West Seattle, Washington
18 Monday
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
One of the West Seattle Junction building owners interviewed for the just-released “What Makes the West Seattle Junction Special?” historical survey is about to start a new chapter of his own history.
Tom Henry, owner of houseware store J.F. Henry Cooking and Dining at 4445 California SW, confirms, “We have decided to retire and close our business.”
Henry (at right, in 2014 WSB photo) and wife Patty plan to retain ownership of the building; they have quietly had it listed for lease for a few months and expect to announce its new tenant soon. “We’re going to take off our retail hat and become landlords,” he told WSB today. “We’re too young to do nothing – we’re very busy people – it’s going to be kind of fun. I’ve told people, you don’t know what’s out there if you have to pretty much unlock a door [to open the store] every day.”
He says that while brick-and-mortar retailing has definitely changed with the advent of online, “our business has been fine, and we’ve seen a lot of growth with new people moving in.” It “just felt right for us to be doing something different.”
Speaking of school safety – from the WSB inbox:
Chief Sealth International High School and the CSIHS PTSA are hosting a community meeting Wednesday, March 9 at 7 pm in the library of the high school.
The topic of the meeting is “Student Safety: What you all need to know.” Representatives from Seattle Public Schools, the Seattle Police Department, and other community service providers will provide information about how students, families and neighbors can be involved in supporting student safety on campus and in the community. All CSIHS and Denny International Middle School students, families, staff and neighbors are invited and encouraged to attend.
CSIHS is at 2600 SW Thistle.
1:23 PM: Seattle Public Schools confirms that West Seattle Elementary is in lockdown and Gatewood and Sanislo Elementaries are in “shelter in place” because of the same incident: A WSES student reported possibly seeing someone drive by holding a gun. The gun was not reported to be pointed at anyone, and was not fired, but just to be on the safe side, the schools have taken precautions. SPS says police are checking around the area.
1:30 PM: SPS spokesperson Luke Duecy says all three schools are back to normal. Nothing found by SPS as far as we have heard.
7:05 PM: Thanks to Katia for uploading (in her comment below) a photo of the letter sent home by WSES principal Vicki Sacco. The text:
Today at approximately 1:00 p.m. three students reported an issue of concern while they were on the school playground. They observed a car drive past the school and the driver showed them that he had a gun. The adults in charge immediately brought all students inside the building and the school went into a lockdown.
Within minutes the police department and school security arrived. They gathered information and thoroughly checked the school building and campus to ensure that everyone was safe. As an adde d measure the police and district security will be a presence at dismissal time this afternoon.
That’s the northbound school-zone beacon on Fauntleroy Way by Gatewood Elementary, and it hasn’t been working for the past few days. Several people mentioned it to us (206-293-6302 – text/call any time!) because, while the beacon wasn’t flashing, the school-zone speed cam associated with it WAS photographing passing cars.
This morning, after yet another report, we went over for a photo and also checked with SDOT to be sure that the problem was on their radar (so to speak) and to ask whether drivers would indeed be ticketed. Here’s the reply from spokesperson Norm Mah:
SDOT is aware of the situation and working to resolve the issue. Though the camera is still taking photos, no citations will be issued while the beacons are offline.
Community members are welcome to contact SDOT if there are SZSC [school-zone speed camera] related issues regarding the operation of existing beacons, contact walkandbike@seattle.gov or 206-684-7583.
This is one of three school zones in West Seattle with fixed speed cameras. All three – and other school zones that just have beacons, without cameras – are shown on the map you’ll find on this city webpage.
FRIDAY MORNING UPDATE: SDOT says the beacons are working again as of this morning.
If the City Council goes along with Mayor Murray‘s request, you’ll vote on the renewed/increased Housing Levy in August – until now, there hadn’t been a decision about whether it would be on the primary or general ballot. From the announcement, just out of the WSB inbox:
Building on over 30 years of success, today Mayor Ed Murray delivered his proposal to City Council to replace and expand the Seattle Housing Levy in 2016. His $290 million proposal follows three months of stakeholder and community engagement to discuss the levy and hear what the community’s priorities are for this affordable housing resource.
