West Seattle, Washington
10 Friday
That photo is courtesy of Martha Tuttle with the King County Wastewater Treatment Division, who just sent this update on the short-term 53rd Ave. Pump Station “bypass” that the county acknowledges made last night an extra-noisy one for Alki-area folks – she says its duration will be closer to 24 hours than the possible 36:
King County expects that the work will be completed this evening . The pipe installation is completed. This afternoon the County will use TV/video cameras to inspect the force main before restarting the pump station. We understand that this part of the construction was extremely noisy and disruptive and we appreciate how patient the nearby residents have been.
Till that’s done, all those orange trucks have been taking wastewater out of the system at 53rd and trucking it over to the pump station in the 3500 block of Harbor – more than a dozen 3,500-gallon trucks – and the pedestrian walkway on the water side of the work zone is closed, with flaggers helping people cross at both ends of it. The entire project at 53rd, which started in February, isn’t scheduled to be done till fall of next year.
7 pm, Alki Community Center. Agenda is previewed here (where you also can download the latest Alki News Beacon if you haven’t read it yet). Many more events for today, tonight, the jampacked weekend that’s around the corner, and way beyond – all on our Events calendar page (including even more Saturday additions).
Almost lost amid all the other news, till the county just called with an update: Tonight’s the night that they’ve started to use pump trucks to move sewage flow from the 53rd Ave construction site (first warning posted here last week), so that it can briefly bypass the regular pipes. County spokesperson Martha Tuttle says, “It’s a bit more chaotic than we expected.” 15 trucks are operating right now – probably fewer later as the flow slows. Here’s the route the trucks are taking.
Trucks traveling to the West Seattle Pump Station will follow Alki Avenue Southwest to Harbor Avenue Southwest. Trucks traveling to the Alki Stormwater Treatment Plant will follow this route: Alki Avenue Southwest to 63rd Avenue Southwest to Beach Drive Southwest to 64th Avenue Southwest to Southwest Wilton Court.
The trucks involved are similar to the rigs involved in this afternoon’s Avalon rescue – “Vactors.” We just talked to another worker at the scene – she says traffic is down to one lane for the duration of this (24 to 36 hours, so possibly all the way till Friday morning); the pedestrian walkway on the water side is closed for a few blocks, so flaggers are helping people get to the other side of the street to use the sidewalk there. The county also stresses that if you have a major problem, please call their 24-hour construction hotline – it’s linked to a pager so you need to leave name/number – 206-205-5656.
WSB contributing photojournalist Christopher Boffoli shot those photos (and all others in this report unless otherwise credited) as the rescued worker was taken to an aid car to be rushed to the hospital. Meantime, we’re starting a new post here to put together all the information we have, now that the construction worker’s been rescued (see previous post for our two-plus hours of frequent as-it-happened updates). Here’s Technical Rescue Lt. Powell explaining afterward what the operation was like:
The Fire Department says the bucket of an excavator that was being used at the scene is believed to have had something to do with the collapse that trapped the worker for more than two hours. You can see that excavator on the right side of this photo (which we’ve also added to our original series of updates below):
As the owners of nearby future restaurant Cafe Revo told WSB during our updates, the crew was doing drainage work on behalf of the landlord at that site, not related to their work turning the ex-Murphy’s into a restaurant. According to an SFD spokesperson, the rescued man is “alert” but since he is just now being evaluated at the hospital, there’s no further word yet on his condition or whether he suffered any internal injuries. Here’s a shot of the roadblock during the incident – sounds from the scanner like it’s now cleared (let us know if you’re seeing otherwise):
ADDED 7:25 PM: The entire rescue unfolded before the eyes of the folks who live in the residential unit at the back of the Revo building — Sarah sent us photos including these next three, starting with this bird’s-eye view of some of the fire equipment and its personnel:
As for the actual rescue scene itself, she had to shoot through a window screen, but if you missed the earlier live aerials many of us watched online and/or on-air, you can get an idea of the incredibly intense activity that surrounded the collapse site until the worker was pulled out:
A different kind of activity hub was across Avalon, where reporters and photographers were asked to stay, for safety’s sake (theirs and the crews involved in the rescue):
ADDED 7:55 PM: More photos taken by Christopher – first one, the scene before the Vactor trucks arrived to help clear the debris that were trapping the worker:
Workers began to assemble sections of pipe after a city truck brought it in:
Nearby salon Ola had to be evacuated after a while just in case the scene became more dangerous:
More rescue teams converged around the scene:
Firefighters from Ladder 11 rigged lines and pulleys to provide leverage so they could get the victim out:
P.S. The Fire Department just updated its media-info line with a few more details. They’re not releasing the worker’s name but say he is reported to be in stable condition. He became trapped in the 8-foot-deep trench when 1 side of it “collapsed in on him.” Technical-rescue experts worked with Seattle Public Utilities crews to get the man out – SPU’s two large Vactor trucks pumped dirt out of the hole; meantime, there were “about five” Technical Rescue team members in the hole with the worker as the operation continued, while medics monitored his condition, made sure he had pain medication, kept him hydrated. Christopher’s photos at the top of this post are vastly better, but we did also shoot video as the rescued man was being taken to the aid car:
11:21 PM UPDATE: KOMO identifies the man as Kelley Vielle and quotes family members as saying he’s on oxygen but able to talk and “moving his toes.”
