West Seattle, Washington
27 Wednesday
1:16 PM: That’s Gus, and he’s in West Seattle Crime Watch as well as on the Lost/Found Pets page because we’ve received a reader report that he was inside a car stolen near The Junction this morning. The car is a 2003 silver Infiniti FX 35, license plate ALL9711. Gus is half Pomeranian, half Brussels Griffon. Please call John or Laura if you find him – 206.935.3525 or 206.948.8540. And call 911 if you see the car.
2:19 PM: Per commenters, Gus has been spotted in the Fairmount Park/Fairmount Springs area.
3:40 PM UPDATE: Found!
SUNDAY EVENING P.S. Happy-ending photo, forwarded by John and Laura’s friend Madeleine, who sent the original info about the theft.
John also e-mailed us to thank WSB readers: “Thanks to the Blog we found him. It worked like an Amber Alert. His first sighting was near the Morgan Junction, and I finally found him near Admiral and 50th Ave SW.”
11:56 AM: It’s not in the forecast, but a bit of snow is mixed with the rain falling in West Seattle right now – at least if you’re in the upper elevations.
@KSeattleWeather @westseattleblog SNOW!!! pic.twitter.com/HWRgoqSSPh
— Patrick kelly (@MetPatrick22) December 27, 2015
We’ve heard from Sunrise Heights (above) and High Point so far, and we’re seeing it in Upper Fauntleroy.
12:05 PM: Also hearing from Arbor Heights and Fairmount. And it’s snowier here right now – but still too warm to stick.
More snow than rain, not sticking yet at 350' pic.twitter.com/MxpM3F9RY1
— West Seattle Blog (@westseattleblog) December 27, 2015
12:18 PM: Vanessa in Highland Park comments that “it’s starting to stick in the yard.”
12:48 PM: Commenters also have seen a bit of snow at the lower elevations, in Admiral, Alki, Morgan. Back to light rain right now. But if you want to see more snow, you could take the Fauntleroy ferry over to Southworth – it’s definitely sticking in Kitsap County, according to photos/video on Twitter.
(2015 Polar Bear Swim photo by Craig Young)
For everyone who’s been asking: Organizer Mark Ufkes confirmed this morning that the annual New Year’s Day West Seattle Polar Bear Swim at Alki Beach is on:
10 am January 1, 2016 in front of Duke’s on Alki. We line up along the beach, hold hands, and after a short count down, we all run into the water. Last year, more than 500 participated. We go into the water at 10 am sharp after the count down, so get there a little early. Bring water shoes, towel, change of clothes and your hopes and dreams for 2016. Duke’s clam chowder is generously provided by Duke and his crew. This is a great way to wash away the complexities of 2015 and welcome the unlimited possibilities of 2016.
Here’s our coverage from last year.
(Cooper’s Hawk, photographed by Mark Wangerin)
Some of what you can check out today – from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:
WEST SEATTLE SUNDAY SOCCER: Yes, there’s a pickup game! 7:30 am at Delridge Playfield, per the WSSS FB page. (4458 Delridge Way SW)
WEST SEATTLE ULTIMATE FAMILY FRISBEE: There’s Ultimate today too! 10 am at Walt Hundley Playfield, per the WSUFF FB page. (6920 34th SW)
WEST SEATTLE FARMERS’ MARKET: 10 am-2 pm, with live music today by Tinker’s Dram. (California SW between SW Oregon & SW Alaska)
LEGO MANIA! At Southwest Library, for ages 5-12, 2-3:30 pm – details in our listing. (35th SW & SW Henderson)
MICHAL, LIVE: Singer/songwriter Michal performs at C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor), 3-5 pm. (5612 California SW)
‘WONDERFUL LIFE,’ LAST CHANCE: 3 pm at ArtsWest, it’s the final performance of “Wonderful Life” – tickets available online. (4711 California SW)
Also:
HOLIDAY CHURCH SERVICES: Several special post-Christmas/pre-New Year services today – see the WSB West Seattle Holiday Guide.
