West Seattle, Washington
10 Thursday
Jury deliberations have begun in the trial of the Alki 18-year-old charged with murdering the 33-year-old man he says sexually abused him for years. This is the third week of the trial that WSB is covering, start to finish, as followup to our initial coverage of the 10/13/07 shooting (and updates in the ensuing months); read on for the latest report from our courtroom correspondent:Read More
They wouldn’t give us their names — it was a masquerade, after all — but they were ghoulish greeters for tonight’s West Seattle Helpline fundraising wine-tasting and silent-auction event at The Sanctuary at Admiral. Look at the lineup of wine glasses:
Once we get past Halloween, there’s a big fundraiser for Furry Faces Foundation this Saturday at Beveridge Place Pub in Morgan Junction; we first told you about “Catsino” when F3 announced it at Summer Fest and promoted it in the Grand Parade. Tonight, F3’s Teri Ensley (photo right) and volunteer helpers met at BPP for some preparatory work:
Here’s the scoop on Catsino, 2-6 pm Saturday. The day after, Furry Faces also is involved with the Morgan Junction Pet Adoption Stroll — noon-4 pm Sunday, check out Pet Elements, Stella Ruffington, and The Wash Dog for adoptable pets you might want to take home.
He’s been on our Holidays page – and now sadly we have word that this inflatable “Boogie” (from “Nightmare Before Christmas”) is in the hands of thieves. Brian just e-mailed:
Unfortunately within the last 90 minutes, somebody came in our front yard near 42nd and Andover and stole him. We are checking with our neighbors to see if they saw anything or captured any footage on their security cameras.
Please send a message out to the wonderful people in West Seattle letting them know to be on the lookout for Boogie and alert the blog if they see him. And for those that may be reading this and know
anything about this, returning Boogie back to our front porch would be the right thing to do.
That’s probably the only front yard in West Seattle with not one, but two pirate ships (and our photo doesn’t even show the BIGGER one). It’s the scene of the third annual edition of the 36th/Hanford Halloween hit Skeleton Theatre; the final stages of construction were going fast and furious when we stopped by last night to check in with its creators, and what they’re assembling sounds more Hollywood than ever. The skeletons themselves were still in semi-hiding; more on them in a moment. During our visit, Chris Walker, wife Maia Low and a continually growing cast of friends, neighbors, and family members (meet some of them here) were toiling away to finish transforming the front yard into the stage for the free show that is bound to delight visitors Friday and Saturday nights – video clips just ahead, starting with the skeletons themselves (and the explanation of one skeleton’s mysterious origins):Read More
Co-publisher Patrick is just back from Gov. Gregoire‘s whirlwind tour of The Junction. (With her in that photo, State Sen. Joe McDermott at left, State Rep. Sharon Nelson in back, and Skip Dreps, local veterans’ advocate and 34th District Democrats member.) After her group Q/A event at West 5, we got a quick one-on-one exclusive as she headed across the Walk-All-Ways intersection and asked her whether there’s REALLY going to be an Alaskan Way Viaduct (Central Waterfront) decision by the end of the year. She said, “Yes,” repeatedly, then offered some elaboration when we asked if there’s any direction in which she’s leaning – read on for for that video clip, and more on this afternoon’s West Seattle campaign stop:Read More
Two West Seattle Crime Watch updates for you right now: First, a followup on yesterday’s arrest of the woman accused of using stolen credit cards for 
$2,000 worth of purchases at local businesses. Southwest Precinct Officer Brian Ballew tells WSB that the item involved in the biggest of those purchases — a $700 fountain from West Seattle Nursery (WSB sponsor) — has been returned to the nursery today. The 53-year-old woman was booked into jail last night; as for how she got caught — Officer Ballew says she had pre-purchased some items at a local business, and before she returned for them yesterday, they and police had matched her to the investigation. Meantime, in separate Crime Watch news, we just got word of another break-in with the “method of entry” involving a BB gun – for those details and what police are saying about this apparent burglary wave, read on:Read More
Just posted on the city webpage that provides first notice of upcoming Design Review Board meetings: The proposed Admiral Safeway rebuild goes back before the Southwest DRB for a second round of Early Design Guidance (the first one didn’t go well) at 6:30 pm November 20th, West Seattle (Admiral) Library branch. (P.S. Want to be on the board? They’re recruiting! Scroll down this page to “2009 openings.”)