“Expanding the Housing Levy is the most important thing we will do this year to support affordability in Seattle,” said Mayor Murray. “The levy is a powerful resource to build more affordable homes for low-income families and help people at risk for falling into homelessness. We value an equitable and diverse city and we will renew our commitment to affordable housing.”
The Mayor is recommending the Housing Levy be placed on the August ballot.
The City Council has created a select committee, chaired by Councilmember Tim Burgess, to consider the Mayor’s proposal. A public hearing on the proposal will take place at City Hall on April 4, 2016 at 5:30 p.m. …
Read the rest of this morning’s announcement here.
Two West Seattle meetings with briefings about and discussion of the levy have already been held. We covered both. Here are our reports:
–February 23rd meeting (with video)
–February 3rd Southwest District Council meeting
Two West Seattle Crime Watch reader reports this morning, starting with another stolen car to watch for:
STOLEN SILVER SUBARU: From Rebecca: “My car was stolen from in front of our house last night. 3700 block of 34th Ave SW near Manning. It was a silver Subaru Outback. We reported it to the police, incident number 16-75829. I don’t know the license plate, it had a car seat inside and a STEM sticker on the back window.” SPD asks that you call 911 if you see this (or any other) stolen car – the thief could still be in the area, and auto thefts aren’t always standalone crimes (they might be used as transportation between burglaries, for example).
HIT AND RUN: If you’ve seen a blue Volvo with a missing passenger side rear-view mirror cover, Laura hopes you’ll report it – here’s why:
I would like to report a hit and run on the west side of the 5400 block of 48th Ave SW (traveling south). In the evening we discovered that our van had been side swiped on Tuesday 3/1. After notifying our neighbors of the incident, two of them mentioned a blue car parked in front of ours around 9:45 am. We later discovered a rear view mirror cover from a blue Volvo in front of our car.
Here’s a photo of the damage done to Laura’s car.
P.S. Set your calendar reminder early – this month’s West Seattle Crime Prevention Council meeting, including your chance to bring issues and questions to local police face-to-face outside an emergency situation, will be at the precinct (2300 SW Webster) at 7 pm Tuesday, March 15th.
9 AM: When we first heard about discolored water in Admiral/Belvidere yesterday morning, we advised people to call Seattle Public Utilities – 206-386-1800 – and received early word back that customers were being told it was just hydrant testing, so we didn’t pursue it further, but should have; more reports came in many hours later, and we pinged SPU’s communications team to find out if it was really something more. This morning we finally have the answer, from SPU spokesperson Ingrid Goodwin: “A hydrant on Belvidere was being used to fill up a vactor truck. This action caused customers to experience discolored water. In this case, it took longer than normal for the discolored water to clear. SPU apologizes to customers for the inconvenience. Testing and use of the hydrants for purposes other than firefighting is required periodically.”
9:24 AM: In response to our followup questions: “Our vactor trucks carry water and they need to fill up from time to time, which is pretty common. This was not a testing situation. Pulling water from this hydrant certainly caused more sediment to be disturbed than normal. Our field crews are aware of the problem and will be working to minimize this type of issue in the future.”
(Click any view for a close-up; more cameras on the WSB Traffic page)
6:14 AM: We start this morning with an incident at Delridge/Orchard. A texter says it’s a collision involving a bicycle rider. We’re on our way to find out.
6:30 AM: The medical call at the intersection has closed, meaning SFD crews are no longer involved.
6:33 AM: Our crew has arrived and the scene’s completely clear – no police, either. If anyone had been seriously hurt, investigators would still be on scene; we’ll call around later this morning to follow up. Meantime:
WEEKEND VIADUCT/HIGHWAY 99 REMINDER: WSDOT plans its twice-yearly inspection of the Alaskan Way Viaduct, starting Saturday 6 am-6 pm and continuing Sunday 6 am-6 pm if needed; separate from the inspection, Highway 99 will be closed both ways north of the Battery Street Tunnel 6 am-noon on Sunday for the Hot Chocolate Run – get the specifics here.