Just a note for “king tide” watchers: The 12.7-foot high tide at 6:49 am on Sunday morning will be the highest tide of December 2015, and not far from the highest tide of the winter, peaking at 12.9 three mornings in a row next month, January 13, 14, and 15. (Here’s the monthly chart; you can also consult a daily chart any time for a quick “when’s the next low/high tide?” look, via the WSB West Seattle Weather page.)
9:05 PM: Sizable Seattle Fire response in the 4300 block of SW Frontenac in south Morgan Junction for a response on the log as “assault with weapons.” We’re en route to see what we can find out.
9:11 PM: This is reported to be a 70-year-old man with a self-inflicted gunshot wound. He is being rushed to Harborview.
9:16 PM: Our crew at the scene has confirmed the report of the circumstances. Medic 32 is taking the man to HMC, and other SFD units will clear the scene.
As we always note when suicide or attempted suicide comes up: The 24-hour Crisis Clinic hotline is there for anyone who is considering self-harm – 206-461-3222.
Reminder if you use Washington State Ferries – its winter schedule starts tomorrow (Sunday, December 27). As part of the seasonal schedule changes, the Fauntleroy/Vashon/Southworth route will have fewer weekend sailings. Find the schedule specifics here. WSF will be on the winter schedule through March 19th.
Four Five reader reports in West Seattle Crime Watch:
STOLEN CAR: Kirk‘s car has been stolen, again:
My 1994 Honda Civic Hatchback was stolen from my condo parking lot on California Ave. SW (just south of The Junction), sometime between 10:30 p.m. Dec. 25 and 8:00 a.m. Dec. 26. It is a greenish color. This is the third time that car has been stolen in West Seattle over a course of about 15 years.
Its plate is ADY3889. As advised via @getyourcarback – where SPD tweets all vehicle-theft reports (though not with locations, unfortunately, which is why reader reports are vital so we hear about and can publish West Seattle thefts) – call 911 if you see it.
RECOGNIZE THESE BURGLARS? Maria has these screen grabs from surveillance video of burglars who broke into her “private fenced carport” on 26th SW in Westwood, including one Grinch-ily clad in a Santa hat:
Maria says they stole “clothes, shoes, camping gear, pots and pans.” If you have any info on their identities, the SPD case number is 15-443118.
BREAK-IN ATTEMPT: Liz near 31st/Elmgrove says someone was “rather violently” rattling/pulling at the doorknob of the “converted garage” at their house around 11:30 last night. Turning on a light apparently scared them away.
PACKAGE THEFT: From Tricia:
Neighbors in the 3800 block of Charlestown, please be aware that a package was stolen from my front porch. It was a food shipment from Blue Apron. Strange thing to steal because it is only ingredients for meal preparation, but evidently the thieves take anything they see on a porch. I’ve reported the package stolen, but want my neighbors to be aware.
P.S. If your neighborhood doesn’t have a Block Watch – here’s how to start one. And once you do, get involved with the West Seattle Block Watch Captains’ Network, which resumes monthly meetings in January.
ADDED 5:03 PM – LICENSE PLATE THEFT: Greg sent this very early Christmas morning (late Christmas Eve), and we missed it until Diane‘s comment below:
I just filed a police report as my back plate with tab was apparently stolen while parked in my alley spot behind 42nd, 2600 block near Safeway/Hiawatha. It likely happened over the past 24-48 hours.
Plate theft is more common than you might think – as pointed out here a year ago – so know your number and keep an eye on it.
