West Seattle, Washington
18 Monday
1:42 PM: For the second time this week, a case of lewd behavior/indecent exposure – reported as a comment on our story about the first incident (Tuesday in Admiral):
I actually experienced a very similar situation yesterday at the corner of SW Myrtle and 36th around 4:30 pm. I was walking my dog around the park and was approaching 36th when a man in a silver SUV opened his car door with no pants on and masturbated in front of me – laughing and waving. Disgusting.
I first saw him in a silver SUV parked halfway in someone’s driveway and then saw him re-park in another driveway – I assumed he was lost. The incident happened about 5 minutes later when I walked around the block (at which point he re-parked again), which leads me to think he was following me. I didn’t have a phone on me, but thankfully I caught up with someone in the park who did, and we called 911 immediately. The police responded quickly and took the report – but by that time he had left. Unfortunately, I was so disturbed/unsettled that I didn’t get a good description (I ran towards 35th so as to be in a more public place). He was a bigger framed guy in a silver SUV. The police had mentioned that something very similar happened earlier in the week (I’m assuming it’s the same incident posted above). I hope they catch this guy – it’s very disturbing.
We are following up with police right now, asking questions including whether this case and the 38th/Stevens case are believed to be related, and if there’s any other information to report. We’ll add to this story when we hear back.
4:17 PM: Obtained the report on this second incident – which ends with an acknowledgment of the similarities to the Tuesday incident in Admiral. No other information besides what the victim points out above; she was not close enough to get the plate but would likely recognize the vehicle if she saw it again, she told police.
(SCROLL DOWN FOR THE LATEST: Evicted couple back inside as of late afternoon)
9:26 AM: Numerous texts are coming in asking about what sounds like a protest somewhere in Morgan Junction. It’s an eviction protest at a Morgan/lower Gatewood home where local activists are hoping to stop sheriff’s deputies from forcing a disabled veteran, his wife, and children to leave. Public records indicate their house had been sold to a developer in April after being foreclosed on. The advocacy group had advised us and other news media of a 10 am protest and 10:30 am news conference today; apparently it has started early, and we’re on the way over. Updates to come.
9:56 AM: Our crew at the scene says deputies are there evicting the family from the house in the 6500 block of 41st SW. An ambulance is there, apparently to transport 63-year-old Byron Barton, but protesters are trying to stop the ambulance from moving – including by lying under it:
We’re adding Instagram video clips (the service limits to :15 but is the fastest way to get video out) as well as photos. The eviction action was postponed from last month, according to citywide-media reports including this one from KING.
10:05 AM: Our crew reports that sheriffs say everyone in the house is out.
Jean Barton made a brief statement that her husband does not want to go to the VA hospital but has nowhere else to go.
Seattle Police have arrived.
10:26 AM: So has City Councilmember Kshama Sawant.
The original announcement received yesterday had said she would participate in the 10:30 am briefing, which the group SAFE (Standing Against Foreclosure and Eviction) has said they still expect to hold.
11:05 AM: No briefing after all – Byron Barton was removed from the ambulance, and it has left, our crew at the scene reports. The family remains out of the house and there’s no word yet where they will go. A commenter asked if any help was needed; Jean Barton says Byron’s clothes are all in the house so that’s the kind of thing they need – she can be reached directly at 206-355-8300. She works, by the way, at Mary’s Place – an agency that helps homeless women. We’ve been looking into court files; the Bartons filed a lawsuit in May alleging various improprieties in the foreclosure process, which documents indicate has been ongoing since at least 2012. Trustee Quality Loan Service is listed as the firm that sold the house to Triangle Property Development LLC in April.
11:44 AM: Family and activists still there, our crew reports, and just gave a briefing, at which Councilmember Sawant spoke as well, but deputies and most of the police (and most of the rest of the media) are gone.
