West Seattle, Washington
13 Saturday
(The Olympics’ distinctive peaks The Brothers, photographed this morning by Chris Frankovich)
Schools, libraries, and most park facilities are closed for Veterans Day; here’s what’s going on otherwise:
FLAG RETIREMENT CEREMONY: 3 pm on Alki, and you’re invited. From Boy Scout Troop 375 Scoutmaster Mark Ufkes:
Boy Scout Troop 375, including scouts from Burien, West Seattle, and White Center will be holding a Flag Retirement Ceremony at 3 pm. Veterans and their families are invited and will be recognized and thanked for their service to our country during the ceremony. Scouts will respectfully retire an American flag over a beach cedar fire while Taps is played. The public is invited. The location is across from Duke’s Chowder House. If guests have old American flags that need to be retired, the troop will collect them at the event for future retirement ceremonies.
(57th SW & Alki SW)
MIZUNO GROUP RUN: Meet at West Seattle Runner (WSB sponsor) at 6:15 pm – free run, 3 or 6 miles; details in our calendar listing. (2743 California SW)
HOPS AND HANDLEBARS: 7-10 pm benefit for the Movember Foundation, hosted by Duos Lounge – tickets available online. (2940 SW Avalon Way)
34TH DISTRICT DEMOCRATS: 7 pm at The Hall at Fauntleroy, the 34th DDs’ monthly meeting will include an election recap, featuring winning candidates. So what about almost-deadlocked City Council District 1? The organization was waiting to hear from the candidates last time we checked. Also planned: A legislative update, and presidential-caucus preview. See the full agenda here. (9131 California SW)
ARTSWEST PERFORMANCE TO BENEFIT RAMON ASPEITIA: Tonight’s 7:30 pm performance of “My Mañana Comes” at ArtsWest Playhouse will benefit Ramon Aspeitia, the West Seattle restaurant worker attacked in White Center and fighting to regain his health – more info in our calendar listing. (4711 California SW)
And this note:
LAST WEEK TO SIGN UP FOR THE Y’S YOUTH BASKETBALL PROGRAM: Next Monday’s the deadline. From the West Seattle YMCA (WSB sponsor):
Our recreational basketball program is designed for youngsters to have fun while learning sportsmanship, basketball rules and skills. Games are played with age-appropriate equipment including lower hoops for the younger kids. Choose from leagues: Pre-K Coed (At least 4 years old), Kindergarten Coed, 1st & 2nd Grade Coed, 3rd & 4th Grade Boys or 3rd & 4th Grade Girls.
Practices begin the week of November 30th. Games begin the weekend of January 9th. There are several locations to choose from for practice. Games will be played at the West Seattle YMCA, Fauntleroy YMCA & local schools. The fees are $85 for Facility Members or $132 for Community Participants
Register now until November 16th – online by going here, or in person at Member Services. Questions? Contact Harley Wells-Schultz, Sports Director at hwellsschultz@seattleymca.org or 206 937 1000
Thanks to Kristin for the update on West Seattle High School golfers’ postseason results. She sent the photo and report on two golfers headed to state competition:
WSHS Wildcats Bailey Fuentes and Zach Gibson finished 3rd and 10th at the KingCo/Metro District Tournament to move on to the 3A Boys State Golf Tournament at The Creek at Qualchan Golf Course in Spokane on May 24 and 25, 2016. Pictured with Coach Velko Vitalich are the team members who competed in the district tournament. From left, Bailey, Alex Nguyen, Tony Flores, Zach.
Congratulations to the Seattle Lutheran High School athletes who have received All-League honors. The school’s announcement:
Seattle Lutheran High School has ten students who were named to SeaTac 1B League All-League teams.
The Saints’ football coach, Anthony Stordahl, was voted almost unanimously as the Coach of the Year for the 1B league. (There was one vote for another coach which came from, you guessed it, Coach Stordahl!) We are proud of our coach and assistant coaches, who put in many hours of work with our football team. Thank you, coaches!
