West Seattle, Washington
05 Saturday
In the six days since a longtime West Seattle resident was hit and killed on 35th near Fire Station 37, we have learned more about the victim, 85-year-old Oswald Clement, and we wanted to highlight the fact that those organizing a memorial service for him are hoping to hear from others with memories:Read More
It’s been four months since we last checked on this empty lot in the 6000 block of California, north of Morgan Junction. Just discovered a couple new permit applications came in only days ago for a big grouping of townhouses and “live/work” units here — Knoll Development is seeking permits for four addresses: at 6021, at 6025, at 6029, and at 6031.
Just in from the 34th District Democrats‘ website: Sharon Nelson of Maury Island, chief of staff for West Seattle’s King County Councilmember Dow Constantine, was chosen tonight as the 34th DDs’ recommended choice for State Representative. (Photo at right, courtesy 34th DDs.) If the King County Council goes with the recommendation to appoint her, Nelson would succeed Joe McDermott, appointed to the State Senate last month after Erik Poulsen quit. Read more about Nelson here. The 34th DDs say the KC Council’s decision could come as soon as Monday.
-Some especially excellent comments today, and we want to call your attention to them in case you don’t usually read the comment sections of WSB posts. Below our report about the Northwest Art & Frame broken window, we just heard from “TR,” the early-morning dog-walker who spotted the damage and called authorities. And after this post updating the “West Seattle Art Attack” pumpkin surprises, we heard from people (Randie and Ben) at two of the houses “hit” by WSAA. Thanks to everybody for coming to WSB and adding new information!
-Several people e-mailed us yesterday about a mysterious sign near “Walking on Logs,” close to the relentlessly patrolled area where political signs have been turning up, and coming down. Last night we did pull over to check out that sign — it is a printout of the city sign ordinance, with the relevant section highlighted in a marker color that we can’t help describing as “angry red.” We’ll see shortly if they have gone after the signs just put up by a certain City Council candidate who seems determined to let us all know she (hearts) The Viaduct. (Including in-person sign-waving at 35th & Fauntleroy this morning.)
-If you’re interested in acupuncture, a reader e-mailed us recently suggesting that more people might want to know about a community acupuncture clinic at The Mount on Monday afternoons, run by Angie Hughes. “Reasonable price and an underutilized resource,” according to the reader, so we’re tacking it up on our equivalent of the virtual bulletin board, with this post.
At the court hearing we reported on last week, the lawyer for the 17-year-old suspect in the October 13th fatal shooting at 59th/Admiral said he would argue for his client to be set free on his own recognizance, released to “home detention,” or at least for his bail to be reduced. Then, earlier this week, we told you the lawyer’s rationale for that request — he contends his client was sexually abused for years by the man he is accused of shooting, has no history of violence, and would not be a danger to the community. Today, we have just learned from court documents posted online that King County Superior Court Judge Michael Trickey did grant a bail reduction earlier this week — cutting the amount of bail the suspect would have to post to get out, from the original $500,000, to the new amount of $200,000. However, according to the online jail roster, he is not out yet. He’s due back in court next Wednesday.
If you’ve been through The Junction today, you may have noticed the broken front window at Northwest Art & Frame. Manager Debbie just told a WSB team member that they don’t know when or how it happened — obviously sometime Halloween night — but they do know this: Somebody out walking their dog very early this morning noticed the broken window. Nobody of course was at NW A & F at that hour, but the dog-walker found somebody to tell, next door at Bakery Nouveau. They in turn called the Seattle Fire Department, which sent a crew, who cleaned up the broken glass, and put up some temporary covering (Debbie says Bakery Nouveau gave them treats in appreciation). Whoever the dog-walker was, NW A & F is very appreciative.