7:52 AM: Commenters are reporting a truck problem on NB 99 “at the top of the S-curves.”
7:54 AM: SDOT now finally has this:
Stalled vehicle blocking right lane of NB SR 99 at King St. Expect delays. pic.twitter.com/rXssDdT8Zk
— seattledot (@seattledot) March 3, 2016
7:58 AM: … and now SDOT says it’s cleared but “residual backup remains.”
8:45 AM: Again this morning, we’re getting reports that the northbound school-zone lights on Fauntleroy by Gatewood Elementary aren’t working, but that the speed cam seems to be. We’ve asked those who mentioned this to be sure to report it to SDOT, but if they did, it hasn’t been fixed yet, so we’re checking with SDOT and should have a separate story later today.
No matter what size your garden, if you’re growing plants from seed, this is big news: The grand opening of the West Seattle Seed Library is set, one year after the original call to help make it happen. Here’s the cabinet where you’ll find the seeds at The Healing Tree (3225 California SW):
You can join the celebration 2-4 pm on (corrected) Sunday, March 13th, and it’ll be open to the public Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays, 4-7 pm. Krista from Terraganics, who along with Katie from Seattle Farm School is making this dream come to life, says, “Access is free to public to take and receive seeds! No membership required. This is the 4th location of the King County Seed Library with more already in work. Types of seeds available are edible and flowering. We are so excited to have this resource available locally!”
In Crime Watch tonight – a stolen car to watch for. It belongs to Stacy‘s neighbor; Stacy says it was taken in the 9400 block of 18th SW [map] early Tuesday, just after midnight, a 1991 silver two-door Honda Accord with Washington plates AMF1330. If you see it, call 911 – the case # is 16-073069.
(Summer Fest ’14 from the air, photographed by Long Bach Nguyen)
Four months until West Seattle Summer Fest – and it’s time NOW for this invitation to artists, businesses, and organizations:
The West Seattle Junction Association is happy to announce opportunities for West Seattle Summer Fest, July 8-9-10, 2016.
Summer Fest is a well-loved community event with shopping, live music, sidewalk cafes, kids’ area, a beer garden, and more. But what makes this event exceptional is the opportunity to connect with our community.
While Junction businesses are well-represented at the event, we invite the greater West Seattle artist, business, and non-profit community to join the event and help showcase what’s special about our neighborhood. Their participation will help give the neighborhood what they want – strong West Seattle representation at Summer Fest.
We are now accepting vendor applications for Summer Fest, and the application deadline is April 1. We are also seeking sponsorship to help us produce the best event possible. Information on both can be found at westseattlefestival.com.
(WSB photo, Tuesday morning, taken from Genesee looking south at restaurant location)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
The Pecos Pit Barbecue restaurant at 35th and Fauntleroy is expected to be open by mid-May.
That’s what representatives said at a meeting last night meant to address community safety concerns about the site, primarily stemming from its addition of a drive-through window.
“A lot of good solutions and ideas here tonight,” observed René Commons of the Junction Neighborhood Organization, organizer of the meeting, as it wrapped up. She stressed that the neighborhood is excited about the restaurant – whose plan for the two-years-closed teriyaki shack at 4400 35th SW was first reported here one year ago – but wants to be sure safety and traffic-flow concerns are addressed.
This was the second “community outreach meeting” involving neighbors and restaurant reps. Pecos Pit was represented by business-development vice president Nick Nordby, Jeremy McLachlan (a West Seattle resident) from operations, and Paul Krakow from real estate. Along with about half a dozen JuNO members and neighbors, City Councilmember Lisa Herbold sent rep Alex Clardy.
