West Seattle, Washington
30 Saturday
Four West Seattle Crime Watch reports to share:
OVERNIGHT BREAK-IN: Just received from Erik:
I live on 50th and Grayson and got a call from an elderly neighbor that someone broke in through her garage this morning at 1 am while she was sleeping. She woke up to them rummaging through her dresser drawers in the room she was sleeping in. She startled them and they ran out but they had some jewelry by then. She mentioned to the police how surprised she was, that she always has felt safe in our neighborhood and they responded that this is a new occurrence that has been moving in to the area and has been happening more frequently. The neighbor next door to her was prowled at 4 am the night before. In both cases they tried going through a garage or basement door that had cover from the street or light. Just wanted to bring this up to the neighborhood. Be safe!
BICYCLE STOLEN: Another reminder that crime can happen to anyone. Even a City Councilmember. West Seattle-residing at-large Councilmember Lorena González tweeted this last night:
Help find this racing bike stolen from our garage on Monday! Call Seattle Police if you see. Thx. pic.twitter.com/2x6zSqiwQQ
— M. Lorena Gonzalez (@MLorenaGonzalez) January 7, 2016
Thanks to Joe Szilagyi for pointing out the tweet from González, who lives in The Junction.
BICYCLE FOUND: Thanks to “Northwest” for reporting this apparently dumped (which tends to mean “stolen”) bicycle on the Ferry Avenue slope:
NW says, “Discovered this bicycle while out for a walk along the top of the eastern-facing hillside about 20 feet down from the street on Ferry Ave SW. it is a mountain bike, the brand Mongoose.”
CAR PROWLED: Another one in the area between Morgan Junction and Lincoln Park:
The other day, you reported that a neighbor up the street (6300 block of 47th Pl SW) had their car windshield broken for the second time, unfortunately. We just noticed (Tuesday) night that my car had been rifled through; since it’s currently parked along the street instead of in its usual place by our driveway to allow access for some water repairs, we may not have noticed right away, so I don’t know which night it happened. I also don’t know how they got in, since the car had been locked and there was no sign of damage.
Of course as a diligent reader of WSB, I know not to leave anything of value in the car. I’m thinking of just taping a big sign inside the window: “Dear thief, please don’t waste your time breaking into this car. I’ve already taken everything of value out of it.”
Thanks for sharing Crime Watch reports to inform your neighbors across the peninsula via a website that’s accessible by all, since crime unfortunately knows no neighborhood bounds. If you ever have anything to report, tell the police first and then please e-mail us, editor@westseattleblog.com – or if it’s happening now, aka breaking news, please text/call 206-293-6302.
(Six WS-relevant views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
6:44 AM: Now that the new West Seattle Water Taxi M/V Doc Maynard is officially on the job (WSB coverage here), it’s on to the regular morning traffic and transit watch. So far, no incidents in/from West Seattle.
FAUNTLEROY FERRY DOCK ALERT: As previewed here earlier this week, piling-replacement work is happening today at the Fauntleroy dock, and Washington State Ferries warns that delays are possible for ferry users, 7 am-4 pm.
ICY BIKE PATH: First published last night, an alert about black ice on the path near the “low bridge,” despite above-freezing temps.
7:52 AM: Thanks to the texter who just alerted us to the big emergency response to a crash at 16th/Holden. On our way.
8:07 AM: At the scene. Car is in eastbound lanes of Holden on west side of intersection.
SPD is directing traffic. 1 person hurt (driver of that car), minor injuries but will be transported via private ambulance.
8:16 AM: Engine 11 just rolled out for a crash reported at Roxbury/Olson. We’re off to check. 16th/Holden north/south flow is back to near-normal.
8:24 AM: No traffic impact at Roxbury/Olson, fender-bender and on a side street while SPD talks with drivers:
9:11 AM: Photos added from aforementioned incidents.