As we reported earlier this week, a hugely important date in the Water Taxi’s future comes next Thursday (11/8), 2 pm @ the county courthouse, when King County Councilmembers — meeting as the King County Ferry District board — have the one and only public hearing about what the KCFD should be doing in the year to come. In-person testimony is the most impressive, but if you absolutely can’t be there, the online form for your Water Taxi “testimony” is now ready, as promised by West Seattle’s KC Councilmember Dow Constantine. Find it here. Councilmembers will be especially interested in hearing your personal Water Taxi stories and why you support it, as well as affirmation for the positive effects of using boat transit to get traffic off the roads (and, in the case of the Vashon foot ferries that KCFD also will run, getting traffic off the state ferries from Vashon and therefore off already-busy WS arterials like Fauntleroy). P.S. Two things — remember tomorrow’s the Water Taxi’s last day of the year; also, check back here for more on the proposed operations/funding plan for the Ferry District, once it’s made public later today.
Just received two notes in the past few minutes (thank you!!!!) about “PUBLIC AUCTION” signs up at the ex-GEE/ex-Huling site. As we reported last week, an auction was indeed part of the plan to enable the Gees to officially clear out by the end of November. 6:30 PM UPDATE: Thanks to Mike for finding this webpage about the auction and sending this photo:
Someone e-mailed us a few weeks ago saying they had heard Thai on Alki (1325 Harbor Ave, next to Alki Tavern) was going out. So we’d been keeping an eye on it; drove by last night and, for the first time, noticed the interior looked fairly empty except for people doing some work; went by this morning to try to find out more — the signage is gone (as shown at left), the place looks cleaned out. No permit applications for anything at the site, no note on the door; the phone is answered with an announcement that sounds like business as usual, but it didn’t allow message-leaving. Looking up the corporate registration for the company that holds the business license, we found the name is the same as someone who had a Craigslist ad up a few weeks ago (pointed out to us at the time by a reader) selling restaurant items (the ad’s not cached in Google but one line of text from it that is, includes the Thai on Alki number). Another tidbit noted during research: The parcel has been owned since 2004 by “Salty’s Properties.”
OK, maybe “caught on camera” isn’t entirely the best phrase, since this photo (and others) came from “West Seattle Art Attack” him/herself — and proves they have accomplices — shown here at one of the five houses where they say they left pumpkins last night. (Catch up on what this is all about by reading yesterday’s first post and later update.) Ahead, see if you recognize the four other distinctively decorated homes “hit” last night — plus, beneath the photos, one caveat from WSAA:Read More
(Jack-o-lanterns designed by Ryan & Abby, carved by Lisa & Abby) The big day/night has arrived. Many Halloween happenings are on our WSB Events page; some biggies include:
MORE BUSINESS TRICK-OR-TREATING: The merchants of the Admiral District are offering treats 3-6 pm today; Westwood Village businesses are welcoming trick-or-treaters 5-7 pm.
GROWNUP FUN: Many WS establishments are partying tonight, including Skylark, where the “Come as You Aren’t” Battle of the Bands sounds like a hoot (full lineup here); and northeast West Seattle will be alive with the sights and sounds of Skeleton Theatre, 6-9 pm.
HIGH POINT HAPS: Check out the full list on the Events page – some great stuff going on in West Seattle’s award-winning development, including a canine costume contest at 7:30.
LATER: We’ll be mentioning some legendary West Seattle haunts, including the most unlikely-sounding one we’ve come across so far. Save your faves for comments on that post!
Just two days ago, we told you about the fundraising deadline today for matching funds to make Ercolini Park (48th/Alaska; photo above from last summer) a true park when construction work begins shortly — and we have word from Bill Barna that, thanks to one last big donation — $2,800 from Wanda Pommer — they made it! Bill and everyone at Friends of Ercolini Park send out a huge thanks to everyone who helped them reach the goal and says the big thing now is to make good on commitments of volunteer time (also vital in the “matching funds” process); as Bill explains, “It is also important to remember that all the volunteer hours that were pledged have actually been assigned a dollar value. If the volunteers don’t make good on their contributions some of the park features may suffer. So, PLEASE, everyone who committed time … make good on your pledge.”