What was discussed answered some questions that have come up here on WSB in previous discussions:
Today’s theme seems to be history. Here’s some aviation history, which you might have seen in the sky a few hours ago. In case you didn’t, thanks to Doug Branch for sharing photos of the first Boeing 727’s last flight, as it ended this morning at nearby Boeing Field (mentioned in our daily preview). He says it appeared to fly low over Elliott Bay as it came in, so it might have turned some West Seattleites’ heads.
United donated this half-century-old jet to the Museum of Flight 25 years ago – it’s been undergoing restoration so it can join the museum’s collection. Read more about it on the MoF website (which explains it’ll be in the Airpark throughout the summer, then moving to the museum’s new Aviation Pavilion).
Meantime, you can see Doug’s photos directly on Flickr – also shared in the WSB group there, here and here.
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(WSB photo, taken this morning; remaining top half of vandal’s marking has been blurred – bottom half was painted over)
12 days after we first reported on this vandalized mural in The Junction, its future remains unsettled. Paint has been used to cover the lower half of the big black-paint markings with which it was defaced – the part that was not on the mural itself. But while West Seattle Junction Association director Susan Melrose was hopeful at first that a graffiti-paintout firm would be able to handle the rest, that turned out not to be the case. We asked her about it at today’s Junction Historical Survey event; she tells WSB she has called in a muralist to evaluate it. After taking a first look this past weekend, she says, the muralist concurred that it’s major damage without an easy solution – the mural already was too faded, and the vandal’s paint just soaked right in. They’re still talking to see what can be done, but in case you’re wondering why the tag is still partly visible – that’s why.
BACKSTORY: The mural is “The First Duwamish Bridge” by Robert Dafford, and is on the north side of 4740 44th SW, facing The Junction’s southernmost 3-free-hours parking lot. It dates back a quarter-century now, along with nine others noted here.
(WSB photo)
The Seattle Lutheran High School boys’ basketball team plays its first state-tournament game tomorrow in Spokane. This past hour, a regular all-school gathering in the SLHS gym ended with a special sendoff for the Saints.
Their first game is against the Almira-Coulee-Hartline Warriors at 2 pm Thursday.
10:14 AM: Seattle Fire has sent a full response to a possible house fire in The Arroyos, in the 4100 block of Arroyo Drive [map]. The first engines to arrive at the house are not seeing signs of smoke or fire so far. More to come.
10:19 AM: Per scanner, it was a small fire, already out, but they’re still doublechecking. Meantime, many of the units are being dismissed.
10:33 AM: Engine 37 (photo added above) is the last one here and wrapping up to leave.
(Heart of The Junction, 1926. Photo courtesy SWSHS)
9:02 AM: We’re at Husky Deli in The Junction, where the first-ever West Seattle Junction Historical Survey is being formally announced, with a gathering of local advocates, businesspeople, electeds, and more.
Gathering for WS Junction Historical Survey unveiling pic.twitter.com/VoZyU3aOoV
— West Seattle Blog (@westseattleblog) March 2, 2016
We’re recording video and will be publishing toplines live. (added 3:24 pm – here’s the video – the heart of the briefing starts 1:30 in):
For starters – the report and highlights are here. It’s in three parts: A survey of 58 Junction buildings that are 40+ years old; summaries of interviews with nine Junction building owners; summary of a public survey done last summer. As Clay Eals, executive director of the SW Seattle Historical Society, has just pointed out, it’s been almost exactly a year since this effort was announced. More to come!
9:07 AM: Community advocate Chas Redmond is opening the event with backstory – he was on the Southwest District Council when the idea first came up 3+ years ago. Current SWDC member Deb Barker (who also happens to be on the city Landmark Preservation Board) mentions that King County’s 4Culture helped fund this, and that the building survey was done by architectural historian Mimi Sheridan.
The buildings surveyed are between Genesee and Edmunds, mostly along California SW, some on 44th and 42nd. The survey categorizes buildings, primarily by whether they might be eligible for landmark status. Two wound up in that category (A) – the Campbell and Hamm Buildings in the heart of The Junction (NW and NE corners of California/Alaska – see them in the historical photo atop this story), built in 1918 and 1926 respectively. Six buildings are Category B – potentially eligible to be designated as landmarks, pending further evaluation – Hotwire/dental, Courtesy Accounting, JF Henry, ex-JC Penney, Curious Kidstuff, Technical Analysis. The rest of the 40+-year-old buildings were not considered eligible for potential landmark status.