The M/V Doc Maynard is ending its first West Seattle-to-Downtown Seattle passenger run right about now; our Instagram clip above shows its first WS arrival, our YouTube clip below, its first departure:
TV lights shone on the first passengers to board; we were on Seacrest Pier watching as they admired the big new boat, delivered and dedicated in last September – since then, it’s spent some time filling in for its twin boat on the Vashon run, M/V Sally Fox, and awaited dock improvements at Seacrest, which were finished last month, enabling the crew to train for today and beyond. It can hold 278 passengers, more than twice its predecessor, the Spirit of Kingston, which is now the KCWT’s backup boat. And there’s rack space for 26 bicycles. KC Department of Transportation’s Marine Division director Paul Brodeur talked up other key points while the DM was boarding:
The half-million-passenger ridership milestone he mentioned was celebrated last month.
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
Elected to represent District 1, charged with making decisions affecting the entire city – how will newly seated City Councilmember Lisa Herbold balance those roles?
Her Q&A appearance at tonight’s Southwest District Council meeting offered an early glimpse into how she hopes to do it.
If you don’t have time to watch our video, read on!
While Herbold is one of four first-term councilmembers – three representing districts, one elected at-large – she is the only one who was already at City Hall, having spent more than a decade and a half working for Councilmember Nick Licata, who chose not to run again. “In some ways, it’s the same job, in others, different,” she mused tonight.
“So you started (off) knowing where your parking space was,” one attendee suggested.
“I don’t have a parking space,” Herbold laughed.
She later joked that a benefit of district representation is that she can get anywhere within a few minutes – to a meeting like this one, for example, at the Sisson Building in The Junction – “then go home and get into my jammies.” (She lives in Highland Park, a central location for a district that includes South Park as well as West Seattle.)
In a far more serious vein, Herbold had a lot to say about the committees she’s on – including acknowledging reading a WSB comment or two from people puzzled by the catch-all committee names, such as the one she’s chairing, the Civil Rights, Utilities, Economic Development, and Arts Committee:
Read More
(WSB photos)
This morning at Westside School (WSB sponsor) in Arbor Heights, dozens of students gathered for a special delivery: Hundreds of coho-salmon eggs brought by Judy Pickens as part of this year’s deliveries for “Salmon in the Schools.” A dozen local schools, public and private, are participating this year, Judy says; the eggs she and husband Phil Sweetland picked up at a hatchery are timed to hatch within the next two weeks or so. At Westside, second-grade teacher Margie Carpenter put the eggs in their aquarium after a 10-minute iodine bath to be sure they hadn’t brought along any organisms that might hurt the fish when they hatch:
Students at the participating schools will tend to the resulting fry for the next few months, and then go to Fauntleroy Creek in May to release them. Judy says, “During that time, they will learn about fish biology, habitat, culture, and economic importance in this region, cultivating writing, math, chemistry, and other monitoring skills.” Around King County, 160 schools are expected to participate in Salmon in the Schools this year. Salmon watch at Fauntleroy Creek continues year-round, meantime, culminating each year in the watch for returning coho – none last fall, as happens some years.
A reader e-mailed tonight to share this safety alert for bicycle commuters:
This morning at 9:00 a.m., there was black ice on the bike path just north of the Spokane St. Bridge on Harbor Island. It was 40 degrees, but this area is probably in shade all day this time of year. A group of cyclists spread bark to improve traction. We could see skid marks where it appeared other cyclists had spilled.
Consider walking your bike through this section. It is only 50 feet or so.
Earlier, we had received one report that a bicycle rider was injured just before 9 am at a location logged by Seattle Fire as 1002 SW Spokane. We didn’t get word until long after the call closed, and could only confirm with SFD that one person suffered “minor injuries.”
5:54 PM: Texter says a crew is working on the inside outside westbound lane on Admiral Way at 39th SW, and that’s causing a backup down the hill past Admiral Way Viewpoint. We’re checking to see what it’s about.
@westseattleblog #admiraldistrict pic.twitter.com/emTBrMZmu9
— brentamaker (@brentamaker) January 7, 2016
6:35 PM: Thanks to Brent for the video. It’s a Seattle Public Utilities water crew; we’re now inquiring with SPU to confirm whether it’s a break, who’s affected, and how long they’re likely to be working.
