City delegation tours future West Seattle RapidRide route
Near the expected southern end of the future West Seattle RapidRide bus route, we caught up this morning with a city delegation including Councilmembers Tom Rasmussen and Jan Drago (at right, with various SDOT and council administration staff, two of whom live in West Seattle, as does Rasmussen). Our last major update on RapidRide came from a briefing presented to the city council last month (WSB coverage here); as a bus service to be provided by Metro, RapidRide is a county operation, but city leaders are trying to keep close watch on the plans. As Drago — who chairs the council’s Transportation Committee — put it, “This is the first of three (RapidRide routes) in the city and we want to make sure it’s done right – it’ll set a precedent for a long time to come” During that briefing in June, she had expressed a lot of concern that RR wouldn’t really live up to the “rapid” in “bus rapid transit” because it will still have a fair number of stops; this morning, Drago told WSB her concern about that has lessened a bit, because there are far fewer stops between Morgan Junction and downtown, than along the southern stretch between MJ and WV. She also said the bus-route tour was eye-opening in one respect: “There’s a lot more development going on over here than I realized.” As we discussed that development — particularly in the booming Triangle area — for a few minutes, Rasmussen noted that he wants to be sure developers are involved in the discussion before the RR design and other aspects are finalized, since so much will be changing in the area in the next few years before RR is scheduled to be ready to go in 2011. Drago said the city is sending Metro a letter with many followup questions regarding this RapidRide route (you can see a map here – the late-spring version that the city delegation was reviewing this morning matched that one except for a few additional stops between the ferry dock and Westwood Village). She also revealed there’s some talk of leasing parking lots – where and whose, we don’t know – to alleviate the parking crunch that’s already been caused by “park-n-hiders” who drive to The Junction and leave their cars in neighborhoods, to catch buses downtown. As for what’s next from the city standpoint, Drago expects her committee to revisit RapidRide late this year or early next. And with that, the delegation re-boarded its van, and headed back to City Hall.
Follow-up: Westwood WaMu drive-thru bank-robber description
Just checked with Seattle FBI spokesperson Robbie Burroughs to see if there are any photos of the Westwood Village WaMu drive-thru robber from yesterday — no pix, but the description of the robber (and vehicle) has been refined; here’s the latest:
What we know now is that an older white female dressed in black clothing, dark sunglasses, a fake beard and possibly a wig, robbed the Washington Mutual Bank drive-thru window just before 1pm. She passed a note to the teller saying there was a bomb planted in the bank that would go off in 90 seconds if she was not given money. The teller complied and the robber drove off. Her vehicle was described as a Jeep type SUV, burgundy in color. The exact plate # is not known but a witness saw a 4×4 inch sticker of a Boston Terrier on a window on the driver’s side of the vehicle toward the back of the car. No photos of the robber were obtained. She is still at large.
Update: “Bearded” woman robs West Seattle bank – at drive-thru
(newest info at the bottom of the post)
(photos added 1:40 pm)
No further details yet, we are en route to check it out in person, but scanner traffic indicates another West Seattle bank robbery – this one time at WaMu in Westwood Village. (Thanks to CDN, who was listening to the scanner at a moment when we weren’t.) Scanner just bulletined they are looking for a Jeep Grand Cherokee, masked woman who said she had explosives on her body, plate similar to 197XOF, decal of a boxer dog on the window. Happened within the past 10 minutes or so. Call 911 if you see anything resembling the vehicle mentioned above. 1:08 PM UPDATE: We’re at the bank. Police confirm a robbery – at the drive-thru.
The bank has signs up saying “temporarily closed.” At least two police units on scene.
1:11 PM UPDATE: Latest scanner bulletin also mentions the robber claimed there were explosives in her vehicle. 1:22 PM UPDATE: We talked to a bank employee who said it happened pretty much right at 1 pm and only involved the robber and the drive-thru teller – everybody’s OK and most others in the bank didn’t even know what was going on until afterward – more police have arrived at the bank as have FBI agents. Investigators are going around that part of Westwood Village looking for witnesses.