9:15 AM: Susan Melrose from the WS Junction Association is introducing the building owner interviews – and she says the transcriptions are worth diving into; they often were the first time these owners had ever been asked about the buildings, how they came to own them, and more.
She’s followed by Eals, summarizing the public interviews done during events in the area last summer, on paper, with 260+ respondents who “were eager to share their observations and opinions – and every syllable of what they wrote is in the report.” The question included “favorite buildings” and Eals says they were named by their main tenants, Easy Street Records and Cupcake Royale, – the Campbell and Hamm Buildings mentioned above – were the leading answers. What’s worth preserving? History and small-town feel, he said – and 43 of the respondents had a one-word answer to that question: “Everything.” Eals says the logical question to all this is, what’s next? The Historical Society will answer that question in its own event at 11 am Saturday in The Junction, outside Key Bank if it’s not raining, at Husky Deli if it is. The interim time is in order for the survey to “be absorbed” and appreciated, he says.
9:20 AM: Now, the electeds (and an ex-elected). King County Executive Dow Constantine kicks it off, recounting The Junction’s century-plus history. (We’re recording video and will have it up within a few hours.)
Electeds and ex-elected here including @kcexec @JoeMcDermott8 @Lisa_Herbold and Tom Rasmussen pic.twitter.com/o17mOYfakh
— West Seattle Blog (@westseattleblog) March 2, 2016
With him, as you can see in our photo, are King County Council chair Joe McDermott, City Councilmember Lisa Herbold, and former City Councilmember Tom Rasmussen. Constantine says The Junction is always “where the community came together.” And, he notes, the survey is meant to help this area “move forward by honoring the past” and to “learn more about what makes this place so special to the community.” (He is a native West Seattleite, if you didn’t already know that.) He says 4Culture’s support of this involved a $10,000 grant. He says he’s “excited about the proactive approach taken by (those who did and oversaw) this survey.”
Councilmember McDermott, introduced by Constantine as another “old-timey West Seattleite,” calls West Seattle “truly a unique community.” But he stresses that for historical preservation, something has to have “meaning,” and the new report documents “what’s going on here, not just what used to go on here” – although he subsequently recounts memories including an early job here at Husky Deli. He says the report will assist with “an informed and solid conversation about meaningful use and historical preservation.”
Councilmember Herbold brings this into the context of a current issue, affordability (housing and otherwise), saying that “not just about saving these buildings because of why we love them, but because of what we want to retain moving forward – the affordability of this community, the use of local businesses … a place that is an economic engine for our local businesses.” She chairs the community that oversees economic development and believes it will be “useful to bring these findings to the council” including as assistance to other communities in Seattle struggling with these same issues. “For me, what this survey represents is hope” – for West Seattle and elsewhere.
Now, Rasmussen, who left the council a few months ago after deciding not to run for re-election. “We’re not just here to talk about saving buildings … but also we want to save what’s unique about this neighborhood, including the small locally owned businesses.” He talks about working with other areas, including Pike-Pine on Capitol Hill, which is “now one of the most successful neighborhoods on the West Coast. … When you save what is unique about (a) neighborhood, then you also save the local businesses … when you bulldoze a neighborhood or block, it is very difficult for local businesses (to move back in).” He points across the street to two new apartment buildings in this block, which now primarily have chains occupying or moving into its spaces. Just arrived, it’s announced, deputy mayor Hyeok Kim.
9:33 AM: Next up, business owners – Lora Swift of Hotwire Online Coffeehouse (WSB sponsor) and Ann Walker of Curious Kidstuff.