Adding to the traffic closures related to the construction-worker rescue on Avalon (see post below, with continuous updates) – there’s an accident of some type on The Bridge, westbound at 1st Avenue So. Traffic “moving slowly.” 5:07 PM UPDATE: They are getting ready to reopen the 1st Ave. S. onramp to the westbound bridge.
(no more updates here – post-rescue updates and wrapup can be found here)
(photo by WSB contributing photojournalist Christopher Boffoli)
Two of us were driving through the Luna Park business district on the way to the Water Taxi when the first emergency vehicles rolled up – the callout was “trench rescue” – we saw what looked like the site of some digging toward the southwest side of the ex-Murphy’s/Cafe Revo building, with rescuers heading for it; some texts we received suggest it’s a sinkhole; another team member is just arriving now – stay away from that part of Avalon, which is now blocked off by emergency vehicles (between Yancy and The Bridge).
4:10 PM UPDATE: Scanner says the exit on The Bridge leading to Harbor is going to be closed off to minimize traffic to this scene. WSB team at the scene reports it’s a construction trench that collapsed. No word on the condition of the person(s) who needs to be rescued. SFD “heavy rescue” equipment just arrived.
4:16 PM UPDATE: In comments, Sarah says a friend who works at Ola salon next to the scene was told the construction work was related to the restaurant project and the salon is effectively closed right now because no one can get into or out of the scene.
4:21 PM UPDATE: Public information officer at the scene says the construction worker is stuck about 4 to 6 feet down, by loose soil and crumbled concrete — they’re bringing in more equipment to help clear the hole, including Vactor trucks. The worker is reported to be conscious and not currently in pain.
4:29 PM UPDATE: As Nancy posted in comments, KING 5 has a live aerial feed up at this link. We can’t compete with that one – no Chopper WSB – but there’s no narration on their feed so keep checking here periodically – we have two people at the scene feeding us info we’re posting as we get it, and we’re monitoring scanner traffic (“ongoing process” is how one rescuer just described it when someone else on the emergency frequency asked for an update).
4:33 PM UPDATE: New update from the scanner — “victim appears to be doing well, he is drinking Gatorade and participating in the rescue.”
4:43 PM UPDATE: Update at the scene from fire department PIO, the victim is trapped from the waist down but still conscious and alert, the Vactor trucks will be working to help clear some of the concrete, asphalt, and dirt that collapsed and trapped him. From the comments, two people report that Ola is going to be evacuated because more digging will be necessary “under the building” to help make this rescue happen. Also note that Nancy has posted bus reroute info in comments – we will seek to verify with Metro.
4:48 PM UPDATE: KING chopper feed went to color bars, will watch to see if anything else comes up. Meantime here’s a map showing known road closures because of this rescue effort:
Sounds on the scanner like rescuers have made progress at least partially freeing one of the worker’s legs.
4:55 PM UPDATE: Yet another “heavy rescue” vehicle just arrived. And our crew on the scene says “a stretcher’s gone up” (to the rescue scene). KING just reported the man who’s being rescued is in his 30s. Their live aerial feed is back up online – intermittently.
