West Seattle, Washington

24 Wednesday

48℉

Westwood 838 results

Westwood loose-dog concern continues, 2 weeks later
March 12, 2008 1:08 pm
|      15 COMMENTS
 |   Neighborhoods | Pets | West Seattle news | Westwood

loosedogs.jpg

That photo was taken today by the same Westwood neighbor who sent us the one in this report, during the aftermath of the attacking-pit-bulls-shot-by-police incident on Feb. 26. (Original coverage here; victim update here; dog-owner update here.) He writes:

We’re still struggling with the loose dog problem here in the Westwood Village neighborhood where Rosie the chihuahua and her owner were attacked last month. I wanted to ask if you could post the attached photo of two dogs running loose in the middle of Trenton Street 1/4 block from busy 16th Ave SW, along with the Animal Control number. These dogs are constantly allowed to roam free in the neighborhood. They do not appear to be dangerous animals, but they share their unsanitary droppings with all the neighbors and dig in yards and garbage cans. Also, they will one day cause a major traffic accident on 16th Ave SW. They have matted fur and look neglected. I hope that neighbors will call Animal Control and report these dogs for their own safety. I called this morning, but it usually takes 3-5 calls for Animal Control to do anything. The automated number is 206-386-7387 press 7 to report a loose dog. That is the LAST choice on the menu that you have to wait through, sheesh!

Here’s a map of 16th/Trenton (about a half-mile east of where the original attack/shooting incident happened). We’re checking with the Seattle Animal Shelter this afternoon regarding further followup on that original case, and will ask about policy on something like this.

Share This

Give me an R, an E, a G, an I … SWAC registration time!
March 6, 2008 10:09 pm
|    Comments Off on Give me an R, an E, a G, an I … SWAC registration time!
 |   Fun stuff to do | Westwood | WS & Sports

cheerfootball.jpgOver the past few months, we’ve brought you advance notice of registration season for several West Seattle-based youth-sports groups, and now it’s time for one more: The Southwest Athletic Club (SWAC) will host early-registration sessions at Westwood Village for football and cheering this Saturday and three other Saturdays this month and next. Here’s what they want you to know:

Registration will be held on four Saturdays (March 8th and 15th, and April 5th and 12th) from 11 am to 1 pm at Big 5 Sporting Goods in Westwood Village.

The Southwest Athletic Club (SWAC) is a West Seattle-based nonprofit organization with the purpose of teaching youth teamwork, discipline and self-esteem through participation in youth football and cheer activities. They serve youth between the ages of 7 and 14, providing a safe structured and positive environment that stresses dedication, teamwork, and sportsmanship, which teaches as much about life as it does football and cheer. Practices start on August 1st with weekly games starting the third weekend of August. Practices and home games are held at the Southwest Athletic Complex at 2600 SW Thistle.

Lee Newgent, the SWAC Board President, is proud of last season and looks forward to next season: “We congratulate last year’s participants on a very successful year, and we look forward to seeing them next fall.” Regarding new players, he added: “We also look forward to seeing any young people and their families who are considering participation in football and cheer at Big 5. Coaches will be on hand to meet the children and answer any questions parents may have.”

The registration fee for cheer is $100 and football is $200. Early registrants will receive a SWAC water bottle.

More information about SWAC can be found at www.swaccougars.org

Share This

Update: Owner of shot pit bulls faces $1,000-plus in fines
March 3, 2008 10:54 am
|      10 COMMENTS
 |   Pets | Safety | West Seattle news | Westwood

We just talked with Don Jordan, executive director of the Seattle Animal Shelter, to find out what will happen to the owner of the two pit bulls shot by police in Westwood last week, as well as what will happen to the one that survived. Jordan confirms the dogs’ owner has a history with animal-law enforcement, but not involving the same two dogs from this incident. At the very least, though, the owner will be given citations that Jordan says will total more than $1,000 in fines — for violations including allowing a dog to menace/bite, allowing a dog to roam, and expired tags (neither of the dogs had a current license). Once the city investigation is concluded within a week or so – Jordan says they have two witnesses left to interview – the case will be sent to prosecutors for review to see if any criminal charges are warranted. If not, Jordan says he still has an “administrative process” he can trigger to determine whether or not the surviving dog would have to be returned to the owner. (Previous coverage: Original report the night it happened; followup with more details from the police report; update last night from the man who was attacked, along with his Chihuahua.)