12:35 PM: Adding the briefing video as soon as it’s uploaded. We’ve been continuing to review court documents and other public records related to all this. The property’s owner as of the April foreclosure auction, Triangle Development, filed the “unlawful detainer” (eviction) suit against the Bartons in May, around the same time they filed the suit alleging the foreclosure was illegal. There is no development proposal for the site yet, by the way, but we note that county records show the house is on a double lot – 9,000 square feet and legally two lots, which likely means two homes could be built on it.
3:33 PM: We went by about an hour ago (en route to something else) and nobody was out on the street – two TV vehicles in evidence, though. One commenter says KIRO is reporting the family got back into the house. We asked KCSO spokesperson Sgt. DB Gates if they plan to go back. Not at the moment, she said, and offered more background, since KCSO is the enforcement agency for evictions anywhere in King County. According to Sgt. Gates, since an earlier incident in which a detective declined to serve the eviction papers, they have met with the Bartons multiple times and warned them that what happened today was going to happen – but the Bartons decided to stay anyway. Gates also says that the family is “not destitute,” and that they are getting “almost six figures” from the auction price, even though they did not initiate the auction, because the winning bid was so much more than what was owed on the house.
5:26 PM: We came back to the neighborhood to see what was going on and discovered that the Bartons are indeed back inside, in the basement, where Jean says Byron is chained to a bed:
That’s longtime friend Cheryl with them. Seattle Police are out on the street but won’t say what their plan is – they say a public-information officer is coming to speak to media (two TV crews are here doing live reports).
6 PM: SPD Captain Dave Proudfoot (South Precinct captain) is here to supervise – he says their first priority is checking Byron Barton’s health/medical status. Jean Barton says he’ll be OK at least until later tonight.
6:15 PM: New precinct liaison from the city attorney’s office Matthew York has been here since before we re-arrived. He is talking with a lawyer for the Bartons. Three of the SPD units that were here have left.
6:24 PM: It appears nothing more will happen here tonight, or so the police indicate. Meantime, the home’s new owner has commented on this story, saying she does not intend to tear down the house.
From the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:
HIAWATHA FUN FEST: Noon-3 pm, carnival games, bouncy toys, West Seattle Hi-Yu Junior Court royalty (added: they plan to dance between noon and 12:30 pm, and also will have tiara/sash for other kids to try on), and more at Hiawatha Community Center. (2700 California SW, but the events are usually on the east lawn, alongside Walnut)
DELRIDGE GROCERY’S FIRST FRIDAY FARMSTAND: The group working toward a co-op grocery store in North Delridge debuts its weekly farmstand today. From an e-mail preview, here’s some of what they expect to offer:
From Okanogan Producers Marketing Association – awesome organic producer coop in Okanogan:
– peaches
– apricots
– cherries
– blueberries
– raspberriesFrom Seattle Tilth Farm Works – amazing incubator farm in Auburn:
– Romaine lettuce
– cabbage
– collard greens
– kaleFrom City Grown Seattle <> – hyper-local urban farm in South Park and Ballard:
– green onions
– Swiss chard
Live music, too. 4:30-7:30 pm. (5400 block of Delridge Way, south of library)
HPIC FREE MOVIE: Doors open at Highland Park Improvement Club, 6:30 pm – details in our calendar listing. (12th/Kenyon)
NIGHTLIFE! From live music at Salty’s on Alki (WSB sponsor) starting at 5:30 pm, through comedy, music, and deejaying at other venues, see all the listings on our calendar.
(WS bridge and Highway 99 views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
Happy Friday! As we keep watch on today’s traffic, there’s a LOT to remind you about:
THAT I-90 LANE CLOSURE: Starting at 9:30 tonight and continuing for up to six days, WSDOT is doing expansion-joint work on westbound I-90 between Bellevue and Mercer Island, which will be reduced to one westbound lane as a result – full details here. If you have to come back from the Eastside, besides Highway 520, another option is to take 405 to Renton, where it heads west and joins up with Highway 518, which you can take westbound to northbound Highway 509, which connects you with east West Seattle.
