and public middle schools around WS) at Gatewood Elementary next Thursday.
Tonight’s WSB late-night followup — where things stand for three ex-Huling Bros. dealership employees arrested a year ago 
and accused of stealing from a mentally unstable customer in 2006. The trial date for two of them, Adrian Dillard and Ted Coxwell, has been postponed several times; the most recent date on record was today, so we dropped by the King County Courthouse downtown, only to find out their lawyers were filing a motion to postpone it again. We’ll let you know when a new date is set. (Dillard bailed out of jail last January, but Coxwell is still listed in custody on the King County Jail Register.) Meanwhile, sentencing is scheduled tomorrow — provided no last-minute postponement happens here too — for Paul Rimbey, the first of the suspects to go to trial; a King County Superior Court jury found him guilty of theft in mid-November, and he is expected to face at least three months in jail.
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