Speaking next, Lora Swift of @hotwirecoffee and Ann Walker of @CuriousKidstuff pic.twitter.com/YiXgUfR167
— West Seattle Blog (@westseattleblog) March 2, 2016
Swift says she is grateful and honored to have been part of this business community for 15+ years. “As I look around the room, I find that I’ve served coffee to most of you. … I hope to see everyone of you for the next 15 years.” Walker says the neighborhood “looked very different” when she opened her shop 18 years ago. She says she never realized when she started the store that it would go on so long, and she would have customers whose children are now customers with their own children. “It’s a lot of work, and it’s hard, but it’s so valuable,” she says, regarding running a small business.
9:37 AM: Next – two of the nine business owners who were interviewed, Menashe and Sons Jewelers (WSB sponsor)’s Jack Menashe, and Husky Deli’s Jack Miller.
Speaking now – Jack Menashe of @menashejewelers and Jack Miller of Husky Deli pic.twitter.com/MPierSbDtr
— West Seattle Blog (@westseattleblog) March 2, 2016
Menashe says he grew up in Seward Park but was brought to West Seattle as a child every Sunday to have Spud Fish and Chips, and the family would drive to The Junction. He went into business here when he was 25, he says, fulfilling a wish voiced by his parents. He thanks those who supported him over the years and hails West Seattle as a “very, very loyal community” – saying the thanks for that goes to everyone in the community. “With all the changes in business, from forms of advertising with the Internet and all the different things and everything that’s happened to our city … many people outside West Seattle have come into this area for the unique area it is and the unique shops … and they love this area, the uniqueness, the older buildings … we can go everywhere (they say) but ‘please keep this area a unique, loyal area’ and that has stayed with me all these years.”
Miller says it’s not just the businesses – “Lincoln Park is not just a park, Alki is not just a beach … The Junction is not just a place to shop … we’re lucky to be here … I’m lucky to have been born into a family that has been here for 84 years. … We’re not just selling sandwiches and ice cream, there’s community here. It’s dear to us, and I’m hoping .. we have some kind of vision to preserve the feel, and loyal people here.” He recounts the story of how loyalty led to a Ben and Jerry’s franchise (where Cupcake Royale is now) not lasting long.
9:46 AM: The briefing is wrapping up; we’re the only news media here, and we ask whether the owners of the two buildings identified as potential landmarks, without even further evaluation, think about the concept. Eals says the Campbell Building (Cupcake Royale & more)’s ownership indicated potential support for preservation, but they so far have not been able to reach the Hamm Building (Easy Street & more)’s owners. All building owners, adds Barker, have been notified of the survey’s results. And as mentioned above, Eals reiterates to us, the Historical Society will have more to say on Saturday.
We’ll be adding more photos, as well as the video, of this event, after we get back to HQ.
Thanks to Sean for the photo above – described as “‘mammatus clouds’ over our house on 49th/Graham” during the Tuesday storm – and thanks again to everyone who contributed photos and info during our coverage. Much quieter so far today, so it’s on to the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar for our highlights:
EYES ON THE SKY FOR A SPECIAL FLIGHT: Around 10:30 this morning, the final flight of the first Boeing 727 will take it from Paine Field in Snohomish County to Boeing Field east of us (landing around 10:45 am); it will become part of the Museum of Flight‘s collection. Info here, and the MoF’s page is here – with info on streaming, too.
