West Seattle, Washington
29 Wednesday
More than 100 people jammed the Chief Sealth HS Library (at Boren) last night for the International Baccalaureate program’s Information Night. IB is a rigorous academic program for juniors and seniors, with some components even good for college credit. This is the second year for IB at Sealth; we spent a moment last night talking with the program coordinator, Laura Robb – our clip, and more info, just ahead:Read More
A few weeks after Vera from Village Green Perennial Nursery told us someone had stolen one of her streetfront signboards (from 26th/Roxbury) by sawing it away from its tether, she e-mailed to say it’s happened again: “Another Village Green sign has been stolen! This time they cut off 2 legs.” And apparently hers wasn’t the only business whose sign was taken — Vera says someone from e-green landscaping (WSB sponsor) “found (the sign) at Home Depot on Delridge – the store employee said they found several business signs dumped in their dumpster! This is apparently a fun hobby for someone!”
(October 2007 Lafayette Walk-A-Thon photo courtesy of Luckie)
THIS MORNING: Lafayette Elementary School‘s annual Walk-A-Thon – you can cheer the kids on between 9 am and 3 pm as they circle the recreation areas on the west side of the school (map). This year they’re hoping to raise $38,000 for enrichment programs the district doesn’t fund; the $55K raised in last year’s Walk-A-Thon paid for a tutor program, Accelerated Reader tests, school computers, and a science enrichment program, as well as adding to a fund for playground updates.
TONIGHT: That’s our video (it’s better than the automated thumbnail implies) from the end of the thrilling West Seattle High School victory over O’Dea last month. Tonight, the undefeated Wildcats play their homecoming game, facing Rainier Beach at Southwest Athletic Complex (7 pm) – and before the game, you’re invited to a pep rally and barbecue (hot dogs and hamburgers!) at the WSHS Commons, 4:30-5:30. For anyone who can’t be at the game, but will be online somewhere, we’re planning updates via Twitter (if you have or get a Twitter account, follow us at westseattleblog; or you can see our Twitter updates on the web at twitter.com/westseattleblog).
Another note from last night’s Morgan Community Association meeting (in addition to our Fauntleroy Way paving report; still to come, new information about the Morgan Junction park): Martha Tuttle from King County was there with updates on the Murray Avenue Pump Station project, which will dig up a major chunk of Lowman Beach Park when construction begins – read on to see what she announced:Read More
This is the only West Seattle murder case from 2007 to go to trial – and that trial started this week with jury selection. WSB is covering the trial of the Alki 18-year-old charged with second-degree murder for the 10/13/2007 deadly shooting in a car at 59th/Admiral; we have not published his name since it emerged last fall that his defense focuses on a contention he was a longtime victim of sexual abuse. Here’s the update from our reporter on what happened at the courthouse today:Read More
Thanks to two people who e-mailed us in the past several hours that they’d heard Jefferson Square Starbucks has an official closing date (we had first word in July that it was on the Starbucks shutdown list) – we have just received confirmation from a PR firm working with SBUX (though they won’t get any more specific than “end of October”; if it’s really 11/7, that would be a few days short of what would have been the store’s 1-year anniversary, since it opened 11/9/07). Read on for the full statement we received (it’s mostly boilerplate but we always like to share the whole thing so you can read it for yourself if you so choose):Read More
A few quick reminders before the day’s too far gone, from the WSB Events calendar: Interested in the International Baccalaureate (IB) academic program at Chief Sealth High School? Special info night, 7 pm, cafeteria (at temporary Boren location). Also at 7 pm – West Seattle knitters welcome at the Pins and Needlers meetup at Uptown in The Junction; here are some of the friendly faces from last week:
A bit earlier – 6 pm – 2nd of 3 workshops where you’re welcome to help design a new fitness room for Southwest Community Center (read more here). And at 9:30 pm – Alki Idol @ Bamboo (more here).
Those photos show the lineup of law-enforcement vehicles — and law enforcers — on 42nd SW between Holy Rosary‘s church and school this morning, after a motorcade that kicked off a “Red Ribbon Week” drug-awareness rally; (added at 1:47 pm) here’s video of the motorcade’s arrival, as students stood on the curb to welcome the visitors:
The rally had a bigtime guest list, including Seattle Police Chief Gil Kerlikowske (media weren’t allowed to photograph students’ faces closeup, a fairly common rule for coverage of schools’ events, so that’s why you’re seeing the tops of heads here):
Holy Rosary was chosen as the only school in Seattle to host this major event this year (there was one in Tacoma too) — and at the assembly that followed the show of force in the street (plus a helicopter landing on the playground), students heard from the widow of murdered DEA agent Enrique Camarena, the inspiration for “Red Ribbon Week.” This wasn’t your average “drugs are bad, don’t do them, see ya” rally – Mika Camarena spoke quietly and powerfully to ask the children to respect themselves and their health, as well as those in uniform. In the middle of the gym where she and others spoke was a bust of her late husband, which she acknowledged as she walked up:
Just before the indoor portion of the assembly began, this DEA chopper landed on the playground out back (who needs a helipad?):
The chopper and various law enforcers (including Duke the Seattle Police drug dog, shown below with his human partner) were on display as show-and-tell for Holy Rosary students after the assembly.
