West Seattle, Washington
21 Friday
(photo added 12:33 pm)
ORIGINAL 11:29 AM REPORT: Police confirm they are investigating a robbery at US Bank, 42nd and Edmunds in The Junction. This would be the second West Seattle bank robbery in less than a week, after the Alaska USA branch in QFC was held up late Friday afternoon (WSB coverage here). This time, according to Seattle Police media unit Officer Mark Jamieson, they have a suspect in custody – less than 10 minutes after the robbery, about 15 minutes ago, someone was stopped at 35th and Avalon. More information as we get it. 11:47 AM UPDATE: We’re at the reported arrest scene – while several police cars are parked at the 35th/Avalon 7-11, the main investigative activity is focused on the east side of Beni Hoshi Teriyaki (the former Yasuko’s).
(photo added 12:22 pm)
No one at that scene will comment yet on how the person who’s in custody was tracked there. 11:58 AM UPDATE: Now we’re back at the bank – it’s still closed, with a note on the door to that effect, and investigators are inside.
(photo added 12:25 pm)
12:45 PM UPDATE: New note on the door at the bank – “please use drive-through” – so it’s at least partly open.
2:45 PM UPDATE: New information from Officer Jamieson: Though the man who was detained at 35th/Avalon “matched (the robber’s) description” and was “100 percent positively identified” by a witness who was brought to the scene – he’s been released because after interviewing him, investigators believe he was NOT the robber. Their search continues. Officer Jamieson describes the robber as “a black male, late 20s to early 40s, 6 feet, medium build, a ‘Jamaican hat,’ dreadlocks, wearing a white sweatshirt.” If you have any information, call 911.
At left is The Kenney‘s CEO Kevin McFeely, when we caught up with him at West Seattle Summer Fest in The Junction last weekend. This afternoon he’s expected to be at the Municipal Tower downtown as The Kenney introduces its landmark nomination for the Seaview and Sunrise Buildings to the city Landmark Preservation Board (see the document here), a prelude to The Kenney’s redevelopment plan moving forward. 3:30 pm, board room on the 40th floor of the Muni Tower. The rest of the Wednesday highlights happen tonight:
(Photos by Matt Durham of mattdurhamphotography.com)
ArtsWest ‘s “Sweeney Todd” opens tonight. It’s a production of the Summer Youth Musical Theater Apprenticeship Program and plays through July 25; showtimes and ticket info can be found here. Also tonight — three meetings tackling an array of big issues:
NEIGHBORHOOD TRAFFIC CALMING: The traffic circle at left is just one example of the many tools that can be used to “calm” neighborhood traffic. If you have questions, concerns, ideas about your neighborhood, anywhere in West Seattle, come to an SDOT public meeting at 6:30 tonight in the South Seattle Community College board room. The Southwest District Council-presented event also includes a Backyard Cottages briefing at 7:30 and an 8 pm version of the briefing that will happen earlier at the next event:
DELRIDGE DISTRICT COUNCIL: Haven’t made up your mind yet on the bag-fee referendum that’s on next month’s ballot (official city voters’ guide info here)? That’s the measure asking city residents whether to approve or reject the City Council-approved fee for using non-reusable shopping bags. A pro-bag fee rep will speak to the Delridge District Council tonight, among other items on the agenda at 7 pm, Youngstown Arts Center.
MORGAN COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION: We published a preview last night (see it here); tonight’s MoCA meeting, 7 pm at The Kenney, includes a long list of hot topics from The Viaduct to RapidRide to future work at the Lowman Beach pump station.
