West Seattle, Washington
26 Sunday
Just in from City Hall – while it’s not West Seattle-specific, it deals with a citywide challenge, so we thought you might be interested. Mayor Murray has just filled the announced-last-April cabinet-level position of “director of homelessness.” The news release:
Mayor Ed Murray today announced that George Scarola will serve as the City’s first ever cabinet-level director of homelessness. Scarola will be responsible for leading the City’s homelessness efforts across departments, providing oversight and evaluation of outcomes, strategic guidance, and leading community engagement.
“Homelessness is a national epidemic, leaving cities like Seattle stepping in to fill the large gaps left behind by state and federal agencies,” said Mayor Murray, “We have made unprecedented investments in homelessness prevention and services. Because of the growing scope of work around homelessness, Seattle needs a proven manager to ensure we are achieving our desired outcomes. I have known George for many years, working alongside him in Seattle and Olympia, and know him as a unifying leader that excels at creating successful results through community engagement.”
Scarola is an experienced public affairs and community relations manager having led advocacy organizations in Seattle and Olympia for over 25 years.
1:57 PM: Sorry it took a while to find out why the helicopter was over Morgan Junction, but Guardian One itself just solved the mystery, tweeting – after leaving the area – that it was helping SPD with a car-prowl suspect who has since been “detained in Lincoln Park.” We’re now seeing police along Fauntleroy toward the park’s north end and hope to ask them for a little more information. (P.S. Thanks for all the texts and calls.)
2:10 PM: Just talked with police by the park. They tell us it was reported as a car prowl in the 7000 block of California SW and they tracked the suspect to the park. (Our photo was taken as they placed him in a police vehicle.) Guardian One wasn’t called out specifically for this – but happened to be in the area and asked if they’d like some help. Police are still looking for possible car-prowl loot the alleged prowler might have ditched in the area.
Story by Tracy Record
Photos by Patrick Sand
West Seattle Blog co-publishers
Two weeks from today, Seattle Public Schools will dedicate two new elementaries in West Seattle. We’ve already taken you inside the new Genesee Hill Elementary; now, our first look inside the new Arbor Heights Elementary.
This is the school that principal Christy Collins and families fought hard for. As recently as four years ago, Arbor Heights wasn’t scheduled for a rebuild until 2019 – despite the old school being in such bad shape, it even flooded without rain one day in 2013.
By then, the campaign had worked, and the BEX IV levy called for Arbor Heights’ rebuild to be complete this year, and now it is. This morning, district officials, school board members, and architects from Bassetti led a VIP tour of the new school. It incorporates the eSTEM philosophy – environment plus science, technology, math, engineering – that was announced by Collins in 2013. As we were shown during the tour, the school’s theme is “sea to sky,” and it’s incorporated inside and out. Like the new Genesee Hill, it’s awash in natural light, with windows and skylights throughout. Here’s a look around inside the cafeteria and stage area:
It’s also built to a capacity of about 660 students, though unlike its crosstown counterpart, it will not be near capacity at opening – more than 400 students are due here. Read More
The biggest development under construction in West Seattle, The Whittaker, has just announced four more commercial tenants.
The two-building mixed-use development at 4755 Fauntleroy Way SW has of course long since announced its first and biggest tenant, Whole Foods Market (opening in about a year, fall 2017, we’ve reconfirmed).
According to Weingarten Realty, joining Whole Foods will be:
MOD PIZZA – This chain was founded in Seattle in 2008 and has since expanded nationally; its story is here, and its menu is here. Its nearest Seattle location right now is downtown.
BECU – The financial institution formally known as Boeing Employees Credit Union has long been rumored to be opening a full-service West Seattle branch, and this is finally it. (Its membership eligibility is explained here.)
CITYMD URGENT CARE – This health-care organization started back East and is expanding.
T-MOBILE – The cell-phone provider.
All will front on Fauntleroy Way; you can see the locations on the site-plan graphic atop this story. These tenants, too, are expected to open in fall of next year. Meantime, for restaurant fans, it’s been pointed out to us that Whole Foods’ presence in the building – with a lot of takeout food – means the rest of the development is restricted to 6,000 square feet of additional food uses. MOD Pizza will take 2,500 square feet, so The Whittaker has one more restaurant space, between 2,300 and 3,448 square feet, with the location shown in the graphic.
P.S. In case you’re wondering, The Whittaker will have 276 offstreet parking spaces for its businesses, separate from the spaces for its 389 apartments.