Football – 1st Team Offense: Isaiah Dowding-Albrecht ‘17 Quarterback; Nick Lidstrom ‘16 Offensive Line; Brandon Lulow ‘16 Running Back; JJ Young ‘17 Running Back
Football 1st Team Defense: Jacob Fay ‘16 Defensive Line,
Football 2nd Team: Eric Bauman ‘16 Defensive Line
Volleyball: Abbi Sanders ‘16
Girls Soccer – 1st Team: Taylor Stordahl ‘16
Girls Soccer – 2nd Team: Macey Crooks ‘16 and Emma Figgins ‘17
P.S. If you missed it in the update to our story on SLHS’s postseason football game last Saturday, the team’s state-tournament play begins this Friday night (November 13th) on the road at Naselle in southwest Washington, 7 pm.
(Six WS-relevant views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
Good morning! Some changes for the holiday:
*No school
*Metro’s on a “reduced weekday” schedule
*No West Seattle Water Taxi
NIGHTTIME TRAFFIC ALERT: The project team for The Whittaker (Fauntleroy/Alaska/40th/Edmunds) has forwarded this alert:
We will be working on the Edmunds Street Crossing along Fauntleroy Way starting this Thursday night. During the night time work on Edmunds, 40th to Fauntleroy will be closed. Once the time is up for each night, then it will be plated for traffic during the day. This work is anticipated to take about 1 week and should be completed by Friday 11/20 next week weather permitting. There will likely be some additional restoration to do after next Friday, but that would be on the sidewalks, and not in the street.
The man arrested after crashing a stolen car while fleeing the scene of a West Seattle street robbery remains in jail tonight. The 48-year-old suspect did not appear at his probable-cause hearing this afternoon and is being held without bail, pending potential charges on Thursday. Our first word of the robbery came via e-mail from the victim’s husband on Sunday; information from SPD revealed that the getaway car had been stolen in a carjacking on Queen Anne Saturday night, and that after the Sunday robbery at 37th and Alaska, police spotted the car across the bridge, following it into downtown, and then onto Airport Way, where it crashed and the suspect was arrested. Researching his background, we’ve learned that the suspect has a long record of robberies, going back at least 19 years; he was sentenced to a 15-year term for robberies in 1996, but was out again by 2006, when he was sentenced to a 14-year prison term after pleading guilty to robberies including a holdup at the Wells Fargo Bank in the Admiral District. We asked the Department of Corrections when he had been released – turns out he got out of prison just two weeks ago. We’ll be researching further while awaiting word of charges on Thursday.
From the land-use files, two items that involve parking, but not in the way it usually comes up:
TEAR DOWN A HOUSE TO CREATE A PARKING LOT? A West Seattle church is considering seeking a land-use permit to demolish a house and turn its 5,750-square-foot site into a parking lot. The early-stage filing is from the West Seattle ward of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints at 4001 44th SW, with a document explaining that its church/meeting hall is “very active” and causing parking congestion that has left neighbors “frustrated” that nearby streets are full of church-related parking on Sundays. “The church is anxious to mitigate the concerns of the neighborhood by creating on-site parking spaces,” says the pre-application document, which goes on to say that the church discovered a house next door is for sale (not publicly listed so far as we can find) and is interested in buying it to turn its site into 19 parking spaces for the church. The documents acknowledge that would require exceptions to city rules – aka “variances” – but also point out that the church has never met city requirements for the offstreet parking it was supposed to provide, and currently provides none. The formal application has not been filed yet but you can watch land use project #3022789.
SOUTH ADMIRAL BUILDING GETS PERMISSION TO HAVE NO OFFSTREET PARKING: This land-use item is sort of the flip side – a commercial building that doesn’t meet city rules for offstreet parking used to have some on a nearby site, but lost it, and sought formal confirmation that it doesn’t need to provide any. The decision for 3270 California SW was published in Monday’s Land Use Information Bulletin, and if anyone wants to appeal (here’s how), the deadline is November 23rd. The building houses several fitness businesses. Its owner used to have a covenant for eight spaces at 3239 California SW, but that site is now part of what was the Admiral East Apartments, now “Springline,” construction project. The city’s Land Use Code allows offstreet parking to be provided within an 800-foot radius; there is no longer any place that can happen, the city’s decision notes.