6:53 PM UPDATE: SPU spokesperson Andy Ryan tells us a two-inch water line broke/is leaking, and the crew should be done by 8 pm.
7:44 PM UPDATE: That timeline might slide, as a particular type of truck was still being awaited as of a short time ago. Ryan says no one should be without water but the flow is “throttled back” so some might have reduced water pressure.
12:16 AM: Commenters say the crew’s still at work and now hoping to fix it by morning.
(September photo of M/V Doc Maynard, by Mike)
Three and a half months after its ceremonial dedication, the M/V Doc Maynard will finally take over the King County Water Taxi’s West Seattle-to-Downtown Seattle run tomorrow. Just in from the King County Department of Transportation:
Pier modifications to Seacrest Dock and crew training have been completed clearing the way for the MV Doc Maynard to begin morning service on the West Seattle route tomorrow (Thursday) morning. The MV Doc Maynard will serve as the primary vessel on the West Seattle route with the Spirit of Kingston backing her up as necessary.
The vessel, built by All American Marine in Bellingham, carries 278 passengers, 131 more than the Spirit of Kingston. The added capacity will offer more room as the West Seattle route continues to grow. In 2015, the West Seattle route served over 313,000 passengers, an increase of nearly 11 percent from 2014.
Like the M/V Sally Fox that operates the Vashon run, the Doc Maynard has indoor and outdoor seating, ADA accessible bathrooms and wheelchair tie-downs, space for 26 bicycles and video screens that will display safety, schedule and trip information. But because the new vessel will be spending most of its time in the calmer waters of Elliott Bay, passengers will have access to an outdoor forward bow that will offer a better view of the sights.
The Doc Maynard was welcomed to the fleet with a dedication celebration in mid-September (WSB coverage here). The pier-modification work was done last month. The WS Water Taxi is on a Monday-Friday, commute-times-only schedule until early April, which means its debut run from West Seattle should be a 6:15 am Seacrest departure Thursday morning.
Thanks to West Seattle High School boys-basketball head coach Keffrey Fazio for sharing the clip from last night’s game, in which his #9-ranked team beat #4-ranked O’Dea 60-59, on the road, at the buzzer, on a shot by junior standout Nate Pryor. The coach adds, “Pryor also had 5 rebounds and 7 assists. Seniors Chaaka Trahan and Carter Golgart provided key plays down the stretch. Junior Akili Kasim had 8 rebounds and 4 steals. Junior Yusuf Mohamed had 9 points and 6 rebounds.” The Wildcats are now 6-0 in the Metro League, 9-1 overall, and will be back at home at 6:30 pm Saturday vs. Stadium HS.
P.S. The also-league-leading undefeated WSHS girls play at Holy Names tonight and are home against Eastside Catholic at 8 pm Friday.
(Added: Thanks to Angelina for the photo taken right after it happened)
12:11 PM: Thanks for the tips reporting a vehicle crash at the North Delridge Subway (Delridge/Andover). The 911 log shows a heavy-rescue call that canceled quickly. We’re en route for a look.
(WSB photo)
12:26 PM: Police at the scene say no one was hurt. Store management says the shop IS open – this damaged one of their two doors, but the other one – on the north end of the facade – is usable, and they will be finishing cleanup shortly. Police say the crash was caused by the driver hitting the gas pedal instead of the brake.