FLOAT DODGER 5K & PARADE CLOSURES TOMORROW: From fairly early Saturday morning into early Saturday afternoon, California SW closes between north of SW Lander, the West Seattle Grand Parade starting point, to SW Edmunds, end of the route. The Float Dodger 5K starts from California/Charlestown at about 9:30; its course is here. More parade details in our countdown reports, but for road closures, that’s what you need to know, and do heed the no-parking signs on California and side streets where parade participants are staged. (Later Saturday afternoon, about a mile of 16th SW in White Center is closed for the Jubilee Days Parade, between SW 112th and SW 100th, and 17th SW is closed from Roxbury to 100th all day for the WCJD Street Fair.) Bus reroutes for all of the above, too – check your route here).
PRESIDENTIAL VISIT NEXT TUESDAY: Specifics are still lacking, but President Obama visits Seattle briefly for a fundraiser next Tuesday; SDOT has noon-8 pm set aside as the time period. No word yet exactly where he’ll be, nor even which airport Air Force One will use, but just know that at some point during the day, there’ll be traffic stops for the motorcade somewhere.
Transportation news:
SEATTLE VOTE AHEAD FOR METRO MONEY: The sales tax/car tab combo is going to the November ballot.
SOUND TRANSIT @ WS CHAMBER: If you want West Seattle to be in Sound Transit‘s updated long-range plan, speak up now, the WS Chamber of Commerce was told.
(WSB photos by Patrick Sand)
After a string of victories in must-win games, the West Seattle Little League‘s 11-12 All-Stars’ state-tournament run finally ended Thursday night.
Pacific, from Edmonds, beat the WSLL team, 14-4, at Bar-S on Alki Point. Three teams remain in the WSLL-hosted tournament, which continues through Saturday.
Following up on the Gatewood burglary spree first reported here Wednesday – the suspect is now charged with three counts of residential burglary. And we’ve learned that a warrant was already out for his arrest before police found him after the burglaries Saturday afternoon, because he’d missed a sentencing hearing a day earlier. Plus, he has an extensive record dating back more than half his life, to age 14.
The suspect is Jason Edward Wyman, who turned 33 the day before his arrest. The police report lists a Westwood address for him. He is charged with burglarizing three homes in Gatewood; in two cases, the police report says, he was interrupted by people who were home at the time and had left doors unlocked or open; in a third, he stole from a guest house. At least one victim has surveillance video showing him with items stolen from her home.
“The defendant’s brazen behavior is alarming,” prosecutors wrote in the charging documents, noting that while burglary is not a violent crime, entering occupied residences can quickly escalate to violence. They go on to describe him as a “flight risk” with “17 warrants since 2000, based on 15 bookings at King County Jail.”
Last Friday, Wyman was supposed to appear for sentencing in a theft case dating back to last August – and failed to show up, leading to issuance of a $10,000 warrant for his arrest. His criminal history spans three states and includes at least one conviction for escape. He had struck a plea bargain in the case, which involved a day last August in which he was caught on video stealing a TV and two computers from the Renton Wal-Mart; according to court documents, and was going to be recommended for a residential DOSA sentence – that’s the program involving mandatory drug treatment.
Now, if Wyman is convicted of three counts of residential burglary, he faces up to 7 years in prison. According to the King County Jail Register, his current bail is set at $50,000. We’ll keep the case on our watch list.
Saturday’s getting closer! The West Seattle Grand Parade runs from California/Lander southbound to California/Edmunds starting ~10:30 am Saturday (motorcycle drill teams, then the official parade start is at 11 am). We’re continuing the countdown with more parade-preview tidbits:
(Pathfinder K-8 Unicycle Team in 2012 West Seattle Grand Parade)
SCHOOLS YOU’LL SEE: This year they include Pathfinder K-8 (represented by the Unicycle Team), Seattle Lutheran High School (represented by the Robotics Team), Explorer West Middle School (WSB sponsor). Two more schools are in the next preview category:
MARCHING BANDS: You’ll see three in Saturday’s parade – All-City Band (directed by West Seattle’s own Marcus Pimpleton, Sealth/Denny music director), Kennedy Catholic High School, and, from Pierce County, Sumner High School.