Thanks to Monty for today’s post-Christmas sunrise view. Though you can expect a general between-holidays lull for the week, we do have a few things on the calendar:
AFTER-CHRISTMAS ‘GARAGE SALE’: Junction TrueValue (WSB sponsor) started it today – clearance sale with lots of items 50 percent off, Christmas decorations 40 percent off. (44th SW & SW Edmunds)
PLAY GAMES! Long list of gaming activities on the calendar for today/tonight at Meeples Games (WSB sponsor). (California SW & SW Charlestown)
MUSIC & BEVERAGES: Legend Heart is live tonight at C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor), 7-9 pm. (5612 California SW)
‘WONDERFUL LIFE’: Second-to-last performance of this year’s holiday show at ArtsWest, 7:30 pm, tickets available. (4711 California SW)
In case your post-Christmas attention has turned to practical matters: The city’s window for tree recycling is a lot longer this year, as announced by Seattle Public Utilities:
Seattle residents can put their Christmas trees and holiday greens out next to their food and yard waste carts on their regular collection day at no extra charge from Dec. 26, 2015 through Jan. 31, 2016. Multi-family buildings may put out one tree next to each food and yard waste cart per collection day at no extra charge during this time.
Trees should be cut into sections no longer than six feet, with branches trimmed to less than four feet to fit into the collection trucks. Sections should be bundled with string or non-plastic twine. Metal, plastic and ornaments in trees and wreaths must be removed.
Customers may continue to set out holidays greens after Jan. 31 with a fee charged for any that are outside the food and yard waste cart.
Flocked or plastic trees, or trees that have tinsel or ornaments on them, will be collected with the garbage. Customers will need to cut these trees into three-foot pieces and will be charged extra garbage fees if they are outside the garbage can.
Seattle residents can also drop off holiday trees and greens for free at Seattle Public Utilities’ South Transfer Station from Dec. 26, 2015 through Jan. 31, 2016. Tree sections must be cut to eight feet or less in length and the trunk must be four inches or smaller in diameter. The limit is three trees per vehicle. Only trees and wreaths without flocking or decoration may be composted free of charge.
The South Transfer Station is in nearby South Park – here’s a map. It’s open 8 am-8 pm until January 15th; closing time changes to 5:30 pm starting January 16th.
You might recognize that as part of a photo circulated on Reddit and Facebook earlier this week. The backstory went like this: The wrapped gifts fell off a truck on the West Seattle Bridge. The person who picked them up asked for help finding their rightful owner(s). Long story short, the connection was finally made. We heard about it and asked if we could share the story of the happy ending, for all the people who tried to help. Elissa Sommer from Hope Lutheran confirms the gifts finally got to their intended recipient:
Hope Lutheran Church and School was helping a family this Christmas. In the process of delivering the packages, one bag fell off of the truck. The driver was unaware. Two vehicles swerved to avoid the bag but the third vehicle had to stop because he was a large truck. Instead of just pushing the bag to the side of the road in the pouring rain, the driver, Nick, pulled the packages into his vehicle. After trying to find the driver of the truck the packages fell from and not seeing them anywhere, he headed back to work at Plants Northwest in Redmond. He then proceeded to post a picture on both Facebook and Reddit to try and find owners of the packages. Well, we all know that West Seattle people are awesome and many posted ideas to find the owner. Several people from Hope Lutheran Church and School recognized the wrapping. They were soon able to identify and retrieve the packages from Plants Northwest. The gifts made their way to the intended recipient just in time for Christmas. Thanks so much to Nick for being a Good Samaritan and finding the owners of the packages. You truly saved Christmas for this child.
Thanks for the photos!
Karyn shared the photo of the full moon rising over Fauntleroy, seen from the ferry.
Not far from there, a Christmas tree in the wild, photographed by Terri:
She described it as a “nicely decorated and mulched new tree on the bluff at Lincoln Park.”
(From left – Jacob Fay, Jerry Lusher (JB’s grandfather), Eric Bauman, Brandon Lulow)
Thanks to Jennifer Lulow for sharing the photos and story of holiday giving:
Three Seattle Lutheran High School seniors – Eric Bauman, Jacob Fay, and Brandon Lulow – cooked Christmas breakfast for the homeless in memory of their football coach JB Lusher, who passed away earlier this year.