Share This

Update on Chihuahua attacked in Westwood
March 2, 2008 10:01 pm
|      8 COMMENTS
 |   Pets | West Seattle news | Westwood

Unless you are following the heated pit-bull debate on the comment thread for our followup on last Tuesday’s officer-shoots-pit-bulls incident in Westwood, you will miss this, so we’re reposting this note from the man who was walking his Chihuahua when those dogs attacked:

dear wsb.com readers, I am the person who along with my little dog was attacked tuesday evening. I like the officer who was forced to shoot felt that I and my 7lb. dog were in real danger. To those who wished to donate for help with vet bills the good news is that my little Rosie, while sore had no bad injuries. (I still can’t believe that I prevailed in that battle.) perhaps those who still wish to help could help a family license a pet so some child in a family going through tough times won’t be forced to lose a beloved animal. That kind of karma can move a long ways forward.

Thanks dwr&Rosie

We are now sending a note to “dwr” to ask how HE is doing.

Share This

While you’re out walking/running/wandering today …
March 2, 2008 11:34 am
|      1 COMMENT
 |   High Point | Westwood | WS culture/arts

longfellow.jpgEven if you’ve walked by ’em a hundred times, take a second look at some of the public artworks around West Seattle. We just happened onto the city pages that provide a little background into these installations (artist, date, inspiration, etc.), such as the West Seattle Cultural Trail along Alki, the Longfellow Creek Trail signs (photo left), Sky Legends at High Point Library, this one outside High Point Community Center or this one outside Southwest Community Center … seems the sign outside the Southwest Precinct is even public art.

Share This

About the Westwood pit-bull case, and dogs on the loose
February 28, 2008 5:32 pm
|      135 COMMENTS
 |   Pets | West Seattle news | West Seattle police | Westwood

dogsroam.jpg

That’s a photo sent to WSB by a man who lives in the Westwood neighborhood where police shot two dogs, described as pit bulls, night before last. (Original WSB report here.) The neighbor believes those are the same dogs – even if not, he says there’s a dog problem — irresponsible owner problem, maybe more like it — in his neighborhood: “I have called Animal Control AND Police on these dogs NUMEROUS times. I have photos attached of the dogs hunting/stalking during the day right in a neighborhood where children play outside all day and walk to and from school. … I have many, many photos of these and other loose dogs stalking my neighborhood day and night.” On the night of the police/dogs confrontation, we heard scanner traffic indicating a history of previous trouble with the dogs that police shot. Now we’ve seen the full police writeup of what happened Tuesday night, and thought you might be interested in additional details:Read More

Share This

Video wrap-up of Denny-Sealth vote: “It’s not over”
February 27, 2008 10:59 pm
|      9 COMMENTS
 |   Denny-Sealth | West Seattle news | West Seattle video | Westwood

So said one Option 2 (shared campus) opponent, right after the school board vote. You’ll see that clip at the end of this post. First, let’s backtrack:

(video unavailable due to blip.tv shutdown)

There, you see the opponents of the Denny-Sealth shared campus who stood silently throughout much of tonight’s Seattle School Board meeting (WSB liveblog archived here), until and during board members’ 5-2 vote in favor of the project — here’s the roll call:

(video unavailable due to blip.tv shutdown)

Ahead: More clips including West Seattle’s board rep Steve Sundquist explaining his support for Option 2 and board member Harium Martin-Morris explaining why he opposed it, plus public comments before the vote (including one FOR the shared campus), and that “it’s not over” vow:Read More

Share This

School-board vote on Denny-Sealth: Continuous meeting updates
February 27, 2008 6:14 pm
|      27 COMMENTS
 |   Denny-Sealth | West Seattle news | West Seattle schools | Westwood

9:50 PM: Back at WSB HQ now. Processing video for a separate wrap-up post on tonight’s School Board vote.