MARCH WITH YOUR NEIGHBORS: Last night, we mentioned the West Seattle Neighborhood Councils group that will be walking in the parade for the first time; Cindi Barker from Morgan Community Association offered in this comment to connect you with your nearest community group if you’d like to be part of it. (We can attest to how much fun it is to walk the parade route – even if you just try it once and then go back to being a spectator.)
CHEER FOR THE HAMS: The West Seattle Amateur Radio Club – recently featured here on Field Day – will be in the parade; you might not be aware that ham-radio operators assist with logistics and communication along the parade route. So cheer them when you see them!
NEW PLACE TO WATCH: Even if you always watch from the same spot – take note, every year there’s something new happening along the route. At today’s West Seattle Chamber of Commerce lunch meeting, Laura Schneider of Meeples Games – which just opened this spring at California/Charlestown – reminded those in attendance that her second-floor business has a deck, and sells food and drink, so it just might be a fun place to watch – or, if you’re in that area, at least to get refreshments.
SPEAKING OF CALIFORNIA/CHARLESTOWN: The northwest corner also is home to West Seattle Runner (WSB sponsor), presenter of the Float Dodger 5K pre-parade run, which will start from that intersection just after 9:30 am. If you’re not signed up yet, online registration is closed but last-minute signups start Saturday morning at 8.
MORE PARADE PREVIEWS TOMORROW … including full details on road-closure times, etc. – so if there’s anything you want to let people know in advance about YOUR parade entry/business along the route/etc., please send us a note ASAP … editor@westseattleblog.com. Thanks!
(“Concept drawing” by Roger Newell AIA Architects)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
Five months after sending mixed-use 2626 Alki Avenue SW back for a second round of Early Design Guidance (WSB coverage here), the Southwest Design Review Board got that second look at it tonight.
Neither board members nor neighbors were thrilled with what they saw – but, with extensive comments and recommendations, board members agreed unanimously to allow the project to move on to the next phase anyway, with a stack of suggestions for tweaks and changes to be made, after extensive discussion.
(Architect Thompson at left, board at the table in right side of photo)
Architect Neal Thompson presented on behalf of Roger H. Newell AIA Architects (see the “design packet” here). As he noted, the project would replace eight residential units and commercial properties including a pet shop, medical-marijuana dispensary, and restaurant. It will offer two retail/restaurant spaces as well as 13 apartments and 23 surface parking spaces – it can’t offer an underground garage because of soil conditions (a peat-settlemenet zone) at the site, the architect reminded the board.
Referring to feedback from the first Early Design Guidance meeting, Thompson showed a two-building proposal.
(The Alki piano – photo courtesy Pianos in the Parks)
If you weren’t already planning to spend part of your summer at city/county parks – a public/private-partnership plan announced today is meant to give you a reason to visit. It’s called Pianos in the Parks, and it’s placed 20 donated and decorated pianos in 20 Seattle and King County parks, for one month, starting today. The parks, listed here, include Alki Beach Park in West Seattle and Steve Cox Memorial Park in White Center. Since those are both fairly sizable parks, we asked a Pianos in the Parks spokesperson where to find the pianos. Reply: “The Alki piano is located just across from Spud Fish & Chips at the edge of the grassy area and the Steve Cox piano is roughly in the middle of the park by the picnic huts and the playground.” (Above, that’s the Alki piano, decorated by artist Kerstin M. Graudins, before it was to be placed at the beach, where we’re hoping to get a photo of it this evening.) And yes, the pianos are playable – that’s even at the heart of a contest. What happens to them after August 17th? They’re being auctioned off; you can bid on any or all of them online by clicking any individual park photo here to see its piano.
