West Seattle, Washington
27 Friday
In this edition of West Seattle Crime Watch – a reader report and five incidents from recent police reports.
STOLEN BIKE: From Tyler:
Between 6am and 6pm, Monday the 16th, my blue Trek 1500 SLR Road Bike was stolen from a secured garage in my condo complex off California Ave near The Junction.
This bike was the first large purchase I made after saving up at a terrible job back in high school and has immense sentimental value. A police report has been filed. See attached flyer for a picture of me with my bike after STP.
If anyone in WS sees the bike (now with all white handlebars) with anyone but me in control of it, please email trunner1221@gmail.com…
… and contact police.
We’ve also read through a variety of recently obtained police reports, from a streetside-parking hit-and-run arrest, to a phone call that tipped its recipient to identity theft:
(Monday sunrise by Robert Spears – shared via WSB Flickr group; see full-size version there)
LIBRARY STORYTIMES: Four on our calendar, for today and tonight – find the listings here.
CHINESE NEW YEAR LUNCHEON: 11:45 am at Senior Center of West Seattle – details here, including how to call to see if there’s still space. (Oregon/California)
WSHS GIRLS’ BASKETBALL PLAYOFF GAME: 6:30 pm at Chief Sealth International High School, the West Seattle High School girls – Metro League champs as of last Friday (WSB coverage here) – play Bishop Blanchet in the district tournament. (2600 SW Thistle)
(added) JUNCTION NEIGHBORHOOD ORGANIZATION: 6:30 pm at the Senior Center of West Seattle, with agenda including briefing on West Seattle YMCA (WSB sponsor) expansion. (Oregon/California)
QUESTIONS/CONCERNS TO BRING TO LOCAL POLICE? 7 pm at the Southwest Precinct, the monthly West Seattle Crime Prevention Council meeting is the place to bring them, and to hear updates on local cases/trends. (Webster/Delridge)
SLHS BOYS’ BASKETBALL PLAYOFF GAME: 7:30 pm at Seattle Lutheran High School, the boys’ basketball team plays a district-tournament game against Providence Classical Christian. More info here. (4100 SW Genesee)
LORI HARDMAN BAND @ BLUES TO DO: Podcast at 6 pm and the Lori Hardman Band‘s show at 8 pm, it’s the weekly celebration of the blues @ Feedback Lounge, presented by Thunder Road Guitars (both WSB sponsors), more info on the Feedblog. (6451 California SW)
MORE NIGHTLIFE and other happenings … please take a look at the full calendar.
(WS high/low bridges and Highway 99 views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
Good morning! Traffic might still be a bit lighter today because it’s the final day of a four-day weekend for Seattle Public Schools (though many independent schools are back in session). Otherwise, transit services are back to normal. Speaking of transit:
BUS BUCKS: At its afternoon meeting today, the City Council is scheduled to vote on the plan for what extra bus service will be bought with the transit funding approved by voters last year. It’s spelled out here, including local routes 21, 21X, 55, 56, 57, 60, 120, 125, C Line. Find out even more about it at the West Seattle Transportation Coalition‘s next meeting February 26th.
8:01 AM: Still nothing unusual reported on outbound routes. So here’s a check of travel times from 35th SW just before the bridge, via the SDOT map:
1st Ave Offramp 4 min.
4th Ave Offramp 5 min.
Ballard 29 min.
Crown Hill 34 min.
Greenlake via SR-99 27 min.
I-5 NB/SB 6 min.
Lower Queen Anne 24 min.
Shoreline via SR-99 36 min.
South Lake Union 20 min.
SR-99 Offramp 4 min.
Stadiums via 1st Ave 11 min.
Stadiums via 4th Ave 9 min.
8:07 AM: Transit note – We checked out a tip about police at the bus stop by Roxhill Park across from Westwood Village. All gone by the time we arrived (and we’re not far) except for one transit officer who would say only that it was a “minor” incident, “over fast.”
12:01 PM: Via Twitter:
@westseattleblog Stalled truck on crown of WSB in right shoulder heading west. Sticking out a bit into traffic lane so use caution.