JB did this for his high school senior project and continued serving the homeless every Christmas.
These young men wanted to keep the tradition going to honor him.
They also put gift bags together with hats and gloves that they gave out when they served breakfast.
Thank you to the Lusher family for making this possible!
The trio’s plan was mentioned in this Seattle Times story last month about the football team’s triumphant year as they coped with losing not one but two mentors.
Happened onto a bit of restaurant news while out and about today: The successor to suddenly shuttered Cassis at 2820 Alki SW will be called Bistro Marée, according to notices now up in the windows at 2820 Alki SW. It’s been six days since we reported on the closure of Cassis, after hearing from readers who got the news when trying to make reservations; proprietor Jef Fike announced last Saturday, December 19th, that the preceding evening had been the last one for Cassis – at this location, anyway. We confirmed it in person, finding him there that morning while contents were boxed up and moved out; he told us only that he would not be reopening anywhere in West Seattle. (His restaurant had a storied past on Capitol Hill, closing almost a decade before he opened on Alki.) But then, shortly after we published the first version of our report, Cassis chef Andy Dekle called to say he and other members of the “ownership group” planned to reopen the restaurant at the Alki location; as we subsequently reported, he thought at the time it would keep the name. But now, the new one is posted, listing Dekle and Megan Hartz “formerly of Cassis” as proprietors, and promising “Northwest-inspired French cuisine.” We’ll of course be following up.
(From the WSB Flickr group – photo by Brian Wirt; click image for full-size view)
Merry Christmas! From our all-season-long West Seattle Holiday Guide:
RESTAURANTS THAT TOLD US THEY’LL BE OPEN TODAY/TONIGHT: Go here for the list (and please note the disclaimer!).
GROCERY STORES OPEN TODAY: Go here for the list of holiday schedules.
The following three types of info can be found by going directly to our guide:
WHERE TO GET COFFEE TODAY: At least five West Seattle coffee shops are open today.
WHERE TO FIND A CHRISTMAS DAY SERVICE: At least four West Seattle churches have services today.
WHERE TO SEE CHRISTMAS LIGHTS TONIGHT: The biggies, plus several other brightly lit homes about which we received tips – thanks!
Here are the transit changes for today:
METRO: Sunday schedule
SOUND TRANSIT: Weekend schedule
WATER TAXI: No service
WASHINGTON STATE FERRIES: Regular schedule for Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth, but some changes on other routes
TRAFFIC CAMERAS: See the West Seattle-relevant cams & links here.
Want to go to the movies?
ADMIRAL THEATER: Open this afternoon/evening (2343 California SW), showing “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” and “Sisters” – here’s the schedule.
Breaking news tips? Lost/found pets?
YES, WSB REALLY IS 24/7/365: Best way to reach us with breaking news, traffic alerts, any changes to the holiday info we’ve mentioned above, etc. – 206-293-6302, text or voice. Have a wonderful day!
ORIGINAL REPORT, 10:42 PM: An unpleasant Christmas Eve surprise for a Highland Park household – a driver crashed through their fence in the 8600 block of 20th SW and partway down the embankment into their yard. Our photo shows the car and the driver of the tow truck that pulled it up the embankment shortly after we arrived. No injuries reported; the car’s driver was being evaluated for possible DUI.
ANOTHER CRASH, 10:55 PM: Now another crash, with traffic effects: Southbound Fauntleroy Way is blocked at Oregon because of a multi-car crash. Injuries are reported.
11:53 PM: That crash cleared shortly after we arrived in the area. No major injuries. SFD crews at the scene did have to deal with a person reported to be “in crisis” – per the scanner, a “nude man” approached firefighters, who quickly found a blanket for him. It’s not clear whether he had anything to do with the crash.
On this Christmas Eve, we have a few scenes to share – first, from West Seattle Lights, the music-synched show at 3908 SW Charlestown:
Tonight is special – with free hot chocolate served up starting at 6 pm.