This group gathered at Hiawatha last night includes the first-ever West Seattle Volunteer Recognition recipients — Tim and Carol Winston of West Seattle Hi-Yu, youth mentor Marcus Stubblefield, co-chair Mike Dady of the North Delridge Neighborhood Council, presenters Erica Karlovits and Cindi Barker from the Southwest District Council (which co-sponsors WSVR with Delridge District Council and WSB), White Center Food Bank (among other organizations) volunteer Beth Grieser, Sustainable West Seattle‘s Bill Reiswig, and WestSide Baby‘s Nancy McDonnell. They received framed certificates and spirited applause during the announcement, made while the West Seattle Big Band took a quick break at the annual Hi-Yu Concert in the Park. From hereon out, Volunteer Recognition will happen twice a year – there are so many amazing people out there (these six were chosen from among 40 entries) that the supply of nominees we’ll never run low! More information about the recipients shortly – first, moments from the concert, starting with video of WSBB music (and the crowd):
We estimated the crowd at more than 200:
Fittingly for a family-friendly event, WestSide Baby was on hand – with reminders that this Sunday is the day to “Stuff the Bus” with diaper donations (10 am-2 pm at West Seattle Farmers’ Market)
And during another break in the music, the crowd heard from Hi-Yu royalty – the current Junior and Senior Court members, and Senior Court candidates (next Monday is the night you can watch to see who becomes the next Miss West Seattle Hi-Yu; the Junior Court is chosen this Friday; schedule here):
Now back to the Volunteer Recognition recipients. Read on for photos of each and the excerpts from the nominations that were read at last night’s event:Read More
(It’s not a festival without the Rainbow Scarves Guy, photographed last Friday)
In case you missed (or passed up) the chance to drop by the central West Seattle Summer Fest tent where we were hanging out with the West Seattle Junction Association, West Seattle Chamber of Commerce and Friends of Junction Plaza Park, but still wanted to take the quick survey to offer your thoughts – here’s your chance. Click here to take the survey. Meantime, we hear the beer-garden and donation-box proceeds for the park totaled more than $3,500. And the park is a beneficiary of proceeds from this Sunday’s West Seattle Garden Tour (go to westseattlegardentour.com to see where/how to get tickets).
Dan Lake came by to say hi during West Seattle Summer Fest last weekend and subsequently sent us that photo from an eagle sighting in South Alki. Meantime, one of the intrepid Lincoln Park barred-owlet watchers, Trileigh, sent us new photos of “Wollet” on Independence Day and we just realized we didn’t run them – this one is particularly eye-catching, as the owlet squawked for a parent to bring breakfast:
Previous Wollet photos can be seen here (May 23), here (May 27), here (May 31), here (June 14), here (June 16) and here (June 24).
Advance word tonight of two big events tomorrow:
DUWAMISH TRIBE RECOGNITION HEARING: 7 am our time, Duwamish Tribe chair Cecile Hansen will be among those testifying to the U.S. House Natural Resources Committee in D.C. regarding the latest proposal to officially recognize the tribe – a designation that happened briefly at the end of the Clinton Administration and was then canceled by the ensuing Bush Administration. We’re told it’ll be webcast live – you should be able to watch it here.
MORGAN COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION MEETING: Tomorrow night’s quarterly Morgan Community Association meeting agenda is jampacked with big topics – from Myrtle Reservoir (about which we reported here last night) to the Viaduct/Tunnel (with new developments today) to RapidRide (with a proposed “branding delay” as reported recently) and much more. 7 pm tomorrow at The Kenney, which itself is on the agenda because its proposed landmark designation goes to the city Landmarks Board tomorrow – read on for the complete agenda, shared by MoCA president Deb Barker:Read More
Just back from the Seattle Market Gardens farm stand at 32nd/Juneau in High Point, open till 7 pm (and every Tuesday 4:30-7 pm through Oct. 6). Brought home peas-in-pod for $3/pound, also noticed carrots, baby bok choy, onions, potatoes, lettuce, salad greens and beautiful flowers including fiery crocosmia. Everything harvested this morning, we were told; the growers were a bit shy but we did manage to snag this photo:
Looking east from the southwest end, over the actual garden (mini-farm), the stand is under the white tent:
Here’s a map to 32nd/Juneau. This is one of two Seattle Market Gardens, both in Seattle Housing Authority communities, and their farm stands are new this year – read more here. (They also offer weekly subscriptions.)
(Photo courtesy Robin Lindsey)
We ran that photo a week ago with the announcement of Seal Sitters‘ first volunteer-training session of the season – and now that the meeting’s a few hours away, hard to resist running it again. Alki UCC, tonight at 7. Puget Sound’s baby seals need YOU to protect them when they’re on the beach taking a break while their moms are off finding food. Read more about them at sealsitters.org.