3 PM UPDATE: The outdoor ATM’s are doing a lively business while the bank lobby remains closed. Police have cleared the scene. Here’s some video from earlier this afternoon. The gent in the checked shirt talking to the police is from the FBI.
5:21 PM UPDATE: Lt. Steve Paulsen at the Southwest Precinct just updated us: No arrest yet. The official description is “white female with a fake bearded … driving a large burgundy SUV.”
Reader report: Fast work stops small fire
We saw the 911 call for “bark fire” at Westwood Village a short time ago; sounded too small to go. But Tyson just sent this firsthand account and it sounds like some folks deserve kudos:
I’m a daily reader of the West Seattle Blog and just thought I’d share something I just witnessed. Not exactly breaking news or anything but worth a note. Just walked out of the Westwood Village Barnes and Noble and saw a huge plume of smoke coming from the Target parking lot. I then noticed that one of the bushes used for landscaping was engulfed in flames and it was quickly spreading with help of the surrounding mulch. Target and Westwood Village security were very quick in responding to the fire as was the fire department.
No confirmation yet but speculation is that it might have been caused by a discarded cigarette – that sort of thing causes a lot of fires like that this time of year, so if you smoke, please be careful.
Cart Project update: Pickup time!
We told you recently about Feet First‘s Cart Project – offering discounted pull-carts like the one above to people in the Westwood Village area, as part of a pilot project to encourage people to walk to the store instead of driving. They’ve now set the pickup time – you have to live in the pilot-project area, and you should have received a doorhanger that you can bring along (see a copy of it here) – 3:30-7:30 pm today and each day next Monday-Friday, at Westwood Village QFC. You get the $90 cart for $15 if you pledge to walk at least once weekly to do grocery-shopping and agree to two surveys (initial and followup). Got questions? Call 206/652-2310. If you’re outside the pilot-project area, here’s another way to get a discounted pull-cart – as reported here a week and a half ago, Click! Design That Fits (WSB sponsor) was inspired by the Cart Project and decided to offer discounts on their “shopping trolleys” to shoppers who mention it.
Westwood Council releases “vision” for Denny site
We mentioned here last month that the Westwood Neighborhood Council was looking for drawing help to draft neighbors’ vision of what could be done with the Denny Middle School site when the new Denny is ready on the Chief Sealth High School campus and the old Denny is demolished. The first draft (mentioned at the last WNC meeting; WSB coverage here) is above; click it for a fullsize version so you can read all the descriptions. So far, as reported here, early Seattle Public Schools thoughts on the site have focused on tennis courts and a softball field (
Feet First, which helps make our area more walkable, is close to kicking off The Cart Project – distributing carts like the one shown above, for a nominal price – and that means two things for people in West Seattle. First, the carts will be initially offered to Westwood-area residents. Second, volunteers are needed to help match carts with takers. Here’s what Ellie Taylor from Feet First sent us to share with you:
Meet new people, and give neighborhood residents a reason to get out and walk! This is a volunteer opportunity for Feet First’s new Cart Project, which aims to make it easier for people to do their everyday shopping on foot with personal hand-carts.
Location: The pilot project is in Westwood Village, West Seattle. Volunteers would help distribute carts to neighborhood residents who come through the QFC in Westwood Village.
Times: Throughout the day; evening availability (5-7) is especially appreciated.
Tasks: Volunteers will ask people if they are within the target area, describe the project, administer a short survey, and collect some money.