That’s Debbie, who described herself as “sidekick” to WS Lights mastermind Jim Winder, who we talked into posing for a photo while we visited.
He was busy answering questions about the lively display – including one about how he knows how many lights are involved – “do you count them?” we heard him asked. Why, yes, he does. West Seattle Lights continues through New Year’s – see the schedule here (running late tonight, until midnight!) – and you’re invited to show your appreciation by helping out the two nonprofits it benefits, West Seattle Food Bank and Northwest Parkinson’s Foundation. You can bring nonperishable food to drop in the bin in front of the house and/or donate money to WSFB and/or NWPF via the WSL website.
*************
If you were out and about before sunset – last-minute shopping was busy as ever. Especially grocery shopping, which is where our anonymous Arbor Heights correspondent found this elf and her folks:
Check the reindeer socks on 3-month-old Veda, spotted at Roxbury Safeway. Also this morning, shoppers at Metropolitan Market (WSB sponsor) were serenaded:
West Seattle Christmas Eve photo to share? editor@westseattleblog.com – thanks as always!
Just a reminder to not leave anything in your vehicle because car prowlers don’t take the holiday off – and if you have visitors, remind them too. We have one West Seattle Crime Watch reader report, from Steve in the 2700 block of 37th SW:
My 2003 Toyota Camry was car-prowled sometime between 10 pm last night and 5:30 am this morning. When I went out to the car at 5:40 the glove box was open and stuff strewn around, but they didn’t take anything! They left my registration and insurance, my cell phone charger, my business parking pass. Either they didn’t go into the trunk or decided to not steal (a relatively heavy box containing a present for a relative). I can only guess that they got spooked and left quickly.
We’re hoping for a quiet holiday for all. If news does break, though, we remain on call – text or voice, 206-293-6302.
With the Highway 99 tunneling machine restarting, WSDOT has been loudly banging the warning drum about the anticipated two-week Alaskan Way Viaduct closure, once the machine starts digging beneath it. Remember, we survived a one-week closure four years ago during the demolition of its southern mile in October 2011. As part of that, the West Seattle Water Taxi got heavier usage than ever:
(WSB photos, October 2011)
Some runs were at capacity. But this time around, the run will have a bigger new boat, as the M/V Doc Maynard is scheduled to finally take over next month. We asked Rochelle Ogershok from the county Transportation Department what’s being discussed so far to maximize the Water Taxi during the anticipated closure, potentially as soon as March, and that was the first thing she mentioned:
Specific to West Seattle the following plans are:
Vessel Schedule and capacity: The Winter Water Taxi schedule will be operated with increased capacity on commute hour sailings. Doc Maynard has a capacity of 278 passengers as compared to 147 passengers on Spirit of Kingston. This is an increased capacity of 786 passengers in the morning and 917 in the afternoon.
Water Taxi Dock Access: The Marine Division is coordinating with the City of Seattle on parking options along Harbor Ave and Don Armeni boat launch similar to what happened during the 2011 closure. Those actions included:
*Additional all-day street parking along Harbor Ave.
*Additional parking at Don Armeni ParkWe are also investigating the feasibility of operating larger shuttles to accommodate more passengers.
Again, specific plans have not been finalized – we will continue to coordinate with WSDOT and City of Seattle on closure details and will share with riders as this information becomes available.
The extra spaces at Don Armeni went fast during the October 2011 closure:
Meantime, the state is promising ongoing information about the expected closure via this WSDOT webpage. The real test of the tunneling machine will come when it resumes work early in the New Year.