5:06 PM UPDATE: At the scene, they’ve just rolled a medic unit closer into position – hoping that might be a sign they’re getting closer to pulling the man out.
5:14 PM UPDATE: Scanner says rescuers who are in the hole with the victim are rotating in and out to keep fresh. Our team at the scene says lumber is being cut now to take in to shore up the hole so that it doesn’t collapse further.
5:28 PM UPDATE: At least one nearby business has closed for the day (Avalon Glass Works) since nobody can get into or out of the area. Rescue work continues.
5:35 PM UPDATE: Watching the live KING chopper feed – the rescuers appear to be rigging a hoist of some kind. Scanner traffic says a crew has to go get some kind of special equipment and/or piping from another location (the “Charles Street shop”) – and they’re going to get a police escort to go get it posthaste.
5:40 PM UPDATE: Thanks so much to JH for sending this photo – looking toward the rescue scene south of Revo, in front of Ola, from Avalon:
5:43 PM UPDATE: WSB just talked with Cafe Revo co-owner Sean Goff at the scene – and what he told us is pretty much the same thing his wife and Revo co-owner Sofia Zadra Goff just left in comments – pulling it up here to the main story too – note this is NOT part of the Revo conversion work, as she explains:
My husband and I own Cafe Revo. I just wanted to let everyone know that the construction going on has nothing to do with our business or renovation. We have not begun any construction yet. The workers there have been hired by the owner of the building (including Ola and the apartments, as well as our space). She is having work done to fix some bad drainage from the parking lot that has been leaking for some time into our space (while Murphys was there) and had caused the South Wall of the building to rot out. All of the men down there that have been working have been very nice and respectful of our space. We really hope that the man is not hurt and will be okay. Thank you! Sofia
5:52 PM UPDATE: Some of the key equipment is moving closer into position.
HE’S OUT! 5:53 pm. And has been transferred into medic unit. We took a pic of the TV screen which we should be able to upload till our pix can get back. No word on condition yet, we’ll let you know as soon as media crews at the scene get that word.
5:59 PM UPDATE: TV screen update. Rescued man on way to hospital. Emergency rigs will be starting to pull out from the scene. Just heard aid crew tell hospital via radio they’ll be there (Harborview, we would expect) in about five minutes.
6:03 PM UPDATE: KOMO zoomed-in aerial photo showed the man trying to sit up, as they secured him on the gurney. We’re awaiting an official update at the scene and also possibly a chance to talk with a firefighter about exactly what they had to do to get him out. He was trapped for more than 2 hours – this all began around 3:40 pm.
6:26 PM UPDATE: We’ll have more pix to add in a separate post shortly. Also still staked out at the scene awaiting a potential update.
City Councilmember Nick Licata has a special interest in pedestrian safety – among other things, he’s created a special website about it (here’s a page focused on the 59th/Stevens concerns), and now he’s inviting you to a downtown forum. His staff tells WSB the official participants will include West Seattle representation from the Southwest District Council, but many more voices should be there to speak up on behalf of our peninsula’s needs. He’s co-sponsoring the forum at City Hall downtown, 6 pm next Tuesday, with Safe Walks; here’s a topline:
Safe Walks is seeking an equitable solution to the problem of providing safe pedestrian passageway throughout the city, especially in neighborhoods in the north and south ends. The forum will help identify sidewalk needs citywide and begin the work of identifying funding sources for those needs. Representatives from the Seattle Department of Transportation, Feet First, and neighborhoods around Seattle will be attending the event.
“South ends” in cityspeak includes West Seattle. Be there if you can. ADDED THURSDAY MORNING: Just heard from Safe Walks – if you’re interested in staying in closer touch with what they’re up to, follow this link to their Google Group.
(photo by WSB contributing photojournalist Christopher Boffoli)
Time is running out if you want to have a say on the proposal to ban most rush-hour openings of the “low bridge.” We told you May 22nd about its publication in the Federal Register, which kicked off the official 2-month comment period; thanks to Scott J for the reminder that those two months are almost up (next Monday is the last day). The heart of the proposal, as published, is as follows:
The proposed rule would enable the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT), the owner of the Spokane Street Bridge, to keep the draws of that bridge in the closed position in order to help alleviate roadway traffic Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. and from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., with the proviso that openings shall be provided at any time for vessels of 5000 gross tons or more.