9:10 PM: Just back from wading into reaction interview central in the foyer outside the board room. Talked to Sealth staffers Delfino Munoz and John Wright, both of whom spoke against Option 2 tonight. Munoz quote: “It’s not over.” But what’s next – he says it’ll take some time to step back and reassess. (The board meeting continues, by the way; we will continue monitoring in case of anything WS-related.) P.S. The opponents were clearly disappointed as they cleared the chambers after the vote, but were classy about it – no loud boos or other disruptions – in case you were curious (and didn’t happen to be watching on TV). The board’s now discussing future transportation plans for students; high-school students are scheduled to stop getting “yellow bus” transportation as of next year, and are to be given Metro passes instead. WEST SEATTLE-SPECIFIC NOTE: District staff confirms this is the last year that Spectrum kids (one of the district’s gifted programs) from West Seattle who go to Washington Middle School will have the opportunity to ride regular school buses; that ends next year, though Metro passes would be made available for them too. (Meeting adjourned at 9:20 pm.)

9:05 PM – The vote is 5-2 for Option 2. The no votes are from Mary Bass and Harium Martin-Morris.

After the jump, the rest of our liveblogging of tonight’s meeting, in reverse chronological order, exactly as we filed it during the meeting:Read More

Share This

Update: Dogs attack man & dog in Westwood; shots fired
February 26, 2008 8:42 pm
|      61 COMMENTS
 |   Pets | West Seattle video | Westwood | WS breaking news


View Larger Map

ORIGINAL REPORT: Just got a phone call about police activity at 24th/Trenton reportedly involving pit bulls. Scanner seems to confirm something happening out there with that particular breed of dog — the caller said it involved the dogs attacking another dog — we’re headed out to check on it. (If this pans out, it would be the third notable pit-bull incident in West Seattle in recent days; there was one in each of our previous two police-report summaries — a man shooting one, and a 9-year-old girl getting bit in the face by one.) 8:44 PM UPDATE: Our person on the scene confirms tons of police and medic activity. No extra details yet, though. Scanner just described original call as a “dogfight.” 8:52 PM UPDATE: Looks like “an older man” is going to be taken away for treatment; our original caller said he’d heard a man had been bitten. 8:59 PM UPDATE: At the scene, the victim’s wife told WSB her husband and their dog were out for a walk when other dogs attacked them; the man is going to the hospital (but is reportedly conscious); police confirm shots were fired but won’t confirm our reader’s report that at least one dog was shot. We’ll have scene video soon. (Side note, for WSB regulars who have previously admitted to being fans of KING 5 breaking-news specialist Jim Forman, our correspondent reports he’s on the scene now.) 9:48 PM ADDITION: Here’s our video clip. Nothing earthshaking – just the medic unit pulling up to a scene already awash in flashing lights.

Video thumbnail. Click to play.
Click To Play

10:04 PM UPDATE: According to the KING 10 pm report, one of the pit bulls was shot and killed; the dog they attacked was a 7-pound Chihuahua named Rosie. The wife of Rosie’s owner says he was just bitten in the hand, but “he has a bad heart” so he was going to be checked out further. (The online version of their story is here.) 11:02 PM UPDATE: KIRO and KOMO made it out here for their late newscasts. KOMO’s reporter, however, inexplicably proclaimed himself to be in White Center. (Hint: If you are dealing with Seattle Police, you are not in White Center, which is handled by the King County Sheriff’s Office. This part of Westwood is well within the city limits.)

Share This

Denny-Sealth vote tomorrow: CSHS principal interview today
February 26, 2008 12:34 pm
|      11 COMMENTS
 |   Denny-Sealth | West Seattle news | West Seattle schools | Westwood

boydmugshot.jpgTomorrow night is a particularly important night for Chief Sealth High School principal John Boyd (left). Not just because the Seattle School Board is scheduled to make its final decision on the controversial proposal to build a new Denny Middle School on the CSHS campus — two other events will keep him from being at district headquarters for the vote: A mariachi concert with the CSHS musicians and visitors from California, and a basketball game with the 8th graders he’s coaching (including his son) across the street at Southwest Community Center. This morning, though, not quite as hectic, so he made time to talk with WSB — not just about the much-discussed impending vote, but also about what else is happening at his school:Read More

Share This

Crime Watch reader report: Mail stolen from Westwood box
February 23, 2008 6:52 pm
|      9 COMMENTS
 |   Crime | West Seattle news | Westwood

If you mailed any checks using the box outside the Westwood Village post office earlier this week, you might want to keep a close watch on your bank account. Just got this report from Jim:

A check we wrote to Time magazine for $19.00 on the 19th, and dropped in the mail box at the Westwood station (verified it dropped in the box) showed up at Moneytree in Seatac, about 2:45 this afternoon, made out to a Hispanic man for $600.00, for lawn work.