Today’s assembly was emceed by local TV reporter Jim Dever, who lives in West Seattle. As part of Red Ribbon Week, by the way, Holy Rosary students have made artwork that’s on display at Jefferson Square Safeway; you can see samples on the school’s home page (scroll down).
(click to see full-size potential route map on Metro website)
Thanks to Michael Taylor-Judd for first calling our attention to this: He wrote, “… did you know Metro may propose a new Route 50 which would provide a new, direct connection between Seward Park and the Columbia City Link station, Beacon Hill, SoDo, Harbor Island, and Alaska Junction? In particular, it would run along Spokane St. to Delridge and then make a right turn up Genesee to Avalon and the Junction, providing a new link for folks in Youngstown and Pigeon Point to get up the hill to the Junction!” And indeed, the map you see above (which links here) is somewhat buried in the Metro website, where it’s categorized as a “Southeast Seattle” proposed service change. Nonetheless, wherever you live, you have a chance RIGHT NOW to comment on whether you’d be interested in this — and this page has all the details on how to do that, starting with a community meeting tonight in Columbia City, but also including e-mail, phone, and postal-mail options, or this online questionnaire.
According to this P-I story, roofing work that’s under way at a house near Schmitz Park represents the final chapter in a decade-long fight over neighborhood views. (More background in this story from three years ago.) For those who like to read court documents, here’s one of the appeals court rulings; interestingly, we also found the case cited in the court fight over the Lora Lake Apartments in Burien. 11:18 AM NOTE: This one’s turning up on TV – two channel 7 trucks in the driveway.
From tonight’s Delridge District Council meeting: Several notes of interest, including the first official presentation on the West Seattle Stadium private-operation proposal search, with some answers to questions that have come up since our first reports (here and here) – read on for tonight’s full report:Read More
(April 2008 WSB photo of “Fauntle-rut Way” pothole repairs)
We’re at the Morgan Community Association‘s quarterly meeting at The Kenney, and Liz Ellis from SDOT revealed HUGE news that’s buried in the mayor’s 2009 budget proposal: Money is proposed for repaving Fauntleroy Way next year between Alaska and California — the stretch we once dubbed (and we probably weren’t the first) “Fauntle-rut Way.” It’s the only West Seattle project proposed for the Arterial Asphalt and Concrete Program. You can find it on page 11 of this PDF.
A week ago tonight, we brought you word of a milestone in the Fauntleroy Community Service Agency‘s negotiations to purchase the Fauntleroy Schoolhouse, agreement on a “term sheet.” Last night, two FCSA reps joined the Fauntleroy Community Association‘s monthly meeting, at the schoolhouse, for an informal presentation about the latest developments, and Q/A. Read on for the newest information, including school board action expected tonight, plus a statement on the latest developments from the Fauntleroy Children’s Center director Kim Sheridan, which we received just before last night’s FCA meeting:Read More
We’ve mentioned various Democratic events – we hear often from the 34th District Democrats (who also are sponsoring WSB this month to get the word out about their “sample ballot” endorsements list) – 
and always tack on the note that we’d be happy to report local Republican events too if and when somebody sends word. “Somebody” finally did – Matthew Lundh, a West Seattleite who is also communications director for the statewide Republican Party organization. He reports these two 34th District Republican events coming up: “On Saturday, we will be doorbelling in West Seattle. We will be meeting at the Westwood Village Starbucks at 9:30 am and doorbelling until 1:00 pm. Every Tuesday, until the election, we will be phonebanking from the Prudential Realty office at 127 SW 156th St in Burien from 6:30-8:30 pm.” (Saturday, as reported here yesterday, Democrats plan to doorbell in the area too, with high-level help.) For more election-related info, including pro/con/neutral info on the local and state ballot measures, check the WSB Election page any time.
In our first-in-a-while West Seattle-wide gas-price check published Monday morning, we noted that the Delridge Exxon was, at least temporarily, out of the gas business – its pumps removed, a construction fence around the service islands. A just-issued city permit explains what’s going on: like the Exxon at Andover/California did a few months back, this one is switching to 76.