3:58 PM: Today’s ballot count is just out, and Shannon Braddock is now 6 votes ahead of Lisa Herbold in the City Council District 1 race.
Shannon Braddock – 11,528 – 49.73%
Lisa Herbold – 11,522 – 49.70%
Up to 2,000 or so ballots remain to be counted in District 1. On page 45 of today’s printable results list, you’ll see that 25,741 ballots have been tallied in this race, while 27,568 ballots were ready for counting (of 27,979 received) in D-1 as of last night’s ballot-return stats (which will be updated at 8 tonight).
We won’t get the next results until Thursday, since tomorrow is the Veterans Day holiday. If you voted, now is the time to check whether your ballot was received for counting and declared valid – here’s how to do that. (Note that “your ballot will be counted” is the last message you’ll get – there is not a “has been counted” status.)
6:24 PM: One thing that *will* happen on the Veterans Day holiday – the 34th District Democrats‘ regular monthly meeting, 7 pm Wednesday at The Hall at Fauntleroy. It was long scheduled to include the organization’s “election recap,” and the online agenda says the group expects to hear from the winners in various races. We asked chair Marcee Stone-Vekich how they plan to handle this one; she says neither Braddock nor Herbold has confirmed with her so far. The 34th DDs made a dual endorsement of both candidates, dating back to the primary.
(WSB photo: October 31, Senior Center fire)
3:46 PM: Five days after the arrest of 22-year-old Jacob Kokko in connection with the recent arsons in West Seattle, he is officially charged. The King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office charged Kokko this afternoon with second-degree arson (a Class B felony), second-degree reckless burning (a gross misdemeanor), and third-degree malicious mischief (a gross misdemeanor). The charges specifically call out the two arsons in The Junction early Halloween morning – in dumpsters underneath the Senior Center of West Seattle and alongside the California/Alaska commercial building that houses businesses including Easy Street Records and Twilight Gallery – and a trash-can fire in the 6500 block of 34th SW, near his home, on October 12th.
(WSB photo: October 31, California/Alaska fire)
His bail remains set at $300,000, and he is scheduled to be arraigned (answer the charges) on November 23rd. On first look, the charging papers shine no further light on a motive, aside from Kokko telling detectives he did it because he “needed help.” As our research indicated, he has no apparent criminal history, prosecutors write, but they sought to keep the bail relatively high because “his unhinged behavior causes great concern for the safety of the community.” The Senior Center fire, in particular, could easily have spread to engulf the entire building, it’s pointed out.
Kokko was arrested last Thursday night, shortly after officers served a search warrant at his High Point home, saying they found evidence linking him to the fires. Court documents say someone who knows him recognized him in the surveillance video that shows the bus-stop fire on Morgan south of 35th being set October 12th; he is not charged in connection with that fire, though, nor with the October 18th Sylvan Ridge car arsons, or the October 19th High Point rental-office fire, or the October 21st 40th/Morgan recycling-bin fire.
ADDED 6:01 PM: Aside from the charges themselves, the information in the new documents is the same as what we reported after Kokko’s bail hearing – at which he did not appear – last Friday afternoon. He is said to have admitted to four fires, the three in which he is charged, and the bus-stop box fire which was recorded on video. He also is said to be on surveillance video setting the Senior Center fire, then walking away, and returning, apparently to be sure it was still going. Otherwise, the only other information we’ve learned about him, from separate research, is that he worked at a restaurant – not in West Seattle – and hadn’t lived here more than a few years; court files show that he was the subject of an eviction filing from an apartment on Avalon Way last summer.
(Added: Photo by Trileigh Tucker, taken from Lowman Beach)
2:13 PM: An update from this morning’s report of southbound orcas … a fairly sizable group is now heading northbound and has drawn a crowd off Emma Schmitz Memorial Overlook on Beach Drive. Unless they change direction again, you should be able to watch them along the Beach Drive shoreline for a while. Visible without binoculars – look for the blows and the small research boat!
2:24 PM: They’re heading north fairly quickly, and now out of Emma Schmitz range, so if you’re still heading out, try Constellation Park south of Alki Point. What we’ve been watching is a group of eight or so traveling very close together.