Two views from early today, as we start our daily preview – above, Lynn Hall shows us the pink sunrise light on the Olympics; below, the crescent moon, from Chris Frankovich:
Now, from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:
STORY TIMES: We list the local library story times on our calendar as often as possible, so if you’re interested, browse the calendar from time to time to look ahead. Today’s lineup includes Baby Story Time at 11:30 am and Somali Story Time at 5 pm, both at High Point Library. (35th SW & SW Raymond)
HOME OFFICE/COWORKING MEETUP: Noon today, get your new year in gear by networking – free weekly meetup at noon at West Seattle Office Junction (WSB sponsor). (6040 California SW)
Tonight:
(WSB photo from Monday’s City Council meeting)
COUNCILMEMBER LISA HERBOLD @ SOUTHWEST DISTRICT COUNCIL: Two days after her first meeting as our area’s City Councilmember, Lisa Herbold will be “in the district” for what’s billed as a “casual conversation” during tonight’s Southwest District Council meeting. All are welcome at SWDC, whose participants are representatives from community councils and other organizations in western West Seattle. 6:30 pm at the Sisson Building/Senior Center in The Junction. (SW Oregon & California SW)
JIM PAGE AT C & P: Singer-songwriter Jim Page is at C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor) tonight, 7-9 pm. (5612 California SW)
And, one more time:
HELICOPTER REMINDER: As noted here on Tuesday, Seattle Fire says a Black Hawk helicopter from the National Guard is expected to land at the Joint Training Facility in southeast West Seattle sometime today. (9401 Myers Way S.)
A unique, and much-needed, donation drive is under way this month at VAIN (WSB sponsor) in The Junction.
They’re one of six dropoff locations in the city collecting “pads, tampons, wet wipes, and underwear of various sizes and styles” for All Cycles, which provides menstrual products for homeless and income-insecure people in need. Chelsea from VAIN explains that it’s a “grassroots effort” started in the community; you can drop off unopened boxes/packages of the requested items at their West Seattle boutique/salon, 4513 California SW. The drive continues through February 20th.
(Six WS-relevant views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
6:39 AM: Good morning! No incidents so far today in or from West Seattle and vicinity. If you listen to/watch regional traffic reports, you’ll hear about some areas outside Seattle with icy roads, but no trouble here – the morning temperature is warmer than it’s been in a while, in the 40s.
8:57 AM: Earlier this week, we mentioned Washington State Ferries‘ announcement that work was about to start to replace two pilings at the Fauntleroy dock. Paul Brannan sent this photo of a crane barge that’s arrived at the dock:
Our West Seattle Traffic page includes the webcam that should show whether/how this is affecting traffic on the dock as the day goes by.
9:13 AM: Crash reported on the Alaskan Way Viaduct at Western (just before the Battery St. Tunnel).
10:08 AM: Our note above about icelessness on local roads turns out to have been wrong. Melissa sends word that in Highland Park, 7th/8th/Trenton has black ice that led her and others to spin out. Be careful!
3:07 PM: Friday, if you’re in the Capitol Hill vicinity at noontime, note that former President Bill Clinton will be visiting to campaign for wife Hillary Clinton. Not sure yet how this might affect traffic but thought you’d want to know.
1:23 AM: We’ve heard from several people about possible gunshots in North Delridge a short time ago. We haven’t (yet) heard any confirmation of gunfire – police need to find casings and/or property damage for that – and definitely no victim(s) reported anywhere. Though a few people mentioned hearing a helicopter, the area’s one law-enforcement helicopter, Guardian One, is nowhere nearby, according to the last transmission we heard. We’re still checking – please let us know if/where you see police activity.
1:35 AM: One person who heard it says the 911 dispatcher confirmed police are looking into this. We’re off to see if we can find where they’re focusing.
ADDED 9:39 AM: While the full incident report isn’t available yet, we were able to get a few details from SPD media-relations Officer Lauren Lovanhill: She says “multiple bullet holes were found in a residence in the 5600 block of Delridge (Way SW),” and 32 casings were found in the front yard and driveway. Four people were seen running from the area and getting into a car. And she confirms that, as we believed to be the case at the time, no one was hit.
ADDED 8:27 PM: As noted in comments, the precinct’s second-in-command, Operations Lt. Ron Smith, was at tonight’s Southwest District Council meeting. This didn’t happen in that district and so wasn’t on the agenda but we talked to him briefly as soon as we saw him pre-meeting – he said so far there’s no indication any of the recent incidents are connected, and that this is being investigated by the department’s Real-Time Crime Unit and “intel” unit. The written report still wasn’t available by day’s end so we’ll renew our request for it tomorrow. The meeting’s guest speaker was newly inaugurated Councilmember Lisa Herbold; she was asked one question about public-safety issues in general, and said one that’s on her radar for starters is 911 response times, and she is working to get documentation on that from SPD.