Frank Coluccio e-mailed WSB late tonight with a hearty “GO GATORS!” — on behalf of the Holy Rosary 7th grade girls’ soccer team, which has made it to the Catholic Youth Organization championship game, after defeating St. Bernadette of Burien, 3-0. The Gators play Sacred Heart for the title at Bishop Blanchet, noon Saturday.
First one is a simple reminder: The Elliott Bay Water Taxi between West Seattle and downtown is in the final days of its extended 2007 season; after the afternoon/evening commute runs on Friday, it’s docked for the year. Second one, not quite so simple, but even more important:Read More
… it’s also the fundraising deadline for Friends of Ercolini Park, to help them qualify for city matching funds in their work to create a park for the growing residential neighborhoods west of The Junction. (The land has been set aside — but now it’s time to start putting in the features that will transform it into a park.) The group says work should be starting within a few weeks, and they expect to have “a park to play in by spring!” Read more about the project on the city’s page about it, and to help Friends of Ercolini Park get across the $ finish line, use the “donate” link on the group’s website. (Also coming up, this blog post from an Ercolini relative reminds us, is the deadline for the city to accept name suggestions, though as that writer notes, it’s hard to imagine it could end up being named anything else.)
The most recent information recorded on the Seattle Fire Department media info line says the fire that gutted this house on 23rd north of Willow this morning was “a set fire.” No elaboration on that, so far. The Fire Department also says no one was hurt and the family living in the home is now staying with relatives. The total cost of damage done by the fire is estimated at $150,000.
According to the King County Medical Examiner hotline’s afternoon update, the man hit by an SUV near Fire Station 37 on Saturday night — closing off two blocks of 35th for several hours — has died. He is identified as 85-year-old Oswald Clement.
The development has just won a Global Award for Excellence — one of only two U.S. projects among the 5 winners worldwide. Here’s what the judges liked about it.
As we reported after attending the arraignment of the Alki 17-year-old charged as an adult with second-degree murder for the fatal shooting at 59th/Admiral on October 13th, his lawyer is arguing that he should be released from jail or at least have his bail cut. We now have the court paperwork with details of why the defense claims he would not be a threat to the community — and it aligns with the speculation some voiced when a call for witnesses was put out by lawyer Robert Perez:Read More
Big Fire Department contingent at 23rd north of Willow (just west of Delridge) because of a house fire. 9:50 AM UPDATE: Most of the fire crews are leaving now, but the house appears to be a total loss. 11:25 AM UPDATE: Brief P-I blurb says 7 people lived in the house and all got out OK.
UPDATE: As of 1pm there was still a fire crew on the scene. Here’s two pictures that were taken just half an hour ago.
That’s a photo from an EarthCorps event with Denny Middle School students at the Thistle Street section of Longfellow Creek, where they put in more than 200 native plants — all amid the weather craziness of 10/19. EarthCorps invites you to go check out the new plantings just north of the P-Patch — and a frequent WSB contributor @ EarthCorps also hopes you’ll consider their request for a different kind of community help — one that doesn’t involve digging or planting:Read More
In the tradition of Graham Street Apartments=Strata, etc., yet another California Avenue condo conversion has its fancy new name. The lettering above for West Water has just appeared on all the exterior fancying-up that workers have been doing at the former Watermarke Apartments (6960-6970 California, chronicled here in August and in September) for the past several weeks. West Water’s future website promises these will, of course, be “luxury condominiums.” (Found the complex’s pre-conversion sales price, $13 million, on this site, along with sales data on several other WS buildings we are now researching. EARLY MONDAY ADDENDUM: That brokerage site also has a blog, with what appears to be the behind-the-scenes story of this building’s sale.) Before/after pix (not the same exact angle but close enough) — one month ago, then today:
35th is blocked off from Myrtle to Webster. Police officers are in the street investigating something; there was a medic call at Fire Station 37 (inside the blocked-off zone) earlier, but no details.
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