(photo courtesy Ken, added 4:46 pm)
Got a note from a West Ridge Apartments (map) resident wondering what we know about why their power’s been out since early this morning. Checked with Scott Thomsen at Seattle City Light, who replies, “Crews are working on repairs. They have not been able to identify a cause yet. They are about to try re-energizing. It might hold or it should give us a more accurate indication of what went wrong.” He says 87 customers (which can mean homes/businesses, but that area’s all residential as far as we know) are affected. 4:47 PM UPDATE: Power’s still out but Thomsen says they’ve traced it to a transformer failure and are estimating the power will be back around 7:30 pm.
Five prominent supporters of the plan to replace the Alaskan Way Viaduct with a deep-bored tunnel and other road/transit projects summoned reporters to Ivar’s Acres of Clams on the downtown waterfront today, saying they needed to correct “falsehoods,” “confusion” and “mis-impressions” that they say are circulating. They blame the “falsehoods” in particular on some political campaigns, specifically citing the campaigns of two anti-tunnel candidates, mayoral hopeful Mike McGinn (who calls the tunnel “unnecessary”) and council hopeful Mike O’Brien (whose tunnel concerns are detailed here). First, the group pointed to the numbers in the graphic you see above: While opponents refer to it as a “$4 billion tunnel,” they note the tunnel itself will cost about half of that total transportation package. State Sen. Jeanne Kohl-Welles, a sponsor of the legislation that made the tunnel plan law, says there’s a “sizable built-in contingency” for the estimated $1.9-$2.2 billion tunnel cost “so cost overruns will be very unlikely and if any minimal.”
She also reiterated that the controversial amendment saying Seattle property owners would have to pay for overruns would almost certainly not hold up in court, if there was any attempt to apply it. And she stressed it was “not an easy feat” to get the tunnel plan through the Legislature in the first place. Briefing participants also stressed that they believe this is the only plan that will “keep traffic flowing” while it’s built. We asked about some West Seattleites’ concerns that accessibility will be hampered by the fact there are no downtown exits in the tunnel:
(note that’s a 2008 parade photo – this year’s drive is THIS SUNDAY, JULY 19)
You’ll see them again in Saturday’s West Seattle Grand Parade – and then the very next day, this Sunday, you are going to want to show up at the bus at the West Seattle Farmers’ Market with an armload of diaper packages, to help “Stuff the Bus” on behalf of the hundreds of local families who get help from WestSide Baby every week. WSB is proud to be among the co-sponsors of this year’s diaper drive, and we just got the official news release – read on for the full details of this Sunday’s event, plus a note about a way you can participate right now (with a freebie attached!):Read More
Starting today, every Tuesday from 4:30 pm-7 pm through October 6th, the Seattle Market Gardens Program will present a weekly farm stand at the Juneau Market Garden in High Point, 32nd SW and SW Juneau, selling fresh produce and flowers, grown locally! Here’s a map.
Eric just e-mailed to share this report — and an alert:
Yesterday, Monday 7/14, our house was broken into, sometime during the day. They kicked in a back door and took only small valuable things. When we spoke with a police officer last night, he said there has been a string of similar incidents in our area, within a six-block radius. We live on 35th and Brandon [map]. Maybe by putting the word out we can save our neighbors from experiencing this.
Just in from Betsy Hoffmeister, as North Delridge residents – with hundreds of volunteers helping – get ready to build their new playground at Delridge Community Center later this week – they’ve got most of what they need lined up for the build-a-thon but now need what she calls “a minor miracle”:
Life has gotten a little extra complicated for the Delridge Community Center playground. We have an amazing, thrilling number of volunteers lined up for Friday’s event, food is in place, and we’re good to go, except for one exciting detail. When the hole was excavated, more and more concrete was found. The hole is now much, much deeper than anticipated. We are getting 30 cubic yards of gravel delivered Wednesday afternoon, and we need to move it into the hole and spread it evenly. We do not currently have heavy equipment or a heavy equipment operator lined up to do this task for us. We know that if we had a skid steer, it could be done in a few hours. If humans need to do this, it is a monumental task. So, we are looking for a skid steer and skilled operator, or a contingent of Marines. Or neighbors with shovels and rakes. Please, neighbors, when we have asked for food, you’ve provided food. When we’ve asked for cash, you’ve given cash. When we’ve asked for time, you’ve given time. A mere skid steer and operator seems like a minor miracle to us – but you may have the answer sitting in your back yard. Please, friends, contact helpdelridgeplay@gmail.com or call Betsy at 206 353 9334. Thank you!!