Just got word from King County Councilmember Dow Constantine‘s office that not only will there be free coffee and donuts on the final morning of the Elliott Bay Water Taxi‘s 2008 season tomorrow (6:30-9:30 am), you also have a chance to ride the Water Taxi with the ever-popular (no matter how the team’s doing) Mariner Moose. On the 11 am Water Taxi run tomorrow, the Moose will become this year’s recordbreaking 182,000th Water Taxi passenger by accompanying Councilmember Constantine on a WT ride from Seacrest to Pier 55, where the trip will be followed by a media event celebrating the WT’s big year and looking ahead. They’d love to have company onboard, so if you’re able to ride the WT at 11 am tomorrow, join the fun.
Meantime, the invitation is also renewed for you to come speak to the King County Council on Monday at its public hearing about the King County Ferry District. 
That’s the agency created last year to oversee the Water Taxi, the Vashon passenger ferry, and an exploration of more water-transit routes around the metro area. Its money comes from a countywide levy that totals about $22 a year for the owner of a home worth $400,000, but that levy has to be renewed each year, and there are some in county government who are interested in scaling that back or even eliminating it – so if the Water Taxi is important to you, this is the time to speak up, because the reauthorization vote is just a few weeks away. Monday’s public hearing is at 1:30 pm in the County Council chambers on the 10th floor of the courthouse (map) downtown (more information on this flyer, which also notes that if you cannot be there in person, you can e-mail your opinion on reauthorizing the KCFD to info@kingcountyferries.org).
Feedback Lounge, you may recall, is what’s in progress at the old Beveridge Place Pub space in Morgan Junction, next to the ex-Corner Inn/future Zeeks Pizza space. Just found this new MySpace blog update from its proprietors, saying they’re still targeting January for opening, and that they’ve hired “99%” of their staff.
Meantime, in the “recently opened” department, The Bohemian has updates to share. When we heard they’d launched live music, we asked them to let us know as soon as there were specific listings on The Bohemian’s website – and word just came in, those listings are up now; see them here, with details on some of the regular musicians and other artists here. Jason and Terri tell us they’re also launching Jazz Sunday Brunch on November 9th, 10 am-3 pm, with “daytime lunches” soon to follow.
COMING UP: New information about Fresh Bistro, the restaurant that’ll be a big part of the ground floor of Mural, the Harbor Properties project across from Jefferson Square.
YOUR HELPING HANDS NEEDED: 10 am Saturday (11/1), you can pitch in to help JuNO make The Junction a cleaner place — the group’s periodic Adopt-A-Street Cleanup time is here. Meet in front of 4527 41st SW (map) to, as JuNO president Erica Karlovits puts it, “pick up supplies, find a partner, and start cleaning up our hood.” Usually some free treats, too. (JuNO’s next meeting is coming up 11/11, 6:30 pm.)
Now to some folks whose handiwork helps fight hunger:
(Left to right, Providence Mount St. Vincent residents Sandy Rose, Chuck Dambrosio, Lynn Cappiello, Dorothy Smith)
That photo is courtesy Cynthia Flash of Flash Media Services, who tells the tale:
Earlier this month, Providence Mount St. Vincent resident Chuck Dambrosio decided he wanted to do something to help others. So he proposed that he and some of the other residents on his floor at the West Seattle long-term care facility make sandwiches for the homeless. The residents voted on it and agreed! Providence Mount St. Vincent’s dietary department provided the supplies and eight residents participated with lots of love and laughter. They were proud of the fact that they could make 32 sandwiches in just one hour. Activities director Eileen McCloskey took the 32 sandwiches to the Union Gospel Mission on 2nd Avenue in downtown Seattle and was greeted by very gracious and appreciative volunteers who seemed moved by the fact that the seniors at the Mount were thinking of them. The seniors had so much fun they plan to make sandwiches for the homeless every month.
Tomorrow’s the last day of the year for the Elliott Bay Water Taxi — but if the forecast holds, today may be the last chance to ride it in dry weather. Friday’s bound to be fun no matter what, with free coffee and donuts promised between 6:30 and 9:30 am in honor of the final morning commute (as reported here last week, along with information on two ways to show your support for the Water Taxi and its new parent agency, the King County Ferry District).
Meg sends word of two break-ins last night:Read More
Just got word tonight from West Seattle’s State Sen. Joe McDermott: Governor Gregoire, with less than a week to go in a tough re-election fight, is visiting West Seattle tomorrow; at left is a photo Sen. McDermott took of the governor with former Vice President Al Gore and U.S. Rep. Norm Dicks during Gore’s recent visit. After a walking tour of The Junction tomorrow afternoon, she plans to meet with business owners and take questions at West 5; that’s expected to start around 2:15 tomorrow afternoon, and you’re welcome to stop by. (Disclosure: The Gregoire campaign is a WSB political advertiser.) 9:17 PM UPDATE: E-mail just in from the 34th District Democrats (also a WSB political advertiser) says U.S. Rep. Jay Inslee will be accompanying the governor during her West Seattle visit tomorrow.