So far, the number of comments received hasn’t even hit triple digits, so your comment will carry a lot of weight. The bridge proposal has been championed by West Seattle-residing City Councilmember Tom Rasmussen, who tells WSB today, “I urge everyone who travels this corridor to write in now to let the Coast Guard know that they need reliable commuting routes as the city grows in population and especially when the viaduct replacement construction projects commence. People traveling to and from West Seattle are especially vulnerable as commuting route options are limited.” The easiest way to submit a comment is to do it online; here’s a direct link to the form you need, prelabeled with the official “docket number,” and including a chance to re-read the proposal if you want to. If you’d rather postal-mail or fax your comment(s), here’s how to do that (plus info on what happens next):Read More
The state Ecology Department just sent word it’s investigating a diesel spill on the West Seattle side of the port, @ Terminal 5, involving a tug from Harbor Island-based Olympic. No word yet how big, but here’s the full news release:Read More
That’s what organizers told us when we returned to the Southwest Precinct tonight during the final half-hour of the first-ever Police Appreciation Day organized by the West Seattle Crime Prevention Council — by then, the board you see above was covered with dozens and dozens of handmade thank-you notes and cards (we photographed it in the early going, for our first report). Organizers’ running count tallied up more than 170 people participating in the daylong event — some of course were the appreciation recipients themselves:
Community appreciation is also well-deserved by the organizers – including leaders of the WSCPC, whose president Dot Beard (below left) took a moment to pose for us with Seattle Neighborhood Group staff liaison, Jennifer Duong:
WSCPC vice president Kay Newton worked hard to line up sponsors/donors to make this a festive event with everything from food and beverages to fun kid stuff, enjoyed by young visitors including these (thanks to Kacy for these next two photos):
Those with a few more years in the rear-view mirror made cards and shared sentiments – from serious to whimsical:
This event was in lieu of the Crime Prevention Council’s regular meeting for July – they’ll be back in session August 19th. Two other related events in the meantime: Night Out August 5 (register your block party here, so you can close off your street!) and Picnic at the Precinct August 16.
Seattle Public Utilities‘ reservoir-construction open house tonight at Highland Park Elementary is one of the four events we’re just back from (other reports to come: Police Appreciation Day wrap-up, Hi-Yu Concert in the Park, and the latest info on how the project to replace the south end of The Viaduct will start changing your life next year). The work to put West Seattle Reservoir (north of Westcrest Park) underground really is imminent — SPU reservoir-program manager Stephanie Murphy told us the “notice to proceed” is expected Thursday; then site-preparation work will begin. The existing 68-million-gallon open reservoir will be demolished over the next few months, and an underground 30-million-gallon reservoir will be built in what SPU calls “the northern portion of the existing basin.” It’ll take about 2 years (completion is scheduled for June 2010), with construction crews planning to work between 6 am and 7 pm, Mondays-Fridays. Once they’re almost done – before the water’s piped in – it’ll look something like the Beacon Hill Reservoir where we shot this video a few weeks ago:
Beacon is 50 million gallons, West Seattle Reservoir is 30 million, but Murphy says “the footprint is almost the same” — it’s just going to be shallower. (It’s still a lot bigger than just-covered Myrtle Reservoir, “only” 5 million gallons.) As with the Myrtle work, undergrounding this reservoir will create new park space; a whole different process will be initiated, involving the city Parks Department, to determine what that will include. P.S. You can read the history of the soon-to-BE-history reservoir on this city webpage.
(photo courtesy WestSeattleGardenTour.com)
That’s one of the nine gardens you’ll be able to tour this Sunday for the price of a $15 ticket to the West Seattle Garden Tour — with some of the proceeds benefiting nonprofits including ArtsWest and the Seattle Chinese Garden (full beneficiary list here). Tickets are on sale right now at several local businesses as well as online (this page has the list and the online-sales link) – and it’s economical to bring the family because kids 12 and under are free. Get a preview of the gardens here; info on guest speaker Cass Turnbull of PlantAmnesty is here.