American Legion Post 160 has finished the lineup for the West Seattle Grand Parade this Saturday – and “Patches Pals” will be pleased to hear that the legendary JP Patches is back! He’s been fighting cancer and wasn’t in the parade last year (our photo above is from 2007), but the lineup says he’ll be riding with Bill and Cynthia Reid again this Saturday just like old times. Speaking of clowns, the Seattle Seafair Clowns announced they’ll have a special guest:
That’s West Seattle’s own Jim Dever from Evening Magazine, clowning around, upside down, in a behind-the-scenes video he posted to his Twitter feed (@jimdever) – Calling Jim “a clown in his own right,” the Seafair Clowns’ news release also notes, “Although not substantiated, Dever claims to be an accomplished concert cellist, foot model and president of the National Association of Male Contortionists.” The Seafair Clowns themselves also have a brand-new vehicle – thanks to West Seattle-residing “Officer Lumpy” for sharing the news (and this link to a look at the vehicle). As for OTHER officers in the West Seattle Grand Parade — with almost 80 entries in all this year, as always, they start with not one but TWO motorcycle drill teams – the Vancouver, B.C. Police right after Seattle’s finest:
As we reported here a month ago, the parade’s Grand Marshal is designer/artist Blayne, known both for his “Project Runway” season and for his work at Hotwire Coffee (WSB sponsor). The parade starts at California/Lander (by Lafayette Elementary) at 11 am Saturday and continues south on California to the end of the main Junction business district, so stake out your spot anywhere along the way. And all kids are invited to be in the Rotary Club of West Seattle-presented Kiddies’ Parade, which starts at 10:30 from California/Genesee (shorter route and plenty of time to get back to your spot to see the “other” parade!).
Will it be a night for romping – like last year, when the music even had the littlest concertgoers on the move? The forecast promises clearing skies by showtime for tonight’s free West Seattle Hi-Yu Concert in the Park, 7 pm on the east lawn outside Hiawatha Community Center – b/y/o chair(s), blanket(s), picnic, friends/family … As always, the West Seattle Big Band is front and center. This year, a special feature: During the performance, the first West Seattle Volunteer Recognition recipients will be announced and honored — from dozens of nominations received, six were chosen (the committee says there were so many GREAT nominations, it was a tough job!). WSVR is a new program presented by the Southwest and Delridge District Councils and WSB, and another round’s coming up later this year. See you tonight at Hiawatha (which is also where the Hi-Yu Junior Court Coronation happens this Friday – and TODAY is the deadline to enter – details and application here).
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
West Seattle Blog has learned that Seattle Public Utilities has ordered waterproofing work 
dug up and redone at two newly covered city reservoirs — Myrtle Reservoir here in West Seattle (photo) and Beacon Hill Reservoir — because of hundreds of leaks discovered in the “membranes” applied to both projects.
To get to the membranes, the grass, dirt and “drain rock” over the reservoirs must all be removed, which is happening right now. SPU says it has not finished calculating the costs of the additional work but will front the money to the contractor until it is decided – potentially in court – who is to blame for the leaks, which SPU emphasizes do not pose any health risk.
In the case of Myrtle Reservoir, the transfer of part of the site to the Seattle Parks Department, for construction of a park on the newly created open space has been delayed a year already — we reported delays here and here — in June of last year, in fact, the site was seeded, the same month we were told “final acceptance testing” was planned.
Now, though, SPU says that because the waterproofing is being redone, the transfer to Parks may not happen before the end of November.
The waterproofing problems recently came to our attention because of questions from neighbors who live near Myrtle Reservoir. Several e-mailed WSB in the past week to ask why the Myrtle site was being “dug up again.” Today, SPU spokesperson Andy Ryan confirmed the problem to WSB and provided more information on what happened, how it was discovered, what’s being done and what happens next. (We also have spoken with another SPU manager and with the state Health Department.)