— mjs1980 (@mjs1980) February 17, 2015
Late-night extra – another peek beneath the surface, courtesy of “Diver Laura” James. This is likely the first in a series of glimpses into the undersea world beyond the most-popular dive spots near Seacrest; in this short video, she shows you around at Cormorant Cove, the city park off Beach Drive by the Harbor West condos-on-pilings.
P.S. While you won’t see them because they were tucked away in crevices, Laura says “some surviving Ochre Sea Stars (the purple ones) and some young Mottled Stars (the orange ones)” were in view. She also calls our attention to South Sound U.S. Rep. Denny Heck‘s reintroduction of a bill to provide federal help to try to solve marine-disease emergencies like sea-star wasting syndrome – read about it here.
Three daytime coyote sightings have been reported in the past day and a half, starting with the one texted with that photo along SW Rose in Gatewood. Then this afternoon, in the span of half an hour, Vanessa e-mailed word of one in an alley between 36th and 37th and Findlay – “thin, scared-looking,” she said – followed by Christine‘s note, saying, “Just wanted to let you know that there have been two coyote sightings in our neighborhood (38th and Morgan) on Saturday, Feb. 14th and today, Monday, Feb. 16th. Both sightings occurred around 1:30 pm.” It’s mating season for coyotes, and experts say that tends to increase their daytime activity. Find out more about coyote behavior – and how to help ensure they and we keep our distance from each other – via this state Department of Fish and Wildlife webpage; if you don’t have time to read through it, short version – if one gets too close, scare it away. And don’t leave food out.
(Photo by Chris Frankovich)
6:19 PM: Today’s temperature set a record (59 at Sea-Tac) – and as we hope you got to see firsthand, was followed by sunset beauty. We’ll be adding a few more photos soon – thanks for sharing!
ADDED 7:19 PM: Thanks to Megan Jasper for this one:
And from JayDee:
One more sunny day tomorrow, and even warmer, says the forecast.
One of the most-frequently asked questions we’re getting these days is, “What’s going into the commercial space in the new Junction buildings?” While the developers aren’t making formal announcements yet, we’re continuing to find the answers, one by one. For the second week in a row, we’ve discovered permit applications suggesting a major national chain has snagged one of the new spaces. Last week, it was Chipotle Mexican Grill in the files for almost-complete 4730 California; today, we’ve found documents in the city files naming Starbucks as a tenant for Junction 47 (the two-building project at California/Alaska/42nd). Screengrab:
In addition to that mention, a “site plan” in the city files shows this roughed out as a 1,734-square-foot store set for the prime California/Alaska corner, with a covered patio on the California side. Starbucks already has stands in the Junction QFC and Safeway stores, and had a standalone store in Jefferson Square for one year (2007-2008). Online listings suggest this is one of three commercial spaces in Equity Residential-owned Junction 47 with deals in the works, so we’ll keep watching to see what else is on the way.
City Hearing Examiner Sue Tanner has made her ruling on the third appeal filed against decisions relating to the Arbor Heights Elementary School rebuild. The appeal was filed by the Committee to Save Seattle Schools and three area residents; we covered the hearing downtown on February 2nd. Tanner promised a written ruling within two weeks; we found it in the city files today, dated February 9th. Read it in its entirety below (or here, as a PDF):
Toplines: While the appellants had argued that aspects of the decisions allowing the project, including four zoning exceptions, were “clearly erroneous,” Tanner found that was not the case. Her decision notes that two points of contention in the appeal, filed last November, had already been remedied by the district before the case was argued – the matter of two large Douglas firs on the northeast side of the site, which at one point were to be moved, will be left in place, and the issue of contacting the Duwamish Tribe before excavation work starts at the site; district testimony indicated that the Duwamish and four other tribes will be advised and invited to observe the work, in case of “inadvertent discovery” of cultural relics. But Tanner did decide to modify the conditions of the zoning exceptions’ approval, including the possibility of a four-way stop sign at 35th/104th – an intersection which will by fall of 2016 lie between the rebuilt AHES and the new home of Westside School (WSB sponsor) – provided SDOT approves. She also ordered a provision requiring any mitigation ordered for the project’s removal of what was considered an “exceptional” madrone tree.