To find out more, e-mail Ellie at ellie@feetfirst.info
Car-motorcycle crash: Trenton blocked at 31st
Looks like a fairly serious crash at 30th/Trenton involving a car and motorcycle; a fire official at the scene tells us the woman riding the motorcycle has just been taken to the hospital, and the injuries were serious enough that authorities will have to do a major investigation, though the people in the car (which is shown at left; the motorcycle was down in a separate spot) appeared to be OK — so avoid that stretch of Trenton, which is closed off for at least a couple blocks east of 31st (here’s a map; all this is not far from Westwood Village, so if you are heading there from the west, use the Barton entrance instead). Too soon for investigators to say exactly how/why the crash happened. 9:02 PM UPDATE: We just went by to check – the area’s still blocked off and the investigation continues. 10:22 PM UPDATE: The scene is now cleared and the road’s open again.
Liquor-license suspension for Westwood Village restaurant
We were just over at Westwood Village and noticed passersby squinting at those two big orange posters (photo above) in the window of Vatsana’s Thai Restaurant, so we had to check it out too: Liquor license suspended till 10 am Wednesday (five-day suspension, for “furnishing alcohol to a minor”; the restaurant’s regularly closed Sundays anyway, so no one was there tonight).
Westwood pit-bulls case closed, no charges against owner
We’ve followed up from time to time on the aftermath of the February 26th Westwood incident in which two pit bulls attacked a man and his Chihuahua, and then were shot by police (original WSB report here; followup with police-report narrative here). One pit bull died that night; the other was seized by the Seattle Animal Shelter. During our followup calls, SAS executive director Don Jordan had told us the dogs’ owner faced citations and possibly a criminal charge (March 3 update here; April 10 update here). The second dog’s fate depended on what happened with those cases. Jordan just called WSB to let us know the case is closed because the owner agreed to have the second dog euthanized. “We wanted to make sure that dog was off the street,” Jordan said. The civil citations and possible criminal charge are not being pursued, according to Jordan, because of that agreement, and also because the victim did not want to press charges or even give a written statement. Jordan had told us previously that this owner had a history of trouble involving other dogs, not these; we asked, so does that mean any restrictions can be put on his right to own or license dogs in the future? Not in this case, he said, noting that even in cases where people are found guilty of crimes involving animals and judges decide to impose such restrictions, they can never be prohibited from ownership for a period longer than 2 years. “That can be frustrating for us,” he acknowledged.
West Seattle business updates: 1 remodel, 1 move, 1 opening
First, the remodeling — WSB’er The House sent that photo of a sign spotted at Westwood Village QFC. Now, the move: Marilyn at Murphy’s Furniture has confirmed her new location in Pioneer Square (as first reported in January, she’s leaving Avalon; as first reported last weekend, Cafe Revo‘s taking the space): 314 1st Ave. S., next to Elliott Bay Books, hoping for an early-June opening. This is her last weekend on Avalon and she’s having a sale. Next, the opening — Last night’s West Seattle Art Walk participants included a new business on the north edge of The Junction, The Body Bar, and we stopped in to find out more – even came away with another prize for the Garage Sale Day contests – read on:Read More
Denny-Sealth: Westwood Council’s unusual request for help
As the Denny-Sealth project (archived WSB coverage here) proceeds, the Westwood Neighborhood Council expects to be working closely with the district and the city on plans for the site where Denny Middle School will be demolished after its replacement is built next to Chief Sealth High School. Because of that, WNC president Steve Fischer has just put out the call for “someone who has drawing skills … (and can) translate ideas into visual concept presentations for open space and pedestrian amenities in the neighborhood. We’d like help in creating approximately three drawings that can help us communicate how important it is for the neighborhood to have open space for everyone who lives in and visits Westwood.” The required skills are further clarified as:
We really need someone who can help with some hand-drawing with pencil or pen. We don’t need technical plan level drawings, just conceptual drawings that are attractive and that can communicate some ideas and alternatives. An understanding of landscape/ architectural standards would be useful, but not necessary. As well, if someone wants to use a computer program to create some ideas, that would be fine too.
If you can help, or want to find out more, contact Susan, at csmclain@hotmail.com.
Quiet week for public meetings since it’s the end of the month (except for 
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