(Osprey at Lowman Beach – photographed by Trileigh Tucker)
Highlights for today/tonight, from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar.
LUNCH AT THE LIBRARY: 12:30 pm-1:30 pm at Delridge Library, free lunch for kids/teens, as this summer’s effort continues to make sure no youth go hungry before school starts up again. (5423 Delridge Way SW)
FREE TAI CHI ON THE BEACH: The new expansion class for the popular Saturday Tai Chi at Alki. Free. All levels welcome. 6 pm. (60th SW/Alki SW)
DREAMERS AT EASY STREET: 7 pm, live in-store performance at Easy Street Records, celebrating the first album release for Dreamers. Free, all ages. (California SW/SW Alaska)
BABY KETTEN KARAOKE: 9 pm, 21+, free karaoke at The Skylark – not your average singalong! (3803 Delridge Way SW)
GOT SOMETHING FOR THE CALENDAR? We list West Seattle, White Center, South Park events for free; send the info in plain text in the body of your e-mail (*not* as an attachment, please), at least a week in advance, to editor@westseattleblog.com – thanks!
The photo is courtesy of Pegasus Pizza (2770 Alki SW), which just added another component to its recent remodel – a bar. Last night was opening night, says Pegasus spokesperson Sean McVeigh, who adds that Pegasus’s owners “had a designer from California come up to design and build the bar and it turned out great!” Previous remodeling work included moving the restaurant entrance to its east end; what was its west end is now a property-management office.
(SDOT MAP with travel times/video links; is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE)
(Click any view for a close-up; more cameras on the WSB Traffic page)
6:43 AM: Happy Tuesday morning! Another look at this week’s reminders, first:
SURFACE SPOKANE ST. PROJECT: Here’s this week’s update, including a bike-trail detour, for this project east of the low bridge.
IN THE STADIUM ZONE Mariners are home vs. the Yankees again tonight at 7:10 pm, Wednesday at 12:40 pm, and the Seahawks host Dallas at 7 pm Thursday.
ALKI BEACH 5K ON SUNDAY: Sunday at 9 am, it’s this year’s Alki Beach 5K, to help Northwest Hope and Healing, is next Sunday (August 28th), 9 am, closing Alki SW and part of Harbor SW for a few hours that morning. (Want to run or walk in it? Sign up here.)
Back to today … no incidents in West Seattle or on the major outbound routes (NB 99, NB 5) so far.
7:47 AM: A couple weeks later than previously announced, the Fauntleroy/Endolyne Triangle work is getting under way – we just went by and noticed ROAD CLOSED signage for the block of Brace Point Drive that will become one way, eastbound:
Details are in our most-recent report, from early August.
If you live in the Hillcrest area, you should be getting – if you haven’t already – a notice from Seattle City Light about a project starting in early September, “to increase electrical reliability … by rebuilding parts of the underground electrical system.” Here’s where they’ll be working:
The city is circulating this flyer, and says its key points are:
· Three sections of the neighborhood, each one block or slightly longer, will have conduit and vaults installed. The work is the next phase in the refurbishment of the system.
· Trenching in the public right-of-way is planned from the first week of September through February 2017. Planned power outages may be required during this phase of the project. If required, customers will be notified in advance.
· Affected landscaping, sod, driveway aprons, and sidewalks will be restored to City standards.
Actual cable replacement will happen next year, according to the project webpage (see it here); no contact information there yet but SCL says customers with questions can take them to David Mannery, Electrical Service Representative, david.mannery@seattle.gov or 206-386-4245.
Just back from checking out that big King County (Sheriff) Transit Police response in The Junction – thanks for the tips about it. Four cars were at California and Alaska, lights flashing. They told us they were called because of a combative person causing trouble on a bus; the person was removed and was in one of the Transit Police cars, shouting, while we were there.
No injuries reported.
Missing a bicycle? Dora says this one has been in the backyard of a foreclosed house next to hers in east Gatewood for a few days:
She also sent a photo of the serial number – e-mail us if you think it might be yours and we can crosscheck. (And she has reported it to police.)
P.S. Separate from this case, a stolen bicycle has been reunited with its owner – a local business – thanks to a WSB Forums lost-and-found post by Gina this morning; go here to see how it played out.
If you see either of those plates, you might be able to help find some of Sarah‘s stolen stuff.
She serves in the U.S. Coast Guard and thought her car was safe in a gated garage in North Delridge while she was on leave. It wasn’t. It was stolen a week ago; it was found two days ago in Burien, but what was inside it is still missing.