Thistle’s closed in both directions between 39th and 40th due to a two-car accident. Traffic is being routed down the side streets while police are still investigating. One of the cars is still in the street along with some debris.
UPDATE 1 PM: Thistle is open again. One car was able to leave the scene under its own power. The other car has been towed.
Out of the WSB inbox, from Deb:
Our house (near the intersection of 38th Ave SW & SW Dakota St; map) has no off-street parking, so we park on the street. Sometime last night my car was egged, and I’m curious about whether anyone else’s cars were egged last night. I took a quick look at my neighbors’ cars and didn’t see any obvious evidence of egging, but I didn’t look too closely because I was running late after trying (unsuccessfully!) to clean the dried, cold egg off of my car. I hope no one else’s cars or houses were egged, but I’d be curious to hear about it if they were. I’m not sure if I should report this to the police. On one hand, I don’t want to waste their time and resources on something that’s relatively minor (albeit annoying and frustrating). On the other hand, I haven’t been able to get all of the egg off of my car, so I don’t know yet whether there’s any actual property damage. Now I’m off to search the interwebs for information about how to get dried egg off of my car without causing (more?) damage to the paint.
Yes, report it to the police. Coincidentally, the P-I’s 911 blog just took up this topic.
A follow-up to last week’s pedestrian-safety rally at 35th/Juneau in High Point (WSB coverage here and here): One of the organizers, Denise Sharify from Neighborhood House, got word from SDOT about results of extra police patrols on 35th that day (photo above) and the following two days: 30 tickets were issued during the 10/7 rally, and 61 more – 45 of them for speeding – on 10/8 and 10/9, by four officers working 35th between Willow and Juneau, with the top ticketed speed listed as 55 in a 35 zone. As the precinct has reminded us before, this is a regular spot for patrols, too.
This month’s biggest week of community-group meetings continues tonight: The Morgan Community Association‘s quarterly meeting is at The Kenney at 7 pm; same time, different place (Southwest Precinct meeting room) for the Delridge District Council. A variety of items on both agendas, notably including local parks/rec projects — MoCA will get updates on the parks-in-progress at Myrtle Reservoir and next to Beveridge Place; the Delridge District Council includes a briefing on the West Seattle Stadium private-operation proposal (here’s our most recent report).
Two more car-burglary reports came in tonight, this time from car owners who want you to know what happened to them in the Beach Drive and Admiral areas:Read More
Heartening to see new faces at both neighborhood-group meetings covered tonight by Team WSB, after our exhortation-let as the week 
began … Our first report: The Admiral Neighborhood Association‘s monthly meeting, at Admiral Congregational Church. Turnout was about double the average crowd – up to about 20 in the room at one point – most there to hear the latest on a proposal for improvements at California Place, the mini-park adjacent to the church – and new developments were revealed, as well as other agenda items, all ahead:Read More
Got a call tonight from Southwest Precinct Community Police Team Officer Kevin McDaniel suggesting an alert about a scam that is particularly cruel in its choice of targets: Owners of missing pets. Some of those who have posted e-mail addresses online have received notes from people claiming they have the missing pet and are demanding ransom. Some are particularly obvious, not just because of the text – they sound like a spam e-mail – but also because if you put an excerpt of the text into Google or another favorite search engine, you’ll turn up other warnings that it’s a scam. If you do think you have gotten a note or call that might be a legitimate claim of pet-napping and/or ransom, of course, McDaniel stresses, call police (the non-emergency number is 206/625-5011).
We’re still putting the finishing touches on our Holidays page (Halloween through New Year’s; but all the events we know about are already on the WSB Events page, if you can’t wait for a sneak peek) – and we have word that the West Seattle Eagles still have room for vendors at their holiday bazaar THIS Saturday – and at a turkey dinner afterward!
The West Seattle Eagles are having a holiday bazaar Saturday, October 18th, from 10 AM-5 PM. The Eagles are located at 4426 California Ave SW.
We are currently looking for vendors. Cost for a table is $15. We would like to keep the bazaar for arts, crafts, gift items, and baked goods for the holiday season. There will be no “White Elephant” or “Garage Sale” tables allowed. If interested in a table rental, or for general questions about the event, please contact Mary Lou Wilkerson at (206) 938-4426.
The Children’s Orthopedic Guild will be preparing a wonderful turkey dinner with all the trimmings to follow the bazaar at 5:30 PM. Both the bazaar and dinner are open to the public.
You can find the Eagles online at westseattleeagles.org.
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