In the community room at the Southwest Precinct, that’s the big sign you can attach a card or note to (or just sign another one nearby) during Police Appreciation Day today — organized by the West Seattle Crime Prevention Council — continuing till 8 pm tonight. Free food, too:
A long list of West Seattle businesses and other community members donated food and beverages for the occasion, from Bakery Nouveau to Casa Feliz and beyond (we’ll publish the whole list a bit later) – it’s being rotated in and out throughout the day; we just had lunch before visiting an hour or so ago, or else we could have dined quite royally. Activities for the family, too:
That’s Kathleen Voss from Highland Park helping her three-and-a-half-year-old daughter Gretchen with the kids’ art supplies that are set up on a table at the event – here’s one creation Gretchen produced already:
Kathleen says Gretchen described that as “a police car with the woo-woo lights.” It’s a relaxed atmosphere at Police Appreciation Day – you can go into the community room from either door facing the parking lot on the southwest side of the building (Delridge/Webster; here’s a map) — still not sure where you’re going? Here’s the precinct sign at that corner (look for that little handmade sign shown at the right side of the photo, with a balloon attached; there’s one at the parking lot entrance too):
Till 8 pm tonight – drop by. You never know who you’ll meet; the precinct’s Crime Prevention community liaison Benjamin Kinlow (who helps set up Block Watch groups and is currently working on Night Out – coming up 8/5; go here to register your block party!) was mingling when we were there, along with community members and the Crime Prevention Council’s staff liaison from Seattle Neighborhood Group, Jennifer Duong, plus her predecessor in that role, Lois Grammon-Simpson. We’ll be checking back later for another report.
Thanks to Dina Johnson from Highland Park Action Committee for that photo of West Seattle Reservoir at Westcrest Park and a reminder about a meeting tonight that you might not have heard about if you don’t live in the immediate area — Seattle Public Utilities plans a community meeting at Highland Park Elementary (10th/Trenton), 6:30 pm-7:30 pm. We just checked with Stephanie Murphy, SPU’s reservoir-program manager, and she explained it’s an informal meeting to answer questions about “construction impacts” once the project to underground that reservoir (as has just been done at Myrtle Reservoir in West Seattle, as well as Beacon Hill Reservoir, where we joined the media tour and brought back fascinating underground video) gets under way.
The Rotary Club of West Seattle sends word of an updated deadline for ordering raspberries and blueberries as part of its annual berry sale – July 22nd (one week from today). Pickup will be July 25-26 in the south parking lot at Admiral Safeway, and they’re expecting to offer “walk-up” sales those days too. Full details at the Rotary website.
Just out of the WSB inbox, from Deanna:
I live in the townhouses right next to the old Fairmount Elementary School (next to the baseball fields) and my car was vandalized sometime early Saturday morning (between 12 am and 8 am). These little f***ers for fun just ripped off my passenger side mirror and threw it into the street to get smashed. Good times! Also, they bent my neighbor’s antenna on her car so that it will no longer go up and down as her car starts.
Just thought you might want to know. Not that the police did anything other than take the report over the phone. But I hear kids out here all the time behind the abandoned school, and I think it’s time we start calling this stuff in and make them do something.
As we mentioned in e-mail back to Deanna, filing reports – no matter how small the vandalism, or theft, or other “property crime” seems to be – is really important, because tracking trends helps police determine how to deploy patrol resources, and which areas they need to keep a closer eye on. The nonemergency number is 206-625-5011.
WSB contributing photojournalist Matt Durham sent that photo he shot a while back of West Seattle entrepreneur Ken Ahroni and his Lucky Break Wishbones, with word the Times reported over the weekend that Ahroni won his lawsuit against Sears. The story also says the long legal fight has taken something of a toll on Ahroni’s business, but he’s hoping to get back on the growth curve with a new marketing campaign.