BACKSTORY: We also covered the previous two appeals, both of which were argued and decided last year – May 2014 WSB coverage here; August 2014 WSB coverage here. The new AHES is being built in two phases, with the first – demolition and site clearing – now complete, and the second to start this spring; it’s still scheduled to open in fall 2016.
Two notes on the ongoing contract-talks stalemate between West Coast port-terminal operators and longshore workers:
(Northeastward view over ships anchored off Manchester; photo by Long Bach Nguyen)
TERMINALS CLOSED AGAIN TODAY: Today is the fourth day (of the past five) that terminals remain closed to ship offloading by order of the Pacific Maritime Association, the umbrella organization for terminal operators on the West Coast. So far, they’re expected to reopen tomorrow; that could mean major truck traffic on roads to local terminals, such as lower Spokane St. and East Marginal, which backed up last Friday when terminals reopened after the first day of closure. Nine cargo ships are anchored off Seattle and Manchester today, as shown on MarineTraffic.com (and in the photos with this story)
(Bulk-cargo ships anchored off Magnolia, seen from West Seattle; photo by Chris Panarello; [added Tuesday] note – commenter points out the grain terminal is not part of the current situation)
LABOR SECRETARY IN SAN FRANCISCO TOMORROW: There’s an update today on the plan for U.S. Labor Secretary Tom Perez to intervene by talking with the PMA and the International Longshore and Warehouse Union: The Bay Area’s NBC station reports via Twitter that Perez will meet with both sides in San Francisco tomorrow. No details yet.
(UPDATED TUESDAY with Starbucks reply on what’ll change at the Alki store)
3 food/drink notes:
TEMPORARY CLOSURE FOR ALKI STARBUCKS: Jackie tipped us that a remodeling closure was ahead for the Alki Beach Starbucks. We tried to find out more from Starbucks corporate, which didn’t respond to our inquiry. But a WSB Forums post pointed out Sunday that the closure has begun, and we verified that by checking the sign on its door. It says “see you in March.” No online hints at whether the remodel will include anything dramatic, but looks like furniture replacement is included – a city-required form related to recycling/reuse says Starbucks will send interior furniture from this store to “other stores in need.” **TUESDAY UPDATE** Finally heard back – a company spokesperson replies:
We can confirm that the Starbucks on Alki Ave is currently closed for renovation, and will reopen in March. The renovations will focus on updates to the interior furnishings and an updated bathroom and also will include a Clover Brewing System. In addition to our core coffees, this store will offer Starbucks Reserve(r), a special collection of rare, exquisite coffees which are selected from small farms all over the world by our experienced coffee team. It is delivered each week from the Starbucks Reserve Roastery and Tasting Room to ensure maximum freshness and flavor, available for limited times at select stores. We are excited to share that customers at this store will be able to order these Starbucks Reserve(r) coffees brewed on The Clover(r) Brewing System, which lets customers discover new layers and dimensions within a coffee’s familiar aroma, flavor, body and acidity, brewed fresh by the cup.
Additionally, store partners (employees) will be handing out free coffee outside of the store on Friday mornings during the renovation. We’re proud to be a part of the Alki neighborhood and we will continue to serve the community in this way during the store’s closure.
RED STAR PIZZA GONE FOR GOOD: After months of irregular hours and then a declaration of semi-new ownership, Red Star Pizza (7514 35th SW) is now apparently permanently closed, several readers have pointed out, with evidence including equipment being moved out, a sign saying in part “Thank you, W. Sea,” and the disappearance of its website and Twitter accounts. The site has been slated since last year to be demolished when the new Clearview Eye Clinic is built, but the owners had been saying they’d find a new location.