The City Council, wearing its Transportation Benefit District hat, voted this afternoon to ask voters to approve a sales-tax increase and car-tab fee to raise money to avoid Seattle Metro cuts. The alternate proposal by Councilmembers Nick Licata and Kshama Sawant, for a “head tax” and commercial-parking-tax increase, might be worth taking up in the future, they were told; Sawant retorted that if now isn’t the time for those “progressive” taxes, when is? The sales-tax/tab-fee measure is headed for the November 4th ballot is more or less the same one that lost April’s countywide vote despite winning two-thirds approval within the city limits.
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
“It’s very timely to be here today,” opened Rachel Smith from Sound Transit, speaking to about 20 people at the West Seattle Chamber of Commerce‘s monthly lunch meeting.
The timeliness is because there’s a week and a half left for you to comment in the current stage of ST’s Long-Range Plan Update process – which could ultimately pave the way for light rail to/from West Seattle – and if you would like to see that, she said, you really need to speak up now.
She reminded the Chamber attendees first that LINK Light Rail – 16 miles with 13 stations so far, and partnering with Seattle on the First Hill Streetcar to open later this year – Sounder commuter rail, and ST Express buses are Sound Transit’s three “lines of business” around the three-county area they serve, and that the board is chaired by a West Seattleite, King County Executive Dow Constantine. (Another West Seattleite, County Councilmember Joe McDermott, is on the board as well.) “Ridership has just been going through the roof,” she added.
70 percent of Sound Transit’s revenue comes from sales tax, and it’s “down $4.7 billion” through 2023, she said – that’s a 30 percent drop over the lifetime of the 15-year plan running through then. But the system has bright spots, $100 million under budget with University Link and six months ahead of schedule. (This is a “twin-bore tunnel project,” she adds.)
Now, for West Seattle: ST is currently in its Long-Range Plan Update – the current LRP is from 2005.
The controversy over the abrupt firing of the Senior Center of West Seattle‘s longtime director Karen Sisson drew a protester this afternoon. We were in The Junction for something else when we saw Vanessa‘s comment on our followup from last night, saying she was going to go stand on the corner with a sign, so we ran by, and there she was. She says she’ll be there until about 4 pm and will return tomorrow. As first reported here Monday night, Sisson was let go last week by the center’s parent nonprofit, Senior Services, after 25 years; SS wouldn’t comment on why, but the West Seattle center’s board director David Robertson says he was told it was over a widely distributed e-mail voicing concerns about SS’s planned direction for the center, and the board met to take a vote of confidence in Sisson’s leadership. While the center owns its building/property, its employees report to Senior Services, so the board’s future potential path of action isn’t clear at this point.
Mark is looking for both his stolen bike and the owner of a bike that turned up where his had been: “The curious thing was that whoever took my bike (adult size) left an almost brand-new child’s-size bike. I assume they felt mine was an upgrade.” It happened on Sunday afternoon in Seaview, 47th/Findlay (map). Here’s the bike left behind:
It’s a “small Giant,” he adds. His stolen bike is “a dark gray Diamondback Trace with Planet Bike fenders and a black rear rack.” Seen it? And/or have any idea who the left-behind bike belongs to?