Trying to spread word about my car being stolen from my gated garage of my apartment on August 15. They have now recovered the vehicle but everything stolen from inside. Only thing I wanted back was I had boxes of personal files and my military medical record. They also stole uniforms, camping stuff and other personal items.
I live in Youngstown Flats [4040 26th SW] and the week it happened the management office said they reported a suspicious white Ford Explorer to the police and then a few days later broke into another Ford Explorer in my building and stole my Ford Explorer. Seems like they were targeting this kind of vehicle. The plates that were recovered on my vehicle are registered to a white Ford Explorer so very possible they put my plates on another Ford Explorer.
Would like to pass to everyone to look at plates on all Ford Explorers and if it is AXF2314 to please call the police. Also my old Hawaii plates (2CHIVE) might been in a side compartment and could be used by the criminals but would draw attention, being Hawaii vanity plates.
… Other items missing are: Coast Guard uniform items (light blue top, dark blue pants, white shirt, black belt with gold buckle, combo cover (hat with name inside), hat bag, large blue medical file, Bill Murray Pillow, tan sleeping bag, tent in black bag, cooler with wheels and expanding handle, 2 Tommy Bahama chairs (red & blue), queen-sized air mattress, air pump, lantern and random camping stuff, Garmin GPS, red Hawaiian seat covers, solar powered Hulu girl, New Zealand Starbucks cup, blue VS water bottle, grey Santa Cruz hoodie, grey zip hoodie with Kauai on the left arm, Black “Hunter” boots, 2 slip on airwalk shoes(black with white dots and one with white skulls), hard hat (with YN2 on the back), black steel toe boots, gold color basket with clothes inside, white comforter, tan fleece blanket, 2 black crates with files, black box with papers, and box of Coast Guard papers.
If you find any of the above: The car theft is incident 2016-294604, with Seattle Police; the recovery is C16042085 with King County Sheriff’s Office.
When the 159-unit mixed-use building at 4435 35th SW now known as Aura went through Design Review three years ago, its most-acclaimed feature wasn’t actually part of the building – it was the “hillclimb” stairway proposed for the south side of the property. That side is actually city right-of-way, technically part of SW Oregon Street, but previously undeveloped. Now, the stairway is open; the photo is courtesy of Josh Sutton from the nearby West Seattle YMCA (WSB sponsor). This is envisioned as an easier way to walk between The Junction, The Triangle, and Seattle Parks facilities to the east (West Seattle Stadium, Golf Course, Camp Long, Rotary Viewpoint Park), and the growing number of residences and businesses in the area.
Back-to-school time edges ever closer … and there’s still a little work to do to get some campuses ready. If you can spare a little time this Saturday, Louisa Boren STEM K-8 could use your helping hands:
Parking Lot Painting Party!
WHO: Louisa Boren STEM K-8 community and any community member willing to help!
WHEN: August 27th 9 am-1 pm (drop in as you can!) but rain cancels event
WHY: Safety!
WHAT TO BRING: Wear old clothing! PTA / SPS will provide painting supplies, water, coffee and donuts. Kids more than welcome with parent supervision.
Need more info? Robin Graham – robingraham26@gmail.com
As of June, the school was expecting almost 500 students this fall – up from about 400 last fall. They’ll have a little more room to roam because after two years of sharing the campus, Arbor Heights Elementary is moving into the new building on its “old” site.
P.S. Any other schools that could use community help to get ready for returning students – volunteer labor? donations? or? – please let us know and we’d be glad to announce/calendarize – editor@westseattleblog.com – thank you!
ORIGINAL REPORT, 12:28 PM: Notes today on the first two recreational-marijuana stores licensed in West Seattle:
NEW LOCATION FOR ORIGINS? We reported back in March about the opening of the first West Seattle recreational-marijuana store, Origins at 1416 SW Roxbury. According to a filing with the State Liquor and Cannabis Board, Origins is now looking to move into the heart of West Seattle – The Junction. It’s asking the licensing board for permission to relocate to 4800 40th SW, a building on the southeast corner of 40th/Edmunds that’s had two early-stage development proposals in the past two years and also currently houses a fitness business. We have a request out for comment but have yet to hear back.
NAME CHOSEN: Origins was the second West Seattle marijuana store to be licensed, but the first to open. Now there’s a name for the first one to receive its license – 5440 California SW will be Canna West Seattle, according to its website. It’s been six months since we reported on the licensing of this shop, but we don’t know yet when it’ll open – we’re awaiting a reply here too.