2:36 PM: We’ve had to head back inland but a texter says they’re now visible from Weather Watch Park (Beach Drive & Carroll).
1:14 PM: Per scanner, and thanks to the texter who tipped us, SDOT and SPD will be closing eastbound bridge access from 35th/Fauntleroy shortly to fix another dislocated barrier section, described as being near Walking On Logs.
1:25 PM: Traffic is stopped both ways by the worksite so the barrier can be fixed. Doesn’t sound like it will take too long.
1:34 PM: SDOT says the bridge has reopened both ways.
(Thanks to Tom for the recent salmon photo from Longfellow Creek)
From the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:
SPECIAL EDUCATION FAMILIES’ REGIONAL MEETING: 6 pm at the West Seattle High School library, families of Seattle Public Schools students are invited to meet with district officials to talk about special education – more in our calendar listing. (3000 California SW)
‘GIVING THANKS’ COMMUNITY SUCCESS DINNER: 6 pm tonight at Denny International Middle School, Denny families and staff are invited to this special dinner in the Galleria: “Turkey, chicken, mashed potatoes, gravy, and lots of pie will be served! There will be a winter clothes give-away, community resources, games, raffles, an opportunity to thank our community veterans, and to take a free family picture! Questions and transportation support, please contact Ms. Amaral at 252-8954 or rmamaral@seattleschools.org.” (2601 SW Kenyon)
WEST SEATTLE SEE DOGS: See what it takes to raise a future guide dog! WSSD meets at The Kenney (WSB sponsor), 6:30 pm. (7125 Fauntleroy Way SW)
ADMIRAL NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION: The Port of Seattle Environmental Impact Statement process for the Terminal 5 modernization project is on the agenda for ANA tonight, two nights before the port’s own public “scoping” meeting. Also to be discussed: Who’ll be ANA’s new leaders? 7 pm, The Sanctuary at Admiral. (42nd SW & SW Lander)
FAUNTLEROY COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION: 7 pm at the Fauntleroy Schoolhouse board room, business meeting for the FCA board. Agenda includes “tonight’s agenda includes discussion of off-leash dog policies, Endolyne business planter boxes, Endolyne Triangle traffic re-design, the West Seattle Transportation Coalition, City Light properties, and news from the Southwest District Council, Fauntleroy Schoolhouse, and Ferry Advisory Committee.” Always open to the public. (9131 California SW)
The region’s water supply is now almost back to normal. So the request for you has changed to “don’t waste water.” Here’s the latest, from Seattle Public Utilities and its regional counterparts:
Recent rains have improved our region’s water supply. Now cautiously optimistic about water supply conditions, Everett, Seattle and Tacoma are moving to the lowest stage of their Water Shortage Response Plans, the advisory stage.
Conditions no longer warrant being in the “voluntary” stage, in which customers were asked to reduce water use by 10 percent. The advisory stage means that a potential water supply problem may exist. This is still the case due to an ongoing strong El Nino that is expected to bring warm weather through the spring. While in the advisory stage, the cities ask customers to use water wisely by not wasting it.
The three cities thank their customers for helping the region stretch its water supplies to meet the needs of people and fish in this unprecedented year. … “We live in a region where our customers truly understand and value drinking water as a precious resource,” said Seattle Mayor Ed Murray. “When we asked them to partner with us by reducing their water use, they stepped up and responded. I want to personally thank the residents and businesses of Seattle for doing their part.”
… With rain from the Halloween storm, supply reservoirs on the Cedar and South Fork Tolt rivers rose 12 and 14 feet, respectively, and are now at 92 percent of normal for this time of year. The utility continues to provide beneficial flows for spawning salmon in both the Cedar and South Fork Tolt rivers.
The full regional update, and water-saving advice, can be found at savingwater.org.
West Seattle High School‘s PTSA is “Reaching for the Stars” with its annual fundraising auction in just 10 days – Friday, November 20th, at Brockey Center on the South Seattle College (WSB sponsor) campus – but they can’t get there without you. Nikki Page from the PTSA e-mailed to say they’re still selling tickets and you can get in at the discounted early rate, $50, if you buy yours by Friday: “Please come and support West Seattle High School!” is their message to you and the rest of the community; here’s where the money goes. You can get your ticket(s) online.