NETWORKING MEETUP: Noon-1:15 pm at West Seattle Office Junction (WSB sponsor) – working at home? at a coffee shop? or at a WS workplace? Drop in, bring your lunch, see who else shows up, network! (6040 California SW)
FREE TAX-PREP HELP: Evening session of the United Way‘s free-for-many tax-prep help at the West Seattle Food Bank, 5-9 pm, no appointment necessary. (35th SW/SW Morgan)
AFRICAN AMERICAN FAMILY NIGHT: 6-8 pm at West Seattle High School, as previewed here last night. Dinner and resource fair! (3000 California SW)
TRAINING RUN: 6:15 pm at West Seattle Runner (WSB sponsor), meet up for a group training run to get ready for the St. Paddy’s Dash. Free, no need to pre-register, just show up! (2743 California SW)
FAUNTLEROY EXPRESSWAY PROJECT BRIEFING: During tonight’s 6:30 pm Southwest District Council meeting, SDOT will present a briefing about the upcoming closures for re-replacing earthquake-safety cushions on the Fauntleroy Expressway (west/southwest end of the West Seattle Bridge) – here’s our most-recent coverage. Other topics include reviewing local projects proposed for the Neighborhood Street Fund, and an update on the West Seattle YMCA (WSB sponsor) expansion project. The meeting’s at the Sisson Building/Senior Center. (California SW/SW Oregon)
TRIVIA FUNDRAISER: From Talarico’s trivia host Phil Tavel – 8:30 pm tonight, the weekly trivia night “is the 3rd annual fundraiser for the YMCA’s children’s education programs. $4 per person, gift bags, champagne, raffles, all for a very good cause. Please call Talarico’s to make a reservation if you plan on coming (206-937-3463). Trivia to help support after-school programs for kids.” (4718 California SW)
(Click any view for a close-up; more cameras on the WSB Traffic page)
6:34 AM: Good morning! No incidents reported currently in or from West Seattle. Reminders:
BUS-LANE CRACKDOWN THIS MORNING: Today’s the day that SPD plans a bus-lane enforcement operation, 7-9 am.
VIADUCT CLOSURES THIS WEEKEND: The semi-annual inspection of the Alaskan Way Viaduct will shut it down Saturday 6 am-6 pm and possibly also Sunday; that day will begin, separate from the inspection, with a closure north of the Battery Street Tunnel for the Hot Chocolate Run. Full details here.
7:20 AM: One more reminder for tonight – if you’ve got questions about the upcoming Fauntleroy Expressway closures to re-replace earthquake-safety cushions (here’s our most-recent story), a briefing is part of the Southwest District Council meeting tonight, 6:30 pm at the Sisson Building (Senior Center) in The Junction.
7:54 PM: Thanks for the text (206-293-6302 any time)! If you’re noticing SFD at 41st/42nd/Alaska (SDOT cam here), it’s an automatic fire alarm call in the Altamira/QFC/etc. building.
Thieves and scammers to tell you about tonight in West Seattle Crime Watch:
GROCERY THIEF ON VIDEO: John in High Point, near Lanham and Graham, sent this video:
He says that person took two items off his porch including a bag of groceries that had been delivered, and appeared to join an accomplice on the sidewalk, pushing a shopping cart away. If you have any leads on the thief’s identity, HP’s Community Police Team Officer Kevin McDaniel is on the case; his contact info is here.
SIGN THIEVES/VANDALS: Jane in Delridge shares the photo and report:
Well, this is pretty sad. One would think that in a racially diverse neighborhood like Delridge, this wouldn’t occur. But, I put up a “Black Lives Matter” sign in my front yard, and after about a week, my neighbor found it in his trash. It made him mad, so I put up another one and we got him one too. Every couple of days, one or the other would get knocked over or stolen and we’d just replace it. A third neighbor also got into the act so the signs were on three houses in a row. Finally, after having about six or seven signs stolen, I put up the signs you see in the photo. Two days up and so far, so good. I haven’t been home today — the sign may have gotten blown away in the wind. But I have a bunch more. It’s hard to think of who might have done this, but I hope at some point he or she finds some peace in their own life.
WALLET THIEF: Lindsey wants to remind you to “watch your pockets.” She says a pickpocket stole her man’s wallet and keys while they were at a Junction bar recently, and he apparently wasn’t the only one targeted.
PHONE SCAM: David at Moondrop Coffee e-mailed today to say they’d been targeted by the relentless “City Light” scammers – and wanted to remind their fellow businesspeople, in particular, to be vigilant. We’ve reported many times on these scammers – who call and insist a bill is overdue and that shutoff is imminent unless money is provided. As the utility reiterates here, they don’t work that way.