ADDED 7:45 PM: We’ve heard back from Canna:
… It took a very long time for the city to permit the project. We finally got the permits last week and plan to begin renovations ASAP.
The project will take several weeks, so we will be temporarily opening in the space across the street at 5435 California Ave SW (previously Alternative Medicine Collective), which will eventually be the Canna Glass and Accessories Shop. We plan to be open at this location in four to five weeks.
(AMC was a medical-marijuana dispensary; the dispensaries that did not get recreational licenses had to close by July 1st, and that’s led to a few other vacant storefronts in West Seattle, including two at 35th and Roxbury.)
(Southern Resident Killer Whale breaching in Puget Sound last November – photo by M. Sears, permit #16163)
Get some more joy into your life – the joy of helping. Donna Sandstrom from West Seattle-headquartered The Whale Trail has two ways to suggest:
The Whale Trail is hosting a Volunteer Meeting tomorrow [Tuesday] night at C & P Coffee in West Seattle [5612 California SW] from 6:30 to 8:30. We’ll be planning for the Orca Half/Seattle Summer Parkways, our next season of Orca Talks, and more! A great chance to meet other orca enthusiasts, and put your passion to work for the whales! Learn more and RSVP at Brown Paper Tickets.com. Hope to see you there!
PLUS:
Run, Walk or Volunteer for the Whales and The Whale Trail! The Whale Trail is the beneficiary of the Orca Half, a half-marathon in West Seattle on September 25! We’ll also be participating in Seattle Summer Parkways, 11 to 4 on the same day.
–We need help handing out water at the water tables 9:00 to 1, and staffing our booth at Seattle Summer Parkways from 11 to 4.
–To help with the water tables, sign up at orcahalf.com, and tell them you’re with the Whale Trail! Join us tomorrow at C & P to learn more, or get in touch with Donna – donna@thewhaletrail.org – 206-919-5397
P.S. We notice on the Orca Half website that it has participation capped at 500 runners and is up to 439 signups as of this writing – so if you’ve been procrastinating, time to get going.
(Male Anna’s Hummingbird, photographed by Mark Wangerin)
For today/tonight, from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:
SUMMER GAME CLUB: For kids and teens – drop in and learn a new game at Meeples Games (WSB sponsor), noon-3 pm. See what else is on the Meeples calendar for today/tonight. (3727 California SW)
GIVE THE GIFT OF LIFE: 1 pm-7 pm, Peace Lutheran Church in Seattle is hosting a mobile blood drive. Walk-in donors welcome, except during the 3-4 pm break. (39th SW/SW Thistle)
FAMILY STORY TIME: Stories, songs, rhymes, and fun at High Point Library, 6:30-7 pm. (35th SW/SW Raymond)
ALL-AGES QUIZ NIGHT: 7:30 pm at The Skylark. (3803 Delridge Way SW)
PUB QUIZ: 8 pm at Shadowland in The Junction. (California SW/SW Oregon)
AND MORE … on our full calendar.
(SDOT MAP with travel times/video links; is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE)
(Click any view for a close-up; more cameras on the WSB Traffic page)
6:30 AM: Good morning and welcome to Monday. We start with a few notes for the rest of the day and the week ahead:
SURFACE SPOKANE ST. PROJECT: Here’s the latest update as this project continues east of the low bridge.
STADIUM ZONE, THIS WEEK: Mariners are home vs. the Yankees tonight and Tuesday at 7:10 pm, Wednesday at 12:40 pm … Seahawks have a preseason home game Thursday vs. Dallas, 7 pm …
ALKI BEACH 5K NEXT SUNDAY: Early reminder that the Alki Beach 5K, raising $ for Northwest Hope and Healing, is next Sunday (August 28th), 9 am, and that means Alki SW and part of Harbor SW will be closed for a few hours that morning. (Not registered yet? Go here!)
If you went out on the West Seattle Garden Tour five weeks ago (WSB coverage here), you helped support half a dozen nonprofits, who are now reaping the results:
The photo by Nancy Wilcox is courtesy of the WSGT, whose Aubbie Beal reports:
The West Seattle Garden Tour’s Summer Finale was held this evening at the home of Maryanne Tagney and David Jones. There were about 100 people in attendance, including this year’s gardeners, sponsors, committee members, and the six beneficiaries whose projects have been funded by proceeds from this year’s tour. In total, the tour donated $24,500 to six non-profit organizations this year.