9 AM: As mentioned in our traffic/transit roundup – since the report was from a ferry – orcas are back in the area this morning. Just after 8 am, commenting on one of our stories from last week, Michele reported, “A big pod of killer whales just showed off for the passengers on the 7:50 ferry to Southworth! Huge pod going south!” She didn’t report which side of Vashon they were passing – which would make a difference for visibility from here – but Orca Network regulars say it’s the east side, so they might still be visible from south West Seattle, and of course they’ll have to head back this way eventually. Updates appreciated if you see them! (You can also text our 24/7 hotline, 206-293-6302.) *Just as we were publishing this, we also heard from Donna Sandstrom of The Whale Trail, who reports researcher Mark Sears confirmed they’re southbound off north Vashon.*
1:30 PM: Per commenters and text, they’re now passing Fauntleroy, northbound.
2 PM: We and quite a few others are along Emma Schmitz, hoping to see them soon. One request, if you’re in a car and happen to see this … please don’t idle.
2:13 PM: Saw them! They are off Emma Schmitz, midchannel. Look for the blows, and the small research boat. Visible WITHOUT binoculars! We’ve opened a new story here.
(Six WS-relevant views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
6:48 AM: The morning starts with a rollover crash on I-5 in downtown Seattle. It’s on the southbound side, at the Convention Center, blocking three lanes, but there’s likely some related slowdown on the northbound side too.
6:57 AM: With no major injuries reported, emergency responders have moved the flipped car off to the side, leaving only one southbound HOV lane blocked.
VETERANS DAY TOMORROW: Advance reminder that tomorrow’s a holiday, with schools closed, which will change transportation conditions.
DELRIDGE/HIGHLAND PARK GREENWAY UPDATE: This project continues in eastern West Seattle; the project team sent this update late yesterday:
Crews have installed curb ramps, curb extensions and a new crosswalk just south of where 22nd Ave SW merges with 21st Ave SW. Beginning this week, crew will pour concrete sidewalks on the east side of 21st Ave SW. Additional construction at this intersection will include preparing the west side of the intersection for curb ramps, curb extensions and sidewalk widening. Weather permitting, this work is expected to take two weeks.
Beginning as early as November 16, crews will begin preparing the site at 15th Ave SW and SW Holden St for curb ramp and curb installations, painting the crosswalks on the east and west side of the intersection, and installing pedestrian flashing beacons on either side of the crosswalks. Weather permitting, this work is expected to take three weeks to complete.
Lots of project info can be found here.
7:31 AM: Text tip (206-293-6302) says there’s water gushing onto the road in the 4800 block of W. Marginal Way SW, and cars are going too fast as they hit it.
7:53 AM: WSF says the Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth route has reduced capacity today while the Issaquah is out for maintenance.
7:55 AM: Commenters are saying same thing as this tweet:
@kcmetrobus @westseattleblog where is bus 57? No show again for the second day? So Disappointed.
— Rue Ishiyama (@Rueski) November 10, 2015
No alert via text or tweet. Metro said yesterday that the trip cancellation – much-discussed in Monday’s “Traffic/Transit Today” comments – came too late for warning.
8:14 AM: Commenter on a recent orca-sighting story reports, “A big pod of killer whales just showed off for the passengers on the 7:50 ferry to Southworth! Huge pod going south!” Don’t know if that means south into the west or east passage around Vashon Island, but we are now alerted to orcas in the area – keep watch and let us know if you see them!
8:35 AM: Heads up for freeway work overnight tonight, near the West Seattle Bridge exit from southbound I-5:
Up to 3 right lanes SB I-5 at 6th Ave S/S. Forest St. exit closed from 9 pm to 4:30 am for expansion joint repair work.