That’s the trailer for “The Princess Bride,” which kicks off the West Seattle Summer Outdoor Movies on the Wall series (co-sponsored by WSB) this Saturday night in the courtyard between Hotwire Coffee (WSB sponsor) and Dr. Wolff. Bring your own chair/blanket and a few dollars for concessions and the raffle, all benefiting nonprofits, but otherwise, this movie and the five that follow are FREE! This 1st showing is sponsored by Dr. Wolff, Dr. Horowitz, Lady Di Pet Chaperone (WSB sponsor), Hands to Paws Animal Massage and Dream Dinners (WSB sponsor), which is serving Barbecue Pork Sliders before the movie and providing a $100 gift certificate for the raffle. Also: BACHELORS STILL NEEDED! Each movie this summer has a pre-show activity and this Saturday it’s a Dating Game – two more bachelors needed to play along with bachelorette Kerry (originally explained here). Movie starts at dusk – you’re welcome to come early and stake out your spot, enjoy concessions and meeting your neighbors. Full movie-series lineup here!
(Seattle Municipal Archives photo of The Bridge while it was being built)
As previewed here last week, the City Council voted today on a resolution to give the West Seattle Bridge a “secondary name” in honor of the late City Councilmember Jeanette Williams, who fought to get key funding for its construction. Thanks to Brian Hawksford in the office of City Councilmember Tom Rasmussen – who worked for and with Ms. Williams for many years and sponsored today’s resolution – for confirming it passed unanimously, 9-0. Williams’ son Rusty Williams, who is running for City Council this year, thanked the council for honoring his mom. Also today, a proclamation was read in honor of tomorrow’s 25th anniversary of the opening of the high bridge, six years after a freighter smashed into and shut down the drawbridge that preceded it. Read on for the full text:Read More
State Rep. Ross Hunter is the second candidate in a week to include changes to King County Water Taxi plans as part of a proposal for what he would do if elected King County Executive. Last week, State Sen. Fred Jarrett said he would scuttle plans to expand Water Taxi operations; today, according to West Seattleite Mike Seely writing in the Daily Weekly, Hunter says he would drop the West Seattle-downtown run altogether. Here’s the story. (Hunter and Jarrett are running for the open seat against Water Taxi champion and King County Council Chair Dow Constantine, County Councilmember Larry Phillips, former TV anchor Susan Hutchison and three others; the August 18th primary election will narrow the field to two – could be any two, since it’s now a nonpartisan office. Follow the links here to find out more about all the candidates.)
Out of the WSB inbox, Jennifer reports a theft at the Gatewood Elementary playground around 11:30 this morning – read on for her report:Read More
Quoting one driver’s frustrated note a short time ago on Twitter, “Seven minutes to get through Fauntleroy and California!” (map) That’s because as previewed last week, the Fauntleroy Way road-rebuilding work has revved up again today. At the aforementioned intersection, this means traffic’s down to 1 lane each way, and it also means you can’t use the north entrance to West Seattle Thriftway during work hours:
(The store’s west and east entrances are open as usual.) As per the city bulletin from last week, grinding work is also happening on the eastbound lanes further north along the road-rebuilding stretch, which runs all the way to SW Edmunds. The official city project-info/overview/updates page is here; the project is expected to continue into October, but the Fauntleroy/California work that started up again today is supposed to be done by the end of the week, “weather permitting,” per SDOT.
We’ve been reporting on the process of transferring the “Soundway” property in the West Duwamish Greenbelt to the city Parks Department, long after the site (32 acres that are mostly south of South Seattle Community College) was platted into streets that were never built. Almost a month after the Seattle Design Commission gave its blessing to the plan (which they have to do with all “street vacation” proposals), today’s Land Use Information Bulletin confirms that a public hearing is now set before the City Council Transportation Committee: 9:30 am August 4th. The council must give final approval before the status of this land can be changed from “public right-of-way” for potential roads. Once that happens, it will be leased (explained in our June report) to the West Seattle-based Nature Consortium, which works on forest restoration in the West Duwamish Greenbelt. (If you can’t be at the hearing, the public notice explains how to comment by e-mail or postal mail.) P.S. For a closeup look at part of this site, take the Nature Consortium’s free guided hike this Friday, 1 pm (RSVP to lisa@naturec.org or 206.923.0853).
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