Update: Bicyclist taken to hospital after collision with truck after 4th/Spokane

3:22 PM: The “heavy rescue” call at 4th Ave. South/South Spokane St. right now is described by Seattle Fire as a rescue involving a “bicyclist trapped underneath a semitruck.” That’s all we know right now – avoid the area; updates as we get them.

3:35 PM: The bicyclist has been extricated from under the truck, according to the scanner, and is described as a 26-year-old man, conscious with injuries including significant “abrasions” after being dragged for a distance. Medics are rushing him to Harborview Medical Center.

4:24 PM: Couldn’t figure out from other sources how traffic was being affected, so we’re now here at the scene. Westbound Spokane is closed at 4th – this happened on Spokane, under the bridge, just west of Spokane. Southbound 4th is closed at Spokane but just as we arrived, scanner discussion suggested they hope to reopen that section at least part of the way soon. Northbound 4th and eastbound Spokane are unaffected – that includes the ramp from the eastbound bridge.

4:38 PM: Traffic Collision Investigation Squad investigators (photo above) are on scene, so that one section of road, westbound Spokane west of 4th, is likely to be closed a while. Though southbound 4th has reopened, police are still on the right side, and it’s moving slowly right now, so we would still advise an alternate route. We’re on 1st now and it is moving at a normal pace.

6:55 PM: SDOT tweets that the intersection is open again in all directions. SPD’s early summary of the collision says the rider was in stable condition when hospitalized.

West Seattle restaurants: La Romanza Bistro closes in The Junction

Two months after the sudden shutdown of A Terrible Beauty, another Junction restaurant has closed. La Romanza Bistro proprietor Aimee Pellegrini confirmed to us via e-mail that her restaurant at 4521 California SW has shut down. We were checking on its status because of multiple reader e-mails pointing out that La Romanza did not open either day this weekend, and that it appeared some of its interior furnishings had been removed; we noted its website was down and that its phone was answered with a recorded message saying simply, “La Romanza is closed.” Then our e-mail inquiry was answered, confirming that the closure is permanent. The restaurant opened as the Tuscan Tea Room in fall 2010 as an adjunct to Pellegrini’s well-regarded Romanza Floral business, and then morphed in April 2012 into a full-service restaurant, offering Italian cuisine as well as the tea service and live music. No indication so far what’s next for the space.

West Seattle Crime Watch: Hit and run; stolen packages

Two reader reports in West Seattle Crime Watch this afternoon – first, from Kristy:

Saturday night (8/2) around 10:15 pm I was driving north bound on 35th Ave SW when, at the Roxbury intersection, a brown two-door older car blew through his red light heading west and t-boned my black toyota prius. If anyone has information, please contact police (incident #14-254719). He backed east on Roxbury after it happened and then took off. His car sustained front end damage and we did get a partial license plate thanks to a helpful witness (who thoughtfully stayed with me until police arrived).

Thanks so much, West Seattle!

Not far south, Fumiko in Arbor Heights says package thieves have hit:

My friend suggested that I contact the blog and let you know that I had one package stolen from my front door step on July 23rd (USPS confirmed delivery on that day) and also about 6 months ago I had another package stolen from the same location. I live on 35th near 100th.

Calendar highlights for your West Seattle Monday

(Echinacea at Delridge P-Patch, by Laura Goodrich, shared via WSB Flickr group)
From the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:

BALLOT-DROPOFF VANS: Voted yet? Tomorrow is Election Night, so time’s running out; if you send your ballot back by mail, you need a stamp, but if you use a King County dropbox or van, you don’t. Two vans are in our area 10 am-5 pm today and 10 am-8 pm tomorrow – the West Seattle Stadium driveway (enter from northbound 35th just south of Avalon) and the 8th SW business area just south of Roxbury (parked on northbound 8th).

SW ROXBURY MEETING: 6 pm, it’s the second of two meetings for SDOT to outline its proposals for the SW Roxbury Safety Project. As reported here last Thursday night, the west end of the corridor – 17th to 35th – is proposed for “rechannelization,” but that’s just part of a package of plans for the crash-plagued street, all the way eastward to Olson/4th. Tonight’s meeting is at the Greenbridge YWCA. (9720 8th SW)

WEST SEATTLE HI-YU MEETING: As announced by the volunteers who make West Seattle Hi-Yu‘s events and parade float happen:

We look forward to seeing everyone at our next General Meeting, Monday, August 4th. St. John the Baptist Church Hall, corner of 42nd and Hanford, 7 pm. The last month has been a fun and busy one since our Grand Parade including Greenwood, Torchlight and Lake City. In August we will spend some time doing some fundraising and taking applications for the 2015 junior court before our next scheduled parade in September.