(From Fire Station 32 “schematic design” packet dated August 2013, by Bohlin Cywinski Jackson)
When the Fire Facilities and Emergency Response Levy went to Seattle voters in 2003, it included a full rebuild of West Seattle’s Fire Station 32 – projected at the time to be complete by the end of 2007. As we first reported back in October, after numerous schedule revisions and then a decision to rebid the project, construction hasn’t even started yet, though the units and crews were moved out of the original station more than 10 months ago. But there;s new hope the work will get going in a few months, now that it’s received two bids as of this past Tuesday’s deadline. Howard S. Wright bid $11.6 million and MJ Takisaki bid $12.7 million. City documents say the project is budgeted at $18.6 million, with $3 million of that spent so far. Now that bids are in, we asked Julie Moore from the city’s Finance and Administrative Services Department what happens next:
The next step is for City Purchasing and Contracting Services (CPCS) to ask the apparent low bidder to submit a Supplemental Bidder Responsibility Criteria (SBRC) form. Capital Development and Construction Management (CDCM) will review the completed form. If CDCM finds the contractor meets all required criteria, it will then ask CPCS to award the contract to the bidder, starting the contract-execution process in which insurance and bonding information and all other requirements will be reviewed by CPCS before the contract can be executed. If there are no surprises during this process, we anticipate final execution of the contract could take place before the end of February.
The city already has a building permit for the new station, which will be built on the same footprint as the current one at 37th/Alaska, with work expected to take about a year. Until it’s ready, temporary FS 32 remains on the future city park site on 40th SW between SW Alaska and SW Edmunds.
P.S. Looking at the two bidders – Howard S. Wright built the Space Needle, and more recently, for SFD, Fire Station 39 in Lake City. MJ Takisaki worked on the recent upgrade of Fire Station 26 in South Park.
(Menashe Family Lights panorama by Mike Swartz)
Christmas Eve is here. Here’s how to find lots of info you might find useful:
RESTAURANTS OPEN TODAY/TOMORROW: Our list is here.
GROCERY-STORE HOURS TODAY/TOMORROW: Our list is here.
Those two lists have proven to be of the most interest over the years, so we devote a significant amount of time to gathering the information (which generally requires a lot of phone calls). For the next two lists, we put out an open invitation, “send us your schedule and we’ll include it,” so if there’s someplace you don’t see, it’s because they didn’t send theirs:
CHRISTMAS CHURCH SERVICES: In the guide, if they sent their schedule.
COFFEE FOR TODAY/TOMORROW: Same.
Also in the guide:
LAST CHANCES TO SEE SANTA: Three today.
HOLIDAY LIGHTS: Our guide has a list including West Seattle Lights (3908 SW Charlestown), where they’ll be offering hot cocoa tonight, starting at 6. Throughout the season, WSL collects food for the West Seattle Food Bank, so bring something to drop in the bin! (And/or donate to WSFB and the NW Parkinson’s Foundation via the WSL website.)
P.S. If you’re interested in Christmas Eve swimming, Southwest Pool has two sessions this afternoon.
(Six WS-relevant views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
Good morning! Another quiet pre-holiday commute so far. Today’s one transit change: Metro is on a “reduced weekday” schedule.
SPEAKING OF HOLIDAY SCHEDULES … coffee, restaurant, grocery-store hours for today and tomorrow (and more) are in our West Seattle Holiday Guide.
WEATHER … The forecast for Christmas morning still includes possible snow showers, but not today.
We published a question earlier today, on behalf of a reader who asked, and anyone else who might be wondering: Who’s still accepting toys for Christmas gift donations in our area? Alice Braverman replied:
Navos, a nonprofit organization located in West Seattle and Burien, serves the most vulnerable children and youth in our community. Our clients include school-age children who have been removed from their homes due to neglect and abuse as well as older youth with serious mental health issues. We also serve all ages of low income children and youth with outpatient services in their homes and in over 40 schools. We would be pleased to accept donations of toys to distribute to our clients. We can arrange to pick them up tomorrow morning before noon if anyone in our community would like to donate to Navos and the children we help. Contact us at development@navos.org. Community support is vital to sustaining our programs and services so thank you for your consideration.
If you know of anyone else also still accepting toy donations (or other gift items) tomorrow, please e-mail us and/or comment.
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