Pictured L to R: Wendy Ann Morgan of Highline Botanical Garden Foundation, Steve Hootman of Rhododendron Species Botanical Garden, Laura Lee of ArtsWest, WSGT president Pam Stusser, Cass Turnbull of PlantAmnesty, Liz Bullard of Seattle Children’s PlayGarden, Heather Foss of South Seattle College Foundation, and Terre Shattuck of the Arboretum at South Seattle College.
The West Seattle Garden Tour is now in its third decade.
Another reader report of burglars breaking in while people were home – in this case, asleep. From RA at West Ridge Apartments (7900 block of Delridge Way SW):
Last night, sometime between 2-830 am, two homes were broken into. In my unit, the burglars entered through the kitchen window, over the kitchen sink and into our home, where they stole my 11 year old son’s PlayStation.
Two buildings down, our neighbors lost much more. Laptops, phones, tablets, car keys, and wallets. The burglars were brazen enough to enter my neighbor’s bedrooms, as well as their 16 year old daughter’s bedroom, while they were asleep, and take things right off the nightstand.
Police responded this morning and reports were filed for both incidents. They also obtained several fingerprints from our window. A big thank you to SPD for making this a priority among the chaos this weekend
THE GOOD NEWS: My next-door neighbor, whom I have only known for three months, stopped my house with a NEW PS4 for my son!! He stated, “I knew you were under a lot of stress today, and wanted you to have one less worry.” In all of the ugliness in this world, we are reminded of the abundance of generosity and kindness out there.
The surface Spokane Street work east of the low bridge continues tomorrow, and the contractor has sent an extra alert beyond what was in the city’s latest update:
We want to make you aware that the contractor intends to bump up their schedule a bit and start work on the storm drain connection at the driveway to Harley Marine [map] on Monday.
Access to the parking lot will of course be maintained but a few spots for parking on the western half of the lot may be lost during construction. After drainage work is complete they will begin work on the elevated pedestrian crossing through the driveway. They will construct the west half of the crossing and open it to traffic before moving on to the east half. Maintaining an approximately 24ft wide driveway to accommodate two-way traffic during each phase.
The contractor will try and leave the existing bike/ped crossing through the driveway open for as long as possible but eventually (Monday afternoon or more likely Tuesday) this work will require a temporary rerouting of the bike path. The detour will be through the parking lot on the back side of construction activities and will use temporary asphalt ramps to connect back to the trail. The detour will be in effect until the new elevated pedestrian/bike crossing is completed and is anticipated to last approximately 1-2 weeks.
Other project notes for the week ahead, and a detailed map, are in this flyer.
6:25 PM: Just under way in The Junction – a fashion show!
Youth models, designers, and production crew members are all involved as the show takes to the runway at the West Seattle Christian Church Activity Center (4400 42nd SW), with an enthusiastic audience here cheering them on.
Two groups of models are scheduled to appear – the Little Royals are modeling right now, with The Reign of Fashion scheduled around 7 pm, with the TKG Dance Crew performing inbetween (photo added):
The show (free admission) is scheduled to continue until 8 pm, so you have lots of time to get here.
The nonprofit Unified Outreach (headquartered across the street at Ginomai arts center) has organized it with the help of a grant from the city’s Work Readiness In The Arts program.
7:43 PM: Back at HQ now, and we’ve added more photos.
5:15 PM: A Seattle Fire Department “full response” has been sent to a house in the 8600 block of 20th SW [map]. Checking on it.
5:17 PM: Per scanner – as our crew heads that way – we’re hearing that it’s a small fire, now tapped, and the response is being scaled back.
5:30 PM: Firefighters at the scene tell our crew that this was a kitchen fire – but no one was home, so they’re waiting for a resident to return so they can talk to someone about what happened. No major damage; the house is being ventilated with fans right now.
Today was the annual occasion for the parental admonition “don’t play with your food” to NOT apply at the West Seattle Farmers’ Market. Not only was it Zucchini 500 day – the annual chance to race vehicles made from vegetables (top photo shows construction in progress) – it was also a celebration of hand-tossed pizza dough:
Pagliacci offered kids the chance to see what it takes to toss pizza crusts. And then Andrew showed how to make it go airborne – intact:
These two food-and-fun events go together because Pagliacci sponsors the Zucchini 500 – and has, we learned via a bit of searching, for more than 15 years!
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