In West Seattle Crime Watch, we’ve been featuring an increasing number of “found” items that are suspected to have been stolen – from bicycles to bags – and helpful readers have gotten some of those items back to their owners. Here’s the latest discovery: Rico found that safe during his morning walk today: “At about 11:00 a.m., I saw a floor safe lying on the concrete sidewalk just south of Alki Point, opposite the old sewage treatment plant. It had been broken open. There were empty coin rolls on it and near it. The instructions to the safe were nearby.” Lose a safe? Had one stolen? Know somebody who has?
Summit Public Schools, the California-based organization that wants to open a charter school in a former church/supermarket building in Arbor Heights, has announced what it calls a “stopgap measure” for the two schools it opened this fall in the International District and Tacoma: “Home-based instruction.” Regional director Jen Wickens e-mailed this announcement:
Summit Public Charter Schools Offers Free, Personalized, High Quality Home-Based Instruction to Enrolled Families
This is a stop gap measure as the legislature works to find a permanent fix to keep public charter schools open across stateSummit Public School’s mission is to prepare a diverse student population for success in a four-year college, and to be thoughtful, contributing members of society. Everyone at Summit has been working hard to continue to provide the personalized, high quality education promised to our families despite the court’s decision this fall ruling our state’s public charter school law unconstitutional.
After exploring all possible options, we believe the best way for us to be able to offer the same high quality academic experience to our students is to transition to Home-based Instruction (also known as homeschooling).
We are able to do this because Washington law allows parents the right to choose to homeschool their children and parents can also choose to have their children attend academic programming, tutoring and classes offered by certificated teachers.
Summit Olympus and Summit Sierra will officially become “tutoring centers” and our students will be enrolled in Home-based Instruction. Despite the shift in educational program category, we will continue to offer the exact same Summit experience to each of our families – a free, personalized program with our outstanding and dedicated faculty.
We will also continue to work toward a long-term legislative fix to keep public charter schools open across the state. Students and families are entitled to a high-quality education, and they should have a choice of where they attend school. Students and parents deserve this choice and the voters supported them.
Summit originally intended to open a middle/high school called Summit Atlas next fall in the former Freedom Church/Safeway building at 35th and Roxbury that Washington Charter School Development purchased for $4.75 million last summer to redevelop. After the state Supreme Court ruled the 2012 charter law unconstitutional in September, Summit announced last month that it would postpone its hoped-for opening until fall 2017. The building is currently vacant; Freedom Church had leased it back for a while but has now moved to a new site it bought in Skyway. We first discovered the 35th/Roxbury school plan almost exactly a year ago, after documents were filed with city planners.
Just received an announcement about this – a second organized “Polar Plunge” at Alki Beach this year, this time presented by the Washington Technology Industry Association. They’re planning to take the plunge on Saturday (January 9th) at 9:30 am. They’re inviting “WTIA members, non-members, friends, and family 18 and up.” We’re checking to see where on Alki they’re planning to gather, since the announcement just mentions the beach’s general official address. In the meantime, if you’re interested, RSVP via the link toward the bottom of this page.
4:58 PM: Thanks to everyone who called/messaged to ask about an incident at 35th and Barton this past hour. Seattle Fire Engine 37 had already closed out of the call before we could get there, but SFD spokesperson Corey Orvold says it was dispatched as a motorcycle crash. The rider was hurt, but not badly enough to require an SFD medic unit. We are checking to see if the aftermath of the crash is affecting traffic.
5:01 PM: Our crew says the scene is already completely clear.
West Seattleite Brendan Kolding, who challenged 34th District Position 2 State Rep. Joe Fitzgibbon in 2014, says he’s running for the State House again. This time, he says he’s seeking the Position 1 seat long held by Rep. Eileen Cody. Kolding, a 33-year-old Democrat and father of three, says education is his top priority. From his announcement:
It is unacceptable that the State continues to be in violation of its Constitutional obligation to fully fund public K-12 education. The Supreme Court has made it clear that education funding is priority number one within the operating budget, and there is more than enough money to meet the additional four to five billion dollars that is needed. Once education is fully funded, then tough decisions will have to be made regarding cuts to other entities that fall within the operating budget. If the citizens of Washington are willing to accept more taxes to augment the budget, then funding can be restored to the non-education entities, but withholding resources from education until new funding sources can be identified is completely untenable.”
