Helping hands
Over the weekend, we mentioned a West Seattle Christian Church (WSB sponsor) delegation had gone to Lewis County to help with relief work from the December flood damage. A member of the delegation has now sent us the photo you see above. Aaron says, “Our little friend provided us with a little distraction from the physical pain our bodies were feeling! A lot of work yet to be done down there. I encourage all your readers to consider taking part in the effort.” Here’s another story of helping hands, just out of the WSB inbox:Read More
West Seattle Crime Watch: There’s good news too
The latest from the files at the Southwest Precinct – and we’ve got a lot to tell you about, since our last visit was last Thursday. 
We start with a “good news” story that unfolded while we were at the precinct late today: It started this morning, when a West Seattle man found a wallet in the Central District. He reported it to police later by flagging down an officer at Delridge and Hudson. Police called the wallet’s owner and asked if she could come pick it up at the Southwest Precinct. She arrived around 4 this afternoon, received the wallet from officer Buzzy Katzer at the front desk, and exclaimed, “Wow, my 11 dollars are even still in here!” She wanted to thank the man who found her wallet and turned it in; at last report, police were trying to reach him to convey her message. Ahead – an amazing array of other incidents, including the “adult model” dispute and the runaway litterer:Read More
Ferry SW closure
Thanks to Will for the tip that Ferry SW was abruptly closed today. We parked by the closure sign near Ferry/California Ave (map) and walked to see what was up … and kept walking … and kept walking (awesome views, great workout going back uphill). The work is under way close to where Ferry meets California Way (map):
A contractor is drilling for some repair work above this erosion area we mentioned 2 weeks ago:
We have left messages for SDOT to ask how long the closure will continue (if it’s not over already; will check again later this afternoon). 5 PM UPDATE: SDOT says it was a one-day closure, ended around 3 pm, and the contractor does not expect to need to close the street again.
Governor visits West Seattle Elementary School
Just back from West Seattle Elementary in High Point, where the King Day “Day of Service” work as part of the Hands on Schools project (previewed here on Thursday) got a major kickoff this morning featuring Governor Gregoire, her husband (aka “First Mike”), and Seattle Congressman Jim McDermott. Here’s our first clip, the governor joining in the City Year volunteers’ traditional morning warmup:
Tara Smith with Seattle Works tells WSB that local families are welcome to come by during the work today, which is under way through 3 pm (though the governor’s not staying all day) — they’ve got “family-friendly” activities for ages 5-12. More video ahead, including Gov. Gregoire on Dr. King, plus some of what West Seattle Elementary principal Gayle Everly and Rep. McDermott had to say:Read More
High Point progress report
Some updates on the biggest development/redevelopment project in West Seattle, from a presentation at last week’s joint meeting of the Delridge and Southwest District Councils: Project manager Tom Phillips from the Seattle Housing Authority told the groups he’s “very proud” of the way things are going, he says High Point Phase I has only 10 homes left to sell. As part of Phase II, the 160-unit seniors’ complex on Morgan will open in May, and the new park with amphitheater is in the works along with Neighborhood House. (NH construction is set to start this September; a capital campaign is under way now — read more here.) Phillips also told the councils that paperwork had just been signed with a developer for the commercial center at 35th/Graham, though there’s still no grocery-store commitment — he said he’s been told West Seattle is “over-grocered,” particularly with Whole Foods coming to Fauntleroy Place and QFC coming to Capco Plaza. The SHA’s official High Point site is here.
West Seattle Gas Price Watch: Back below $3
Despite the most recent round of fuss that we were bound to finally break $4/gallon someday soon, West Seattle gas prices have been on the decline again. Tonight, we spotted two places below $3 for a gallon of regular unleaded — the Admiral/California Chevron (photo left) and the Delridge Arco. That’s 13 cents below the current Seattle average.
West Seattle Crime Watch: Reader reports van break-in
View Larger Map
From Colleen in the 48th/Dakota vicinity:
Friday night my son’s bike was taken out of my van. They also took a clay cat that my daughter had made, only valuable to me. I’m curious if they hit any other vehicles around here.
Besides whatever we hear here, we’ll also check next time we’re reviewing reports @ the Southwest Precinct. Meantime, the important reminders: Call 911 if you know or suspect something’s happening right now or just happened; 206/625-5011 is the non-emergency number; lots of crime-prevention resource info at the bottom of the WSB Crime Watch page.
Reader report: Exotic cat captured
Just in from TC (thank you!), re: the cat sighting from yesterday:
The exotic cat that someone saw on 1/18/08 was just captured by the Humane Animal shelter at about 4:30 and is being taken to a rescue shelter. We were up jogging on the Madison Middle School track when some boys pointed out a larger than domestic size spotted cat on the banks. We called the Humane Society 386-4258 and they came out and captured it. They said it was a serval, a wild cat from Africa and that it is the second one picked up in West Seattle.
We’ve seen servals … in zoos. Will look up a usable photo shortly to add here. ADDED 7:18 PM: Here’s one. Again, NOT the WS capturee, just one found roaming online:
Denny-Sealth updates, including meeting date change
Two updates for everyone following the Denny Middle School-Chief Sealth High School shared-campus-proposal controversy: The Westwood Neighborhood Council has slightly changed the plan for its just-announced next meeting on Denny-Sealth; it’s now at 7 pm Tuesday, Feb. 5, in the Chief Sealth Commons. The WNC announcement says the meeting will be “a moderated discussion among five panelists about the School District’s decision to combine the two schools (options 1 and 2) or retain two separate schools (option 3). Key discussion will address academic and social needs of middle- and high-school students, and will include questions from audience members. Panelists will include a school board member, a District facilities representative, Sealth staff member, child development expert, and public safety expert.” The WNC says that school-board member will be District 6 (West Seattle)’s director Steve Sundquist; we checked in with him late this week to see what he was hearing on Denny-Sealth since the last school-board meeting (WSB coverage here; that and followups since then, plus previous reports, are all now archived in their own category):Read More
West Seattle Crime Watch: Exposure arrest; car vandalism
The latest from the files at the Southwest Precinct: We start with an indecent-exposure arrest in the 9400 block of 30th SW. An 11-year-old boy was walking in a nearby alley Wednesday afternoon when, he said, a man motioned him over, then dropped his pants and exposed himself. He ran to a nearby school to report what happened. Other information led officers to believe they knew who they were looking for, and before they had finished talking with the young victim, the suspect showed up in the area, and they arrested him. Police say they have dealt with the suspect before, mostly for “mental-health situations.” More police-report summaries ahead, including a “home invasion” that happened this morning:Read More
West Seattle Crime Watch: Crime-stats breakout
When we mentioned yesterday’s announcement that citywide crime hit a 40-year low last year, we also mentioned we didn’t have a West Seattle breakout. Right now, we do, thanks to the kindness and tech-savvy-ness of Scott from Central District News. He sent the following list of crime stats in major categories in West Seattle for 1996-2007, year by year, for census tracts 96, 97, 98, 99, 105, 106, 107, 108, 116, 115, 114, 113, 120, and 121 all together — we don’t have time right this second to doublecheck where the boundaries end, but you can find your census tract here. Now, those numbers:Read More
Trial updates for two high-profile West Seattle cases
Both just posted at the P-I site: The jury in the Tatsuo Nakata 47th/Admiral pedestrian-death case will start deliberating the fate of defendant Ephraim Schwartz tomorrow morning (story here); the jury in the trial of ex-Huling salesmen Adrian Dillard and Ted Coxwell heard lawyers’ opening statements today (story here).
Following up on the capture of the suspected serval in West Seattle (sighting first 
| 1 COMMENT