Moneytree called the house for verification, we were not home, so they refused the check. I was able to verify the draft number and the style of check, and confirmed it was the same draft.

The mail was put in the drive thru box Tuesday night.

Jim confirms this is being reported to authorities, both by him and by the check-cashing business where it turned up. Here’s an online form for reporting it to the US Postal Inspection Service.

Share This

Denny-Sealth: Final vote now 4 days away
February 23, 2008 6:07 pm
|      21 COMMENTS
 |   Denny-Sealth | West Seattle news | West Seattle schools | Westwood

In case it’s fallen off your radar — the Seattle School Board‘s final vote on the Denny-Sealth project is four days away, at the board’s next regular meeting on Wednesday night. The agenda for the meeting is now posted online (including information as always on how to sign up to speak at the meeting – you can call starting Monday); find it here. There are two items on the agenda regarding Denny-Sealth:Read More

Share This

Deadly Westwood crash: Victim’s family still has questions
February 19, 2008 8:10 am
|      1 COMMENT
 |   West Seattle news | Westwood

mama4.jpgWe now know a lot more about the woman hit and killed while crossing Barton by Westwood Village a week and a half ago — 55-year-old Therese (Teri) Marie Soike — the first pedestrian killed in West Seattle since 85-year-old Oswald Clement last October. The photo you see at left was provided by Teri’s daughter Shelby Hampton, who says the family is “still in shock” and “completely devastated” — Shelby adds, “My sister and I were very close to our mother and nothing can prepare you for a death like this.” They are hoping to find witnesses to the crash, and agreed to talk with WSB:Read More

Share This

Soon to be seen at Westwood Village, apparently
February 18, 2008 6:38 pm
|      14 COMMENTS
 |   Safety | West Seattle businesses | West Seattle news | Westwood

targetsegwaybig.jpg

(Photo from PR Newswire)
Target has just bought a fleet of Segways to patrol parking lots of its stores in several cities including ours. Gotta wonder if they will be deployed indoors too; per the police reports we read 2 or 3 times per week, their security team is pretty busy chasing – and often catching – shoplifters. (We’d call to ask but they might not take our call.)

Share This

Denny-Sealth: Remaining questions from 2/12 meeting
February 17, 2008 11:02 am
|      3 COMMENTS
 |   Denny-Sealth | West Seattle news | West Seattle schools | Westwood

President Steve Fischer of the Westwood Neighborhood Council, which organized last Tuesday’s panel-discussion meeting at CSHS (WSB text/video coverage here), sent the list of audience questions that remained when time ran out. As promised, he has forwarded them to the district to request answers online the same way they answered questions (here) from their 2/4 meeting at CSHS. Here’s the list (reading it, we see there is one toward the end that we can answer, as it involves WSB):Read More

Share This

2 suspects reported to be in custody in school assault
February 15, 2008 3:10 pm
|      25 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle schools | Westwood | WS breaking news

sealth.jpg

Details are few but in case you saw the police/fire/ambulance activity at Chief Sealth HS in the past half-hour — police confirm there was an assault there and 2 suspects were taken into custody. Injuries NOT reported to be major. Police also note they’ve had a stepped-up presence at all area middle/high-school campuses today in the wake of what happened yesterday in Illinois.

Share This

Crash near Westwood Village turns deadly
February 14, 2008 11:28 am
|      4 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | Westwood

Just got word that the woman hit by a car near Westwood Village last Friday night has died. (We reported briefly on the crash in this post, with updated info in the comments – police believe it was truly an accident, someone in dark clothes crossing outside a crosswalk on a dark, rainy night; the driver apparently never saw her.) We don’t have her name at this point, though. By our accounts, this is the first fatal pedestrian accident in West Seattle since 85-year-old Oswald Clement was hit and killed at 35th/Othello last October.