— WSDOT Traffic (@wsdot_traffic) November 10, 2015
(WSB photo: Shari Sewell at NWH&H’s 2014 Alki Beach 5K)
West Seattleite Shari Sewell has announced she’s leaving Northwest Hope and Healing – which helps breast-cancer patients cope with the challenges of life going on despite their diagnosis. She’s been with the organization 12 years and says, “The Foundation is in great shape, so I figured I’d leave on a high note. I’m looking forward to some time off to relax and figure out what’s next.” Here’s how the organization announced the news, including word of who will succeed Shari:
After 12 years with NW Hope & Healing, Shari Sewell, our talented Executive Director, will be stepping away from her role as Executive Director and from daily operations at NW Hope & Healing. Shari’s passion for assisting breast cancer and gynecology patients will endure in the years to come as a supporter of the NWHH mission. Shari will continue in her role through early December. We are so thankful for Shari’s time and energy developing NW Hope & Healing into a thriving foundation that touches lives on a daily basis.
Shari has put her heart and soul into this organization, but she’s ready to hand the reins to a new leader and take a well-deserved break. Kristina Dahl will take over as ED in December. Kristina looks forward to building upon NWHH’s solid foundation so that, together, we can assist more women than ever before.
Shari says, “I’m proud of what we’ve done and they way we’ve done it. I’ve exceeded my goals for the organization so it’s time for me to focus on the next chapter of my life. NW Hope & Healing is on solid ground and I’m excited to see where it goes.”.
The Board of Directors is grateful for her devotion, leadership, and commitment to the organization. Shari has been a vital force behind our Healing Programs, which have reached 10,000 women in the last 15 years, to help them get back on track financially while they deal with the physical and emotional effects of breast cancer. Please join us at our wine tasting at the Georgetown Ballroom on November 18th as we raise a glass to thank Shari, toast to her success and celebrate new beginnings.
If NWH&H has not directly touched your life or that of someone in your family, you might still have been part of their work by running or walking in the summertime Alki Beach 5K Run/Walk – here’s our coverage of this year’s event; Shari’s successor Kristina spoke at the 2013 Alki Beach 5K. NWH&H also presents other benefits/celebrations including the annual “Style” fashion show (next one April 28, 2016).
Five reader reports tonight in West Seattle Crime Watch:
CAR STOLEN FROM APARTMENT GARAGE: Robert hopes you will be on the lookout for his car:
My car was stolen Sunday morning at around 9 am from 4730 California Ave SW. I’ve already filed a police report, etc. I’m hoping to get readers to keep their eyes open. It’s a blue 2012 Mazda3 hatchback. License plate WA – AHJ1794
He says it was taken from inside the garage, and he’s working with management to check for surveillance video.
BURGLARY: From Delaney in Arbor Heights:
We had a break-in last week (Thursday, November 5). Because over $500 worth of goods was stolen and someone illegally entered our property, it was classified by the SPD as a felony burglary. Someone climbed in our bedroom window while we were at work and stole about $2,000 worth of small electronics and jewelry, as well as a backpack to fit it all in and transport back to their den of thieves. Nothing else was broken or damaged.
She adds, “We have a GIANT privacy hedge which I’m sure made it that much easier for them.” (That indeed is the type of thing discouraged by CPTED – Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design – principles – follow the link for tips.)
ANYBODY MISSING THIS BIKE? Melissa spotted this “Magna mountain bike” on Cambridge between 20th and 21st Ave SW:
ANYBODY MISSING THIS TOOL BOX? Jake says his wife found it in a planting strip near their Gatewood home, “presumably dumped judging by the damage. Hoping to reunite it with the rightful owner. Holding on to it for now, I plan to drop it at the local precinct if no response.”
You can reach him at jake.daniel@gmail.com. By the way, we checked with Robert, the teacher who lost many items in a recent car prowl, including a tool tote. This is NOT his. But even more of his stuff has turned up – some of his teaching materials were found by another WSB reader, so he has them back! Wherever you are, please watch out for stuff that might have been dumped by thieves, and let us know so we can get the word out there.
PHONE SCAM ALERT REMINDER: From Carol: “Just wanted to give a heads-up that in the last 2 days, we’ve had 3 phone calls on our land line telling us that we are being sued by the IRS and that we should phone back immediately for help. I know this is a SCAM and just wondered if anyone else in West Seattle is also getting phoned?” This scam can take many forms, as reported here back in February.