TAKE OUT WITHOUT THROWING OUT: Yes, many restaurants offer takeout food in compostable containers. But Elliott Bay Brewing in The Junction (4720 California SW) has gone one step beyond. You can pay a one-time $5 charge to get into its reusable takeout container program – then every time you pick up an order, bring it back, clean or not.
(WS high/low bridges and Highway 99 views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
It’s Presidents Day, so we have some notes to start:
*Water Taxis are not in service today
*Metro is on regular weekday schedule (plus “no UW”)
*Sound Transit Route 560 is on a regular schedule
*School’s out today and tomorrow for Seattle Public Schools
With the tax deadline just weeks away, the pace of scam calls is picking up. Two to warn you about:
REPORTED TO POLICE: According to a report filed with Seattle Police, early last Thursday morning, someone in the Admiral area reported getting scammed by a caller claiming to be from the IRS and “coerc(ing) her into purchasing Re-Load It cards and giving (the caller) the number over the phone. The suspect said this was to stop legal action for unpaid back taxes. (The victim) said she realized it was a scam after talking with her adult son. She immediately called the card company but was unable to stop the payment.”
READER REPORT: From Garry in Westwood, who recently found this voicemail via his land-line phone:
“Hello, we have been trying to reach you. This call is officially a final notice from IRS Internal Revenue Service … the reason of this call is to inform you that the IRS is filing a lawsuit against you to get more information about this case file. Please call immediately on our department number 360-362-4719. I repeat 360-362-4719. Thank you.”
I looked up the phone number on the web and it has numerous complaints relating to a variety of scams associated with government agencies and law enforcement, all with a similar “urgent” message. Wanted to pass this on to let others in West Seattle know they might be getting the same type of phone message.
HOW TO REPORT A SCAM, OR VERIFY A CALL: Lots of good info on this IRS webpage.
(WSB photo)
Thanks to everyone who tipped us about the U.S. Coast Guard helicopter that appeared to be searching off Alki. We went over to check, and got the photo above, but no information from land, and no city public-safety responders in view; a USCG spokesperson we subsequently reached by phone confirms that it’s indeed a search – starting with “an unconfirmed report of a swimmer struggling in the water.” The person who reported this lost sight of the apparent swimmer, according to the USCG, but they are searching from the air and water until they are sure they’ve done as much looking as they can. No other information so far.
Though by nature and zoning it hasn’t drawn triple-digit-unit developments, Delridge Way has seen plenty of building the past few years, and we have two more notes from city files:
MIXED USE AT 5414 DELRIDGE: A few doors north of DESC’s Cottage Grove Commons, 5414 Delridge Way has an early-stage proposal for a mixed-use building to replace the 85-year-old cottage in this photo:
Four stories, 7 residential units and 1,000 square feet for retail/office. A “site plan” just filed last Thursday shows the ownership as Christianson Development, same as the townhouses-over-office space units that start one door down; architect for this project is listed as Nicholson Kovalchick. According to the DPD website, this will go through Design Review.
4150 DELRIDGE: This not-previously-developed site north of Youngstown Cultural Arts Center, last mentioned here in fall 2013, has a new configuration.
The newest proposal is for four 2-unit, 4-story rowhouses. Ownership is a Burien company; architect, David Neiman.
“Happy birthday” wishes go out to West Seattle’s Boy Scout Troop 284 – and this is a BIG birthday: The troop’s centennial celebration. You’re invited to join them for the party – whether or not you are or have been associated with Troop 284:
TROOP 284 CENTENNIAL REUNION CELEBRATIONS
February 21, 2015, 5:30 pm
The Brockey Conference Center, at South Seattle CollegeOn February 21, 2015, Boy Scouts of America Troop 284 will celebrate their 100-year anniversary as a continuously chartered troop in Seattle by hosting a Centennial Reunion & Dinner Celebration. We welcome friends, family, Scouts, and other interested persons to join us at the Brockey Conference Center at South Seattle College at 5:30 pm. Please register at seattlebsa.org/new/event-registration
Questions regarding banquet registration and Troop 284 information can be addressed to: Troop284WestSeattle@gmail.com
Troop 284 was established in 1915 under the commission of William Barnet and remains chartered to the Boy Scouts of America through the West Seattle Kiwanis. Over the last 100 years, Troop 284 has proudly graduated 102 Eagle Scouts and provided 15,000 hours of service in and around the West Seattle community and beyond.