(Seals on driftwood off West Seattle’s shore earlier this week – photo by J&R)
Just floating along toward the weekend – and, as previewed here Wednesday, what a weekend it will be. Not to look past today/tonight, though, since you might want to know about the following:
TAXES TO AVOID METRO CUTS IN SEATTLE? Next discussion by the City Council, sitting as the Transportation Benefit District board, is 2 pm today at City Hall – agenda here. (4th/5th/James/Cherry)
FUN WITH SCIENCE! For ages 4-12, 2-3 pm at Southwest Branch Library, explained in our calendar listing. (35th/Henderson)
TAI SHAN, LIVE AT THE LIBRARY: 6 pm outdoor concert by Tai Shan at the West Seattle Branch Library – details in our calendar listing. (2306 42nd SW)
WEST SEATTLE LITTLE LEAGUE 11-12 ALL-STARS: 6 pm at Bar-S, their next must-win state-tournament game is against Pacific. (64th/Admiral)
DESIGN REVIEW FOR 2626 ALKI SW: As first announced a month ago, tonight is the second “early design guidance” meeting for a three-story commercial/residential project (two retail/restaurant spaces, 13 apartments, 23 off-street parking spots) proposed at 2626 Alki Ave. SW. Preview the design packet here. Meeting’s at 6:30 pm at the Senior Center of West Seattle. (Oregon/California)
CLASSICAL-GUITAR OPEN MIKE: 7 pm at C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor) – details in our calendar listing. (5612 California SW)
FLAMENCO! Flamenco music and dancing and an authentic Spanish buffet, tonight at Luso Food and Wine in downtown White Center, 7 pm – details in our calendar listing. (9614 16th SW)
What does your community need to thrive, to be a great place to live, work, visit? Right now, the city is getting ready to draw up a North Delridge Action Plan for that section of eastern West Seattle – as explained here – and looking for people to be part of an advisory committee. Your participation would include not only making suggestions and offering opinions, but also reviewing what other community members are saying as part of the process. Creating the plan is expected to take a year or so, during which there will be monthly meetings and three community events. You have two weeks to apply – August 1st is the deadline – contact Jake Hellenkamp (jake.hellenkamp@seattle.gov) for an application, and if you have questions about the plan itself, you can contact David Goldberg at DavidW.Goldberg@seattle.gov. The city’s also planning to have a booth at the Delridge Day festival on Saturday, August 9th, to share info about the planning process. Don’t find yourself five or ten years down the line wondering “whose idea was THIS?” – jump in now.
(WS bridge and Highway 99 views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
Good morning! We’re keeping watch as Thursday gets going. And as always, we have previews as well as transportation news:
WEST SEATTLE FLOAT DODGER 5K/GRAND PARADE CLOSURES: Saturday morning, California will be closed south of Admiral, south to Edmunds, for the %K and parade. Side streets on both ends of the route will be used for staging. Bus reroutes, too – check your route here).
IF YOU USE I-90 … getting home will be a challenge for about a week. Westbound 90 will have some major closures, starting tomorrow – details here.
DOWNTOWN BUS REROUTES THIS WEEKEND … because of road work; check your route here. 11:58 am note: Metro has just announced the 3rd Avenue work is canceled for this weekend and will resume August 2nd-3rd.
Transportation news notes:
SEATTLE TAX TO HOLD OFF METRO CUTS? The City Council, meeting as the Transportation Benefit District board, takes the sales tax/car-tab tax proposal up at 2 pm today – agenda here.
FOLLOWUP ON THE 4-MILE, 5-HOUR CLOSURE: Remember the five-hour Highway 99 closure after a crash in June? Here’s the second and final set of answers that Councilmember Tom Rasmussen wanted from city departments.
ADDED: Meant to mention this too – details are few, but The Seattle Times (WSB partner) says the president is coming back to Seattle for a fundraiser next Tuesday afternoon. Where/when/which airport NOT announced yet.
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
Two nights after reporting on the abrupt ouster of the Senior Center of West Seattle‘s well-regarded longtime director Karen Sisson, we have an update.
SC-WS board president David Robertson had told WSB on Monday that he was awaiting the center’s parent nonprofit Senior Services‘ reply to questions about Sisson’s reported firing by the organization’s CEO Paula Houston.
When we inquired with Senior Services, spokesperson Karen Bystrom would only confirm that Sisson was no longer employed, saying that otherwise, it’s a “personnel matter.” Robertson said he understood it had something to do with an e-mail Sisson had sent “voicing her concerns regarding points brought to (her) attention in the future direction and management of the Senior Center of West Seattle.”