Share This

Two more Denny-Sealth notes from last night
February 14, 2008 8:56 am
|      16 COMMENTS
 |   Denny-Sealth | West Seattle news | West Seattle schools | Westwood

34TH DISTRICT DEMOCRATS’ RESOLUTION: A comment under our report from last night mentioned the 34th DDs voted last night to support the Westwood Neighborhood Council and Denny/Sealth school staff in pursuing an “authentic” public process. We received a copy of the resolution this morning; you can see it here.

SPEAKING OF PUBLIC PROCESS: West Seattle’s school-board rep Steve Sundquist asked district staffers last night about reported discrepancies and omissions in the information that’s posted on the district website as answers to the public questions from last week’s meeting. District staff acknowledged some “confusion.” One point of ongoing dispute/confusion that was not addressed clearly last night — board member Harium Martin-Morris wanted clarification about the oft-repeated complaint that the language on the ballot did not mention the shared campus. He didn’t get a complete answer to that during the public meeting we observed last night (and it’s not fully answered in the district Q/A, either; see Question 14 under Pink Room on this page); fellow members Sherry Carr and Peter Maier talked again about the pamphlet mailed to all 45,000-ish households with Seattle Public Schools students, which did talk about the shared campus, but what was left out was the indisputable fact – whether or not you think it matters – that the actual text seen in the official King County Voters’ Pamphlet by voters casting ballots in the February 2007 election (direct link here) explaining what the money would go for, was this:

Section 2. Authorization of Construction and Modernization Improvements. The District shall modernize and expand its school facilities through the following programs:
(1) Middle /K-8 school improvements including full renovation of Hamilton, and replacement of South Shore and Denny.
(2) High School improvements including renovation of Chief Sealth and Nathan Hale, addition at Ingraham and modernization of Rainier Beach Career and Technology facilities.
(3) Infrastructure improvements for water piping, indoor air quality and synthetic sports turf, including contributions to Hiawatha Playfield with Seattle Parks for conversion to synthetic turf.
(4) Technology equipment and training.

On the ballot itself, before checking approve or reject, voters saw this:

The Board of Directors of Seattle School District No. 1 adopted Resolution No. 2006/07-3 concerning this proposition for bonds. This proposition approves a program to renovate or replace four high schools, two middle schools and one K-8 school and make other capital improvements, to issue $490,000,000 in general obligation bonds with a maximum term of seven years; and to levy excess property taxes to repay the bonds and to replace the expiring capital levy, not to exceed $81,666,667 annually for six years.

Just for the record, since this keeps coming up. There certainly was coverage, on our site and elsewhere, before the election, talking about the shared campus — but the official voters’ pamphlet and the actual ballot did not include that point, as project critics frequently note.

Share This

Denny-Sealth updates from tonight’s school-board meeting
February 13, 2008 7:32 pm
|      25 COMMENTS
 |   Denny-Sealth | West Seattle news | West Seattle schools | Westwood

UPDATE #1: As has been the case for the past several meetings, the public-comment period at the start of the meeting was dominated by testimony from merged-campus opponents. The board’s in a brief break now, with what’s been described as a “presentation” and “discussion” yet to come on items including the formal introduction of the superintendent’s recommendation that the board approve Option 2. More to come; it’s live on cable channel 26. UPDATE #2, ADDED 9:55 PM: The Denny-Sealth presentation/discussion took more than an hour and a half. Read More

Share This

Happening tonight: Science fairs at Pathfinder, Denny
February 12, 2008 5:31 am
|      3 COMMENTS
 |   Genesee Hill | West Seattle schools | Westwood

pathfinderscience.jpg

That’s Pathfinder K-8 student Elizabeth Baer, photographed by Eric Baer as she presented her investigation “Slime Roll” during a previous edition of the annual Pathfinder Science Fair, which happens in the school cafeteria 6-7:30 pm tonight. Eric tells WSB, “Nearly 100 science projects will be shown by students, covering every field of science and technology from robotics to volcanology to botany. … Pathfinder School is one of only a handful of Seattle Public Schools that has a Science Fair open to elementary-aged students.” The event is sponsored and run by the PTSA at Pathfinder, which is a public alternative school on Genesee Hill (map). ADDED 9:30 AM: Thanks to GenHillOne for noting tonight also is Family Math Night and Science Fair at Denny Middle School — according to the Denny website, that event is 6:30-8:30 pm.