CASE UPDATE: The man arrested in connection with Sunday morning’s West Seattle mugging, found in a Fiat stolen in a Saturday night carjacking on Queen Anne, wasn’t booked into jail until this afternoon, after a short hospital stay. So he won’t have a bail hearing until tomorrow.
If you have Crime Watch information to share – once it’s been reported to police! – e-mail us at editor@westseattleblog.com – if it’s breaking news (big police response somewhere RIGHT NOW, etc.), text/voice-call us 24/7 at 206-293-6302 – thank you!
MONDAY, 6:14 PM: Though the West Seattle Chipotle restaurant is *not* one of the ten linked to patients in the Pacific Northwest E. coli outbreak, it and the chain’s 42 other restaurants in Washington and Oregon remain closed. But both the state Health Department and Chipotle ownership are indicating they’re moving toward reopening. Today was the 10th full day of closure for most of those restaurants, including the one in The Junction, and the state has continued to provide daily updates: As of this afternoon’s update, 27 cases have been confirmed in Washington, including 10 people who were hospitalized, none of whom ate at a Chipotle any more recently than October 24th. The update also says the first round of test results from Chipotle food samples has not turned up any E. coli, so they haven’t linked it to any particular food yet. The chain has its own page detailing what it’s been doing in the meantime, but says it doesn’t know when it will get health authorities’ permission to reopen. (WSB photo: Sign that’s been up on Chipotle’s door in The Junction since October 31st)
TUESDAY, 10:55 AM: Chipotle says it will reopen the restaurants, this one included, “in the coming days.” We’ll be checking daily on the West Seattle location, which opened two months ago today. (As of just after 11 am Tuesday, its regular opening time, it was still closed.)
The newest round of election results is out – and Shannon Braddock is still ahead of Lisa Herbold in the City Council District 1 race, though now by fewer than 100 votes:
Braddock – 49.99% – 11125 votes
Herbold – 49.57% – 11030 votes
(For comparison, here’s the final count from last week.) Next count, 4:30 pm tomorrow. The county’s full results list says 24,699 ballots have been counted in the District 1 race, and its most recent ballot-return statistics say 27,512 ballots were ready to count from this district, which suggests more than 2,800 ballots are yet to be counted.
(WSB file photo: ‘Wall of buses’ along Roxhill Park, across from Westwood Village)
It’s been two years since the Westwood-Roxhill Community Council started seeking safety improvements along the Roxhill Park section of the Westwood-area “transit center” – particularly lighting. We’ve covered walking tours of the area going back to the end of 2013, where WWRHAH leaders including co-chair Amanda Kay Helmick pointed out the safety issues. In January of this year, Metro told WWRHAH that they had procured a $170,000 county grant for lighting and ADA sidewalk upgrades to the area – but it hasn’t happened yet, so Helmick just followed up again, with various people in the loop, including King County Executive Dow Constantine‘s transportation adviser Chris Arkills, who investigated and then forwarded this update from Metro’s Paul Roybal:
Thank you for your inquiry about the status of King County Metro’s project to construct sidewalk and lighting improvements at the Westwood Village C Line Terminal. Over the past several months, Metro’s preliminary design work has included:
· coordination with the City of Seattle to address technical design issues,
· completion of federal environmental review requirements, and
· identification of City of Seattle permitting requirements.Certain project elements, including the lighting improvements, trigger requirements of the City of Seattle Street Improvement Permit process. This process requires additional coordination with various City departments, and is typically completed in a three- to six-month time frame. Concurrently, Metro is actively working with the City of Seattle to identify options to reduce the construction duration once permitting is complete. Metro’s design team now estimates that construction will be complete in mid-2016.
Some of the other problems pointed out by WWRHAH in the 2013 walking tour have already been addressed.
If you’ve noticed work on, and just off, Beach Drive just south of Constellation Park – here’s what’s going on. From the King County Wastewater Treatment District:
Construction has begun across the street from King County’s 63rd Avenue Pump Station. The pump station is located on the waterfront at the intersection of Beach Dr. Southwest, Southwest Spokane Street, and 63rd Ave. Southwest, in West Seattle.
The work will include upgrading the existing connections from three private homes to the county’s pipeline.
What to expect:
· The sidewalks in front of the three homes will not be passable while the work is ongoing.