Today, Robertson told WSB that the Senior Center’s board has met to discuss the situation:
The Board of Directors of the Senior Center of West Seattle met in executive session on July 15 to review the termination of Karen Sisson as Center Director.
The Board reviewed the letter of explanation it received from Paula Houston (CEO of Senior Services of Seattle/King County).
The Board also considered the long-term quality of Karen Sisson’s work.
The Board unanimously voted full confidence in Karen Sisson as Center Director.
As President of the West Seattle Center Board, I can assure you, we will continue to pursue this issue and I will keep you updated as appropriate.
Sisson had been with the Senior Center of West Seattle for 25 years. She has not yet commented publicly on what happened.
The center is a nonprofit facility with a budget of more than half a million dollars per year, one of half a dozen operated by Senior Services, and within that, one of two that own their own buildings. Some of the funding for senior centers, including WS, comes from the city budget.
(WSB file photo: West Seattle Grand Parade spectators)
Continuing our countdown to Saturday’s West Seattle Grand Parade, presented by the Rotary Club of West Seattle – a few more notes:
NEIGHBORHOODS ON THE MARCH: For the first time we can remember, an organized group of reps from community councils will be marching in the parade. At tonight’s Morgan Community Association meeting, MoCA’s Cindi Barker showed off the bright safety-yellow/green T-shirts at least some of them will be wearing, so you can’t miss them.
(WSB file photo: VPD motorcycle drill team)
REMEMBER, THE MOTORCYCLES START EARLY: While the official parade start time is 11 am at California/Lander, the motorcycle drill teams – Seattle Police and then Vancouver (BC) Police – launch up to half an hour earlier, so stake out your parade-route spot in plenty of time.
NEW THIS YEAR: ‘VEGAS’ MOST WANTED’ DRILL TEAM: Among the parade entries making their debut, a drill team/drum squad called Vegas’ Most Wanted. (As far as we can tell, they really are from Las Vegas!)
MAYOR JOINING THE PARADE: Last year, he walked with the 34th District Democrats as a candidate; this year, former West Seattleite Ed Murray will be in the Grand Parade as mayor.
If you missed our previous reports – retired Col. Bruce Crandall, Medal of Honor recipient, is this year’s Grand Marshal; Earl Cruzen, longtime community advocate/volunteer, is the Orville Rummel Trophy recipient; and West Seattle-residing personality Marty Riemer will emcee the parade for the first time – to hear him, stake out a spot near California/Alaska.
That’s also a good place to watch the Kiddie Parade, which starts from California/Genesee at 11 am while the southern part of the parade zone is awaiting everything else. And the Float Dodger 5K run kicks off the entire morning, leaving California/Charlestown at about 9:30. The countdown continues tomorrow …
Spirit’s running high for West Seattle Little League as its 11-12 (Majors) All-Stars win again in the state tournament WSLL is hosting at Bar-S on Alki Point. This afternoon, it was a 5-3 win over South Spokane.
This means tomorrow at 6 pm, they play the winner of tonight’s Pacific vs. Gig Harbor game.
They are two victories away from Saturday’s final, for which Federal Way already has qualified.
By the way, the game had a flyover of sorts:
Go cheer for the WSLL team at 6 pm tomorrow.
Two people have texted us to ask about a big cloud/smoke plume in the east.
Big plume of something @westseattleblog @KING5Seattle @KIRO7Seattle pic.twitter.com/qiy2JNSMeD
— Richard Anderson (@scruffydiver) July 16, 2014
Thanks to @scruffydiver for the photo. Northwest Cable News says it’s a wildfire near Leavenworth (here’s a map) that has closed Highway 2.
ADDED 6:25 PM: Here’s a somewhat-closer look from David Hutchinson:
Here’s a Facebook page with on-the-ground info in the fire zone (tweeted by Lauren – @nwtripfinder).