Share This

School district staff recommendation: Denny-Sealth Option 2
February 11, 2008 3:17 pm
|      7 COMMENTS
 |   Denny-Sealth | West Seattle schools | Westwood | WS breaking news

dsgrab.jpg

(rendering as shown at last week’s district-sponsored meeting)
ORIGINAL 3:17 PM REPORT: The agenda for Wednesday’s school board meeting has been updated with the district’s Denny-Sealth recommendation: Option 2, which means combined campuses, but more money, specifically $10 million added for Sealth renovations. This will be officially introduced at the Wednesday board meeting and voted on February 27. 5:10 PM UPDATE: At saveseattleschools.blogspot.com, Melissa Westbrook breaks down the info on the supplemental agenda documents that lay out where the extra $10 million is to come from. As of this writing, we haven’t seen an official district news release, nor anything new posted on the Sealth or Denny websites, regarding the decision to recommend Option 2, so the agenda info is all that’s on the record at this point. Here’s the direct link; side note of interest, that document from superintendent Dr. Maria Goodloe-Johnson is dated January 31st, so she appears to have made her decision several days before last Tuesday’s public meeting at Sealth (WSB coverage here). Next steps: Tomorrow night (7 pm @ Chief Sealth HS), the Westwood Neighborhood Council has its moderated-panel public meeting regarding the project; Wednesday night, school-board members meet and the Option 2 recommendation will be “introduced”; they will vote yay or nay two weeks later. Since the final say is in their hands, if you want to express an opinion on the newly released recommendation, contacting board members is likely your best course of action; their contact info is here.

Share This

Denny/Sealth meeting: What was seen, what wasn’t heard
February 5, 2008 4:09 am
|      42 COMMENTS
 |   Denny-Sealth | West Seattle news | West Seattle schools | Westwood

Video thumbnail. Click to play
Click To Play

Click for a few seconds of video panning across the full 150-plus crowd at the Chief Sealth High School cafeteria last night for the last district-presented meeting in West Seattle before the School Board makes its decision on the intensely debated Denny/Sealth construction project’s future.

mattphoto1.jpg

That’s a photo by WSB contributing photojournalist Matt Durham, showing parent Gail McElligott at the meeting. What was seen – lots of PowerPoint slides – and what wasn’t heard – answers to audience questions – dominated the night. See most of the slides for yourself (since the district didn’t promise they’d be up online any time soon), and more, ahead:Read More

Share This

Tonight’s Denny/Sealth meeting: Quick toplines
February 4, 2008 9:22 pm
|      22 COMMENTS
 |   Denny-Sealth | West Seattle news | West Seattle schools | Westwood

Much longer report to come. But here are the bullet points from the meeting in the CSHS cafeteria:
–Meeting lasted 2 1/2 hours.
–Big turnout; at least 150 people. School Board president Cheryl Chow and superintendent Dr. Maria Goodloe-Johnson were there for a while at the start; West Seattle’s School Board rep Steve Sundquist, of course, stayed for the duration.
–District Power Point presentation featured lots of sales points for Options 1 and 2 (current version, current version plus $10 million extra Sealth work) and the barest of bones for Option 3 (rebuilding Denny on its current site, doing the bare minimum of required safety improvements for Sealth).
–Lots of audience questions, zero answers. Audience was broken into 4 groups to ask questions for half an hour; the questions were written down by facilitators; audience was reconvened so that each group’s questions could be read to the entire audience. The answers? The district will try its best to get them posted online before the Westwood Neighborhood Council’s Denny/Sealth meeting on Feb. 12, one day before the district’s recommended option is “introduced” to the school board. Much more to come, including the presentation details, some of the audience questions, video, photos.

Share This