· There should only be minimal impact to traffic.
· All work will be done from 8:00am to 5:00pm M-F.
· The work is expected to take up to 2 weeks.
(WSB photo from Sunday)
On the third day of cleanup at an oil-contaminated White Center stormwater-retention pond, we’ve just obtained the newest information from state Ecology Department spokesperson Larry Altose:
Workers made progress on Saturday and Sunday, rescuing oiled waterfowl and removing oil from the pond near 13th Avenue Southwest and Southwest 100th Street in unincorporated King County.
The Washington Department of Ecology is coordinating the response, in cooperation with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and the King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks. Ecology has hired a spill response contractor and a wildlife rescue organization for the cleanup.
The spilled material appears to be about 50 to 100 gallons cooking oil that entered the pond via the county stormwater drainage system. County and Ecology staff have been tracing storm drains to search for the source of the spill. No additional oil has entered the lake since a citizen first reported the spill late Friday afternoon.
Cooking and other edible oils, while less toxic to wildlife, still cause environmental harm. When birds contact the oil it coats the feathers so that the animals lose insulation and buoyancy. Oil damages habitat for other aquatic life, reducing oxygen levels and creating physical impacts on the water surface and shoreline.
Crews from Focus Wildlife International have captured 14 oiled birds, four mallard ducks and 10 Canada geese. The birds received initial treatment near the scene in the organization’s special trailer. They were transported for further treatment at the Progressive Animal Welfare Society’s Wildlife Rescue Center in Lynnwood.
Workers hope to capture approximately 20 other oiled birds, some of which have flown to other ponds, lakes or fields in the area. No wildlife deaths have been reported.
Meanwhile, other workers continue to tend oil spill cleanup materials placed in the pond to collect the oil, which has spread into a slick over much of the surface. Crews succeeded in preventing oil from draining out of the pond, which flows into nearby Hicklin Lake.
The cleanup has reduced the amount of oil seen on the pond over the past two days. Ecology’s contractor will measure the amount of oil recovered in cleanup materials to better determine the size of the spill.
The on-site response effort, which involved 25 people on Saturday and 18 on Sunday, continues to step down to about 9 responders today.
Our first report, on Saturday, is here; our Sunday followup is here. As we’ve noted previously, this county-owned area of unincorporated King County had already been the subject of extensive cleanup efforts – focused on the land, rather than the water, because of problems with encampments and drug use during the non-rainy months – here’s a report from last month, published on our partner site White Center Now.
(Seagull and snack, photographed at Alki by Matt Olson)
Welcome to the brand-new week! Busier-than-usual Monday – here are the highlights, primarily from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:
NEXT ROUND OF ELECTION RESULTS: Around 4:30 pm – often earlier – King County releases the next vote count, which includes an update on the too-close-to-call City Council District 1 (West Seattle/South Park) race. Watch for it here (and here on WSB, too).
PHYSICAL THERAPY NIGHT: 5:30-7 pm at West Seattle Runner (WSB sponsor), “complimentary individual assessment with Lora Clothier, owner of Biojunction Therapy.” (2753 California SW)
TILDEN SCHOOL OPEN HOUSE: 6-8 pm, interested parents are welcome to come see Tilden School (independent K-5 education; WSB sponsor) and meet its staff. (4105 California SW)
NORTH DELRIDGE NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL: Second Monday, so it’s the regular monthly meeting night for the NDNC, 6:30 pm at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center. (4408 Delridge Way SW)
WEST SEATTLE BIKE CONNECTIONS: Special night this month – 6:30 pm tonight at HomeStreet Bank (WSB sponsor) in The Junction, help WSBC look ahead to 2016 priorities. (41st SW & SW Alaska)
EVENING BOOK GROUPS: Two tonight at local libraries – 6:45 pm at Southwest Library (35th SW & SW Henderson), the group will be reading “The Imperfectionists” by Tom Rachman; 6:45 pm at West Seattle (Admiral) Library (2306 42nd SW), the group will be reading “Kafka on the Shore” by Haruki Murakami.
CHECK OUR COMPLETE CALENDAR for even more of what’s up today, tonight, and beyond.
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