It’s the annual question – when do Girl Scout Cookies go on sale? This year’s answer: Friday (March 4th). You can find the nearest location via the cookie finder here. Looks like West Seattle sales start outside Husky Deli at 3 pm, and more locations join in starting at 4. The locations closest to zip code 98106 are here; 98116, here; 98126, here; 98136, here; 98146, here. See the seven varieties available this year by going here.
Big event at West Seattle High School tomorrow night! We were asked to help with one last round of getting the word out:
When: Wednesday, March 2, 2016 from 6:00-8:00 p.m.
Where: The Library
Who: African American families and students
What: This night is an opportunity to access the resources that were requested at the Fall African American Family Night and build relationships. It will also be a night to provide the school with further feedback.
Resource Fair:
College Resources
School Resources
Community ResourcesDinner:
Enjoy a meal with WSHS staff and African American students and families in order to build relationshipsOpportunity for Feedback:
What could WSHS be doing to make school great for your student and familyWhy:
We want to partner with our African American students and families on how to better serve you. You asked for access to more resources.Questions: Please contact Rebecka McKinney at 206-252-8833 or ramckinney@seattleschools.org if you have any questions about this event.
Thank you! We’re excited to see you on March 2nd.
(SCROLL DOWN for the newest weather/power-outage updates and photos)
The wind. Loudly rustling evergreens now and then, but not sustained pic.twitter.com/d99V0P43mx
— West Seattle Blog (@westseattleblog) March 1, 2016
3:19 PM: We have word of two outages so far – the Seattle City Light map shows 100+ customers out in the Seola/south Arbor Heights area:
And we just received a call from someone in Gatewood – right about the time our power flickered (but stayed on) here, south of Gatewood. It’s been about an hour and a half since the wind started kicking up – some gusts, but not a lot of sustained strong wind, so far.
3:40 PM: Gatewood’s still not on the map (California/Orchard was the area mentioned by the caller), but that historically outage-plagued area doesn’t always show. None of the lights on California in that area were out when we went by a few minutes ago.
3:51 PM: Now we have an explanation for the Gatewood outage – Cynthia and Scott have sent photos of a tree down on Gatewood Road:
4:05 PM: Thanks to Cathy for this report: “At Genesee and 49th, a tree has pulled down a wire, which is dangling into the middle of the street. Cars are swerving around it. Tried to call 911 but got put on hold for 15 minutes. May want to give folks a heads up.”
4:16 PM: Just got to that area – all clear now, and a City Light vehicle was just leaving.
4:27 PM: We’re now in Gatewood, where a variety of wires are down on Glenridge (same area as tree photo above). Neighbors have put out cones and have called it in but haven’t seen SCL yet.
4:44 PM: And an oddity that might just be coincidental to the wind, or not – Gay sent this photo of a “flying starfish,” explaining that a “neighbor kid and his chaperone” found it – about a third of a mile inland!
Gay says they’re speculating an eagle dropped it.
5:08 PM: Per comments, new trouble on Genesee – tree/wires at 48th.
5:21 PM: We’ve also had, for the third day in a row, rainbow reports! Thanks for the photos – this is from Al:
And right before the rainbow, Deb photographed hail in North Admiral:
Whitecaps on the water this afternoon, as this photo from Alki by W.T. Vandermark shows:
5:44 PM: Back to Gatewood, where Scott says City Light hasn’t arrived yet, though SDOT has helped block off the affected area:
The wind advisory remains in effect until 9 tonight.
6:30 PM: According to the City Light map, the number of customers still out in Seola/south Arbor Heights is down to 51.
6:44 PM: New tree trouble, tweeted by Mike Jensen:
Big tree down at 44th and Juneau in West Seattle @westseattleblog #warain pic.twitter.com/XWPXzft6sl
— Mike Jensen (@mjtwit) March 2, 2016
9 PM: Gatewood is back on, per Zephyr in comments. But the SCL map still has 51 out in Seola/south AH.
9:18 PM: Make that “some” in Gatewood – Scott says City Light is there but isn’t working yet, and his neighborhood remains without electricity.
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