ADDED LATE WEDNESDAY NIGHT: Ted Johnson shared this view from the EC Hughes Playground area:
The latest highway closures are here.
Big turnout for this summer’s second Firefighter Storytime in West Seattle, this morning at the Seattle Public Library branch in Admiral. The mission is to teach fire safety, but of course the lesson is folded up in a fun story:
“No Dragons for Tea,” which Lt. Joe Clegg is holding in the photo, is the classic Firefighter Storytime book. A little girl makes friends with a fire-breathing dragon; he accidentally starts a fire. What matters is how she and her family react. Afterward, everybody headed outside, where Engine 29 from North Admiral’s Station 29 was parked in front of the library.
The engine and its crew couldn’t stay too long – they were summoned to check out a fire alarm.
(WSB file photo: Mediterranean Fantasy Festival dancers at Hiawatha)
Before moving on to more of today’s news, we just wanted to take a few minutes to be sure this weekend’s major events are on your radar. Yes, we know these are not the ONLY events (you’ll find many other activities/events on our calendar), but they’re the big annual ones. Event names link to the official websites (or, if no official link, to our calendar listings):
FRIDAY
Hiawatha Kids’ Fun Fest: Noon-3 pm, with carnival games, bouncy toys, more at/outside Hiawatha Community Center
White Center Jubilee Days: Noon-“late,” carnival at Steve Cox Memorial Park
SATURDAY
*Float Dodger 5K – 9:30 am from California/Charlestown (online registration ends Thursday afternoon; same-day signups at 8 am
*West Seattle Grand Parade: California/Lander southward to California/Edmunds, motorcycle drill teams start ~10:30, full parade 11, Kiddie Parade from California/Genesee at 11
*Alki Art Fair – 10 am-6 pm (booths), music (schedule not out yet) and food continuing to 9 pm
*Mediterranean Fantasy Festival – 11 am-7 pm; dancer schedule here; vendor map/list here
*West Seattle Outdoor Movies; Movie at dusk but stake out your spot early, showing “Gravity” this week, Hotwire Coffee (WSB sponsor) courtyard
*White Center Jubilee Days: 11 am-4 pm car show; 2:30 pm parade northbound on 16th SW from SW 112th-100th; street fair info here
SUNDAY
*West Seattle Garden Tour: 9 residential gardens, self-guided tour 9 am-5 pm plus noon guest lecture with Susie Egan at The Kenney (WSB sponsor), ticket info here
*WestSide Baby Stuff the Bus: 10 am-2 pm, drop off diapers at HomeStreet Bank (WSB sponsor) – most needed: newborn, 5, 6, pull-ups, sizes 3T-4T and 4T-5T, hygiene items such as diaper cream
*Alki Art Fair – 10 am-6 pm (booths), music (schedule not out yet) and food continuing to 8 pm
*Mediterranean Fantasy Festival – 11 am-5 pm; dancer schedule here; vendor map/list here
*White Center Jubilee Days: Street fair info here
There is an incident blocking all lanes of East Marginal Way SB just south of Spokane St. Use Alt routes pic.twitter.com/ivmFKEWfY9
— seattledot (@seattledot) June 10, 2014
(Above, SDOT tweet with traffic-cam screen grab shortly after crash happened)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
Five weeks after the 5+-hour closure of a four-mile stretch of Highway 99 during a crash investigation, another city agency has answered City Councilmember Tom Rasmussen‘s questions about decisionmaking during the incident, which led to a domino-effect multi-neighborhood traffic jam.
We published the response from SPD – which had the decisionmaking authority – back on June 23rd, a week and a half after the councilmember’s original letter.
Now, Rasmussen has received and shared the SDOT response, which defers in spots to SPD, and adds that city agencies are working on “protocols” for interdepartmental coordination in any such future incidents.
Since this response was made inline to his original note, we are publishing the entire document below:
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