Testimony is over in the trial of the Alki 18-year-old charged with murdering the 33-year-old man he says sexually abused him for years. WSB is covering the trial, start to finish; read on for the latest report from our courtroom correspondent:Read More
Just in from Sgt. Jeff Durden at Southwest Precinct: He says they have just arrested the woman they believe to be behind the fraudulent credit-card use we told you about two days ago; she’s being interviewed at the precinct right now and expected to be booked on felony charges later. Sgt. Durden wasn’t ready to share details of the arrest’s circumstances – but when those can be made public, we’ll bring you an updated report. He adds, “We got all the credit cards back.”
Not much change expected in the number of West Seattle students kindergarten through fifth-grade age over the next few years, according to that slide from a presentation the Seattle School Board is seeing at a work session this afternoon. The work session is about “capacity management”; the biggest problem the district is trying to solve right now is overcrowding in the north end, but then board members are expected to take a vote tonight to direct district management to start looking at closures in other areas, to save money (as reported here last week). District spokesperson Patti Spencer reiterated to WSB today that there is NO list of targeted schools at this point; district Building Excellence program manager Don Gillmore had said at a meeting about the future of the Denny Middle School site, however, that there is talk of building an elementary school at that site — after Denny moves to its future new building on the Chief Sealth campus — while closing three unspecified others (WSB report here). If you want to see the entire presentation about district capacity, as shown to board members today, click here.
Seattle Police have just released that photo of the man they’re looking for in connection with the stabbing at the Stewart Manor apartment complex in High Point on October 17th. (Original WSB coverage here.) Here’s the information they sent along with the photo: “On October 17th, 2008 Daniel P. Ward (DOB 2/6/57) and his 42-year-old girlfriend were in her apartment in the 6300 block of 34th Avenue SW. After a brief verbal argument, Ward attacked his girlfriend. Ward stabbed her several times with a box cutter causing severe injuries to her neck, arm, and face. Ward told her that he would kill her and then kill himself. The victim was able to get away from him and seek help. Ward fled the scene and remains at large. The King County Prosecutor’s Office has since charged Ward with Assault 1st degree – Domestic Violence. Anyone with information regarding Ward’s whereabouts is asked to contact 911.”
(August 2008 photo courtesy Nancy in North Delridge)
Don’t let the current round of unseasonably dry fool you – sooner or later, it’s going to rain. That’s why the city put on a show-and-tell this morning with the mayor and Seattle Public Utilities, to get the word out about keeping storm drains clear, as part of 7 steps you can take now to make sure you survive the next deluge:Read More
The Parks Department has just announced a round of open-house meetings in December to update the city’s Golf Course Master Plan as well as the economic analysis that’s on record for all four municipal golf courses. One of those open houses is set for West Seattle Golf Course, 10:30 am-noon on December 6; see the flyer here.
Words and their meanings came into play more than once during Tuesday’s all-day hearing downtown for the Alki neighbors appealing the city’s approval of eight more cell-phone antennas for the “nonconforming” apartment building near their homes (photo above; previous coverage here). Dictionary definitions even were introduced as evidence, and the bottom line to the city and cell company’s arguments seemed to be “more” means “less” – read our full report to see why, including dueling simulations of what the new installation might look like:Read More
As WSB continues covering the trial of the Alki 18-year-old charged with murdering the 33-year-old man he says sexually abused him for years, the defendant has concluded his testimony, and members of his family have taken the stand. Read on for today’s report from our courtroom correspondent:Read More
3 break-in cases in the latest update — a house (in an area where neighbors have just gotten word of a “48-hour burglary spree”), a car, and a store:Read More
Thanks to Luckie for that video of the roof getting torn off 3038 44th SW (map) today. It was a century-plus-old house, to be replaced with a new house (city project page here); Luckie also uploaded another clip, showing the front of the house coming down. And she sent this photo of the end result:
Meantime, another demolition is apparently impending:
That’s 4532 42nd in The Junction (just north of Alaska), discussed here several times before, with comments describing its storied history – once upon a time, it was even a small hospital. After previous development plans went on hold for a while, the site plan reactivated earlier this year with a Design Review Board session (WSB coverage here); the demolition permit was granted a week and a half ago, with one tipster telling us the backhoe is reportedly expected this Thursday. As discussed at that DRB session in June, the project is set to be about 65′ high, with 35 residential units and 3,000 square feet of retail.
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