Since 1988, Troop 284 has maintained their commitment to the West Seattle Food Bank through the Scouting for Food drives; an annual program where the Scouts collect food donations from the West Seattle community. Over the last 27 years, Troop 284 has collected and donated more than 1,000 pounds of food per year to the food bank.
In keeping with their commitment to service, Troop 284 gathered at the West Seattle Food Bank on Jan. 24 to help assemble and install some much needed storage shelving.
Their Centennial Service Project was completed with assistance from Walter F. Toth Construction.
As our Troop transitions to our next 100 years, we hope you will stay in touch and continue to share in our Boy Scout journey. We welcome your support and involvement. For current Troop events: facebook.com/WSTroop284
Bon voyage! Only three days of school next week for Seattle Public Schools, and these students will be spending those days far from home. NP shares the photo – taken Saturday at Sea-Tac Airport – and explains, “Madison Middle School 8th graders are traveling to France for a week of adventures with their French teacher Paula Rippe.”
(Odd shape to the rising sun today – cloud? – photographed by Coleman Smith)
Caught between Valentine’s Day and the Presidents Day holiday, today is relatively quiet – but we still have some options, from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:
WEST SEATTLE FARMERS’ MARKET: 10 am-2 pm – local produce, beverages, cheese, meat, more. (44th/Alaska)
LOG HOUSE MUSEUM: Been to the home of West Seattle history lately? Open noon-4 pm. (61st/Stevens)
AFTERNOON MUSIC: Bluegrass and old-time music with Jamtime at C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor), 1-4 pm. (5612 California SW)
AGING PARENTS? 2 pm at West Seattle (Admiral) Branch Library, you might be interested to hear about “The Impact of Long-Term Care,” beyond its cost. Details here. (2306 42nd SW)
LAST CHANCE TO SEE “4000 MILES”: 3 pm, final performance of “4000 Miles” at ArtsWest Playhouse & Gallery (WSB sponsor). Ticket info here. (4711 California SW)
MILO GREENE @ EASY STREET: 6 pm, free, live, in-store concert by four-piece Milo Greene – who describe their music as “cinematic pop” – at Easy Street Records. (Alaska/California)
MORE MUSIC … among other things, in the rest of the listings on our calendar.
(L-R, Coach Buiford, Coach Daven, Gonzalo Guzman, Ryan Davis, Coach D, Daron Camacho, Coach LT; photo by Lynn Ogdon-Perrine)
Thanks to Lynn Ogdon-Perrine for an update on Chief Sealth International High School wrestlers who are headed into state competition:
In the big regional competition at Sealth on Saturday, Daron Camacho won first in his weight class and has been named Metro League Wrestler of the Year. Lynn adds that Antonio Childs placed 3rd in regionals in his weight class, and that Ryan Davis is first alternate in his weight class and Gonzalo Guzman is second alternate for state in his weight class.
Meantime, after girls’ regionals on Saturday in Bellingham, Sealth’s Makayla Dorn is also going to state:
(Makayla Dorn; photo by Brad Kelln)
She placed third. State competition is next Friday and Saturday at the Tacoma Dome.
10:44 PM: Thanks for the tips – the Guardian One helicopter is in West Seattle now, in the High Point area, over Graham/Lanham. Not sure yet what it’s about – they seem to be focused on a vehicle – we’ll add what we find out.
10:55 PM: Officers are searching on the ground, too – one tells us this involves “stolen property.”
(Police at the Calugas Apartments in High Point)
11:01 PM: Guardian One appears to have moved on. We’ve heard on the scanner multiple times that this involves law enforcement from Mercer Island as well as SPD. Not sure how much more we’ll find out tonight.