As reported here last month, SDOT is proceeding with the Alki Point sidewalk project, which has sparked controversy on the partly-sidewalkless side of the west end of Alki Avenue. Project manager Sandra Woods expects to present the next major update at September’s Alki Community Council meeting, but in the meantime, resident Bill Leaming wrote to ask what’s in the plan for “traffic calming” — Woods replied, “We are moving forward with a design that maintains existing traffic conditions and provides accessible sidewalks for the entire project area using public right of way. We are also including several traffic calming measures in the design including improvements to the intersection of Alki Ave SW and 63rd Ave SW and raised crosswalks at both ends of the project.” Bill also inquired about the possibility of a Residential Parking Zone (RPZ); the city notes those have to be “community-initiated’ (more info here). He plans to bring it up for discussion at this week’s ACC meeting (7 pm Thursday, Alki Community Center).
On your ballot this November, you’ll find the city levy to raise $73 million over the next six years to fix up the Pike Place Market; the City Council approved it unanimously today. Right now, the council’s Committee of the Whole is discussing the proposed Parks and Green Spaces levy (live via Seattle Channel online or cable channel 21) – a final vote is due before the end of the month; this one’s future is iffier because the mayor doesn’t support sending it to voters this year – if you feel strongly one way or another, you’ll want to contact the mayor and council now (through seattle.gov).
For us, one HUGE reason we appreciate the Southwest Precinct and its law-enforcement team is the fact that they have trailblazed a new path to community partnership through their working relationship and info-sharing with WSB (shown above, your editor and young assistant with a few of the officers on Summer Fest detail keeping watch after a weekend full of lost kid/parent reunions and other actions that helped keep the festival VERY safe and pleasant for all). 99% of their time, of course, it’s a vastly more dangerous task, like the bank robbery/shooting two weeks ago and this West Seattle standoff a few months back:
And the most dramatic evidence of what officers face: The case of what happened to Officer Jason McKissack. All these guys and gals are out there (and at the precinct behind-the-scenes) doing an often-thankless job, so tomorrow’s a chance to offer in-person thanks. We’ll be there for the West Seattle Crime Prevention Council-organized Police Appreciation Day tomorrow and hope you will stop by too – any time between 10 am and 8 pm (so come by after work if you don’t have time till then), at the Southwest Precinct, northwest corner of Delridge/Webster, east of Home Depot. And if you have a chance to help with preparations today, there’s a WSB Forum thread right now to rustle up more donations of snacks and drinks for the event; check that out here.
You can even catch this one before the PR viewing party if you’re inclined to attend both: Wednesday night, the Delridge District Council hosts a screening of “Place Matters,” a half-hour-long episode of the PBS series “Unnatural Causes” which compares and contrasts healthy and unhealthy places to live – and the redeveloped High Point is spotlighted as an example of the former. 7 pm Wednesday, Youngstown Arts Center, everyone’s invited (here’s the flyer).
You saw it here weeks ago, but now it’s official – with the premiere two nights away, Bravo has officially announced the cast of “Project Runway” Season 5, including Blayne, the artistic barista from Hotwire Coffee (WSB sponsor). Here’s his official bio on Bravo’s site (with headshot links below it to the other 15 contestants). As we mentioned last week, Hotwire proprietor Lora Lewis has organized a viewing party for the Wednesday night season premiere in the community room at Ginomai (southwest corner of 42nd/Genesee, right around the corner from Hotwire), 8 pm, BYONABD (bring your own non-alcoholic beverage – and dessert).
Five days to the West Seattle Grand Parade, presented by American Legion Post 160. The Vancouver (B.C.) Police motorcycle drill team (shown above) is one of the 70-ish entries you’ll see (as previewed here earlier this month); the parade will begin with the Vancouver squad following their Seattle Police counterparts. The two have different styles, so having two motorcycle drill teams is by no means repetitive or redundant. And remember, if you loved the Seafair Pirates wading ashore at Alki (WSB coverage here and here), you’ll adore ’em on land. If you’re not already IN the parade, here are two open opportunities for participation: the Rotary Club of West Seattle presents the Kiddie Parade right before the Grand Parade – kids can sign in starting at 9:45 am Saturday at California/Genesee (map here; parade flyer here); and if you do/have done volunteer work of any kind, any amount, come have fun joining us in the first-ever Volunteers of West Seattle Grand Parade Marching Unit — no fancy marching steps required — just showing off the “people power” of volunteering — and there’s a reward involved (read about it here). We’ll continue rolling out more parade info as the countdown continues, leading up to Saturday; if you want to check out our coverage from last year — here’s a post with links to all of it.
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