Kolding is a member of the Holy Rosary School Commission and says he sees private schools as complementary to public schools:
“Private schools save the taxpayers over $800 million annually. If we can make these schools more accessible to the families who are interested in enrolling their children in them, the funding and class size requirements of McCleary will be easier to attain. It’s a win-win. For that reason, I am proposing legislation that will incentivize donations that support private schools.”
Kolding is a former substitute teacher who is now a sergeant in the Seattle Police Policy Unit. He also volunteers as a youth-basketball coach. The position he’s running for will be on the August 2nd ballot.
A “Star Wars”-style introduction this morning for a big event at West Seattle’s Holy Rosary School – the arrival of Chromebook computers for each of its fifth, sixth, and seventh graders. This is the first year for the school’s “STEM PLUS” focus and the new arrivals help move it toward a 1:1 ratio for students and devices.
At the assembly to distribute the new computers, Holy Rosary’s new pastor Fr. Matthew Oakland blessed them – after reminiscing about “technology” from his childhood:
The funding is from Holy Rosary’s ongoing Centennial Campaign, which started in 2013 – HR’s centennial year – and is currently focused on technology, with “tremendous support from parents, grandparents, parishioners, and alumni,” the school explains, along with a $25,000 grant from the Elizabeth A. Lynn Foundation. The campaign already has funded roof and window improvements and a security-surveillance system.
(Photo by Ben Ackers, from last year’s cookoff, as Pam Goldfine‘s chili got checked out)
The annual Fauntleroy Chili Cookoff is next month and the call for chefs is out now, peninsula-wide. From Judy Pickens:
The fifth annual Fauntleroy Chili Cookoff invites area residents to apply for the competition. If you think your vegetarian or meat chili recipe is award-winning, email Adam Moomey (awmoomey2250@gmail.com) for details. The Saturday, February 13, cook-off will heat up at 6 pm in Fellowship Hall at Fauntleroy Church.
(That’s the Saturday after the Super Bowl, so you can practice on your party guests if you enter!)
(California Sea Lion, photographed by Mark Wangerin)
Before the morning ends – quick look at some of what’s up for the rest of today/tonight:
WESTSIDE BABY REOPENS: Donating? The holiday closure is over and WestSide Baby‘s back open to accept donations of diapers and other items needed by thousands of local families. (10002 14th SW)
LIVE MUSIC: 5 pm at Salty’s on Alki (WSB sponsor), Justin Kausal-Hayes performs (1936 Harbor SW); 9 pm at Shadowland in The Junction, it’s the weekly singer-songwriter showcase (California/Oregon).
WEST SEATTLE BIKE CONNECTIONS: First meeting of the year – 6:30 pm, HomeStreet Bank (WSB sponsor) in The Junction. Details on the WSBC website. (41st SW & SW Alaska)
SEEKING SERENITY IN 2016? Join the West Seattle Shambhala Meditation Group tonight, 6:30 pm at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center. Details in our calendar listing. (4408 Delridge Way SW)
WWRHAH SKIPPING JANUARY: No Westwood-Roxhill-Arbor Heights Community Council meeting tonight – WWRHAH will be back for the first Tuesdays of February, March, and beyond.
LOOK AHEAD … via our complete calendar.
(2013 photo of Black Hawk over West Seattle, courtesy Jameson)
We have an advance alert from the Seattle Fire Department about a helicopter you might notice in the area tomorrow: SFD spokesperson Corey Orvold says a National Guard Black Hawk helicopter is expected to land at SFD’s Joint Training Facility on the southeast edge of West Seattle [map] sometime Wednesday. Orvold says the crew’s planning to land in order “to familiarize themselves with the JTF.” Firefighting is one of the roles Black Hawk helicopters have with the Guard.
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