11:06 PM: Guardian One’s Twitter account confirms:
Assisted Mercer island pd on search for burglary suspect in west Seattle. Seattle PD also assisting. @SeattlePD
— KCSOAirsupport (@KCSOAirsupport) February 15, 2015
11:32 PM: Photos added.
(WSB photos by Patrick Sand)
9:24 PM SATURDAY: We’re at Eastside Catholic, where the West Seattle High School boys’ basketball season just ended with a 79-56 loss in a loser-out district playoff game. Photos and summary later.
ADDED SUNDAY MORNING: For one, sophomore star Nate Pryor (#1, above) took a while to get up to speed:
Police have arrested another suspect in connection with some of the recent robberies and attacks on local students, according to an update sent to community-group leaders today by Southwest Precinct commander Capt. Steve Wilske. He wrote that the arrest was “from the two robberies that occurred on 02-04-15.” Our archives don’t show any incidents reported that day, so we followed up; he described the case as “2 student victims who were walking home through High Point” and provided an incident number. No report comes up online except in Tweets by Beat, which indicates the incident was reported at school (Sealth’s address, 2600 block of SW Thistle, is listed). We’ll see what we can do to track down the report and more information about the suspect.
Meantime, Capt. Wilske’s update adds, “We are continuing to work on the others. We are also working closely with the followup unit on the incidents involving the female students, and I will be continuing the morning emphasis patrols to increase early morning staffing as that investigation progresses.” Those incidents were the ones we reported here last Wednesday, along with information about the increased patrols. The arrest reported by the captain today is the second one in connection with the string of robberies dating back to mid-January; the first one was reported January 23rd, related to a California/Lander robbery attempt three days earlier.
P.S. Next West Seattle Crime Prevention Council meeting is coming up this Tuesday (February 17th), 7 pm – come hear from precinct leadership about the latest crime trends, and bring your questions. The precinct meeting room is off the parking lot, Webster just west of Delridge.
(WSB photos by Patrick Sand)
School’s out until Wednesday for Seattle Public Schools, and dozens of students at Roxhill Elementary went home with fun memories from their last PE class before the break. PE teacher Chellie LaFayette brought in University of Washington soccer players to meet and work with her afternoon classes.
The visitors, left to right with Roxhill’s “Buddy Bench” (made famous by another distinguished visitor) and Ms. Lafayette below, were Amanda, Kate, Kat, Paige, and Madi:
You can find out more about them on the UW’s roster page. They talked with students about what it takes to get into college as well as about playing sports.
(Photo courtesy Alan Blackman, who’s at right with guests James and Michael Dixon)
February is Black History Month. Denny International Middle School‘s 7th grade US History teacher Alan Blackman brought guests to his 4th-period class on Thursday, and wanted to share the story with you:
Here at Denny, we strive to prepare scholars to become responsible, informed citizens by utilizing multiple perspectives in their educational journey. In my American History class, we have dissected such events as the Columbian exchange and the American Revolution by examining the varying experiences of all groups involved.
(On Thursday), we were extremely fortunate to be joined by Michael Dixon, a former Black Panther, and his son James, who volunteered at Denny during the 2013-14 school year with the City Year program. Mr. Dixon was not only a member of the Seattle Panthers – his brother Aaron founded the city’s chapter in 1968. Mr. Dixon spoke to students about the events of the 1960s and the aims of the Black Panther Party. Students were very eager to ask Mr. Dixon about the origins of the Black Panthers, and his thoughts in hindsight of that time. It was a great opportunity for students to interact with and learn from an individual who experienced and participated in such a tumultuous, powerful, and significant period of American history.
Mr. Dixon emphasized the role of community service in his words to scholars, recalling the community programs that the Seattle Panthers organized, such as the free breakfast program in Madrona. He encouraged students to recognize the impact each of them could have on their community, using his own activism as an example. Students definitely left class feeling encouraged and empowered.
The UW’s website has an extensive archive about this chapter in the city’s history; it starts here. More-recent background on Aaron Dixon, who ran for US Senate in 2006 and authored a memoir in 2012, is here.
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