All welcome.

AND THERE’S MORE … on our calendar.

Night Out tomorrow in West Seattle: Junction Neighborhood Organization plans party in the park

Live in The Junction? There’s a “block party” for you tomorrow night during Night Out. René Commons from the local community council, the Junction Neighborhood Organization, shares the announcement:

JuNO – The junction Neighborhood Organization is staging the First Annual JuNO Neighborhood Night Out Block party at Junction Plaza Park. The event is open to all and we are looking for talented musicians from the neighborhood to perform in the park. JuNO will be roasting hot dogs – kosher and vegan – and staging contests. This is a potluck and we are asking people to bring a side dish or dessert. We will have tents set up and will feature information on crime prevention and emergency preparedness.

Neighborhood Night Out at the Park welcomes all to show their neighborhood STYLE:

Best Hat
Best Dressed Dog
Best Kids costume
Best Decorated Bike (Yay! We have a bike corral in the Junction!)
Best Yodel

Adult Balloon Toss
Kids Balloon Toss

Open call to all neighborhood musicians, dancers and magicians to perform; please contact event coordinators!!!
Looking for volunteers to help set up and stage games

Event Contact: Lilah Gael – lilahgael@gmail.com – & René Commons – wsjuno@yahoo.com

The park is on the northwest corner of 42nd and Alaska. Any other neighborhoods having a party open to those beyond the immediate block, let us know – editor@westseattleblog.com – thanks!

TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: Monday updates; Roxbury reminder

August 4, 2014 6:21 am
|    Comments Off on TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: Monday updates; Roxbury reminder
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

(WS bridge and Highway 99 views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
Good morning. No major road work on the schedule so far for this week, so we have just one reminder for you: Tonight is the second of two SDOT meetings about the SW Roxbury Safety Project proposals; a “road diet” from 17th to 35th is one of the proposals unveiled at meeting #1 last Thursday (WSB coverage here). If you’re interested, be at Greenbridge YWCA at 6 pm tonight.

The WSBeat: ‘Hang up and drive,’ especially if you’re wanted …

By Megan Sheppard
On the WSBeat, for West Seattle Blog

This edition of our periodic feature The WSBeat contains summaries written from reports on cases handled recently by Southwest Precinct officers – generally cases that (usually) have not already appeared here in breaking-news coverage or West Seattle Crime Watch reports, but that might at least answer the question “what WERE all those police doing on my block?” Or on the bridge, or the beach, or …

*In the 1500 block of SW Cambridge, a driver pulled over for talking on her cell phone was unable to provide the officer with her license or proof of insurance. What she *did* have were five felony warrants (totaling $65,000): Three for DUI and two for driving with a suspended license. She was booked into King County Jail.

*On Monday the 28th, the manager of an Alki coffee shop called 911 after checking the welfare of a patron who had been in the bathroom a long time. She opened the door, saw him with a belt around his arm and suspected he was injecting drugs. Officers arrived and questioned the man who, the previous day, had fallen asleep in the same bathroom. At the request of the manager, he was trespassed from the business. When a records check showed that he was wanted on a felony warrant by the King County Sheriff’s Office for residential burglary and trafficking stolen property ($50,075), he was booked into the King County Jail.

Read More

Followup: 5th graders’ benefit bake sale/donation drive a success!

One of the benefit events we spotlighted this weekend was the second annual bake sale by two young West Seattleites working to help the Humane Society and the animals it cares for. Carey, who sent word of the sale in advance, shares the wrap-up and photos:

Thanks to the WSB and the West Seattle community for sponsoring Gwen and Muriel’s bake sale to benefit the Seattle Humane Society! With your support the barrel was filled with food and toys for cats and dogs and the proceeds were TWICE what they were last year. We are so thankful for our community and their generosity!

Speaking of ships … about that empty Port of Seattle space north of the bridge

Apparently the Port of Seattle‘s now-empty stretch Terminal 5 north of the west end of the high bridge is really starting to draw notice; though we reported on the reason almost two weeks ago, we’ve received a flurry of inquiries about it this weekend. So in case you missed the story too: Terminal 5 is empty because it’s closed. Its last ship arrived on July 23rd – here’s the story we published that day. Port commissioners have approved some funding to plan a modernization project, but completing it will require nine-figure spending and they haven’t started to discuss where that might come from. Meantime, the line that used T-5 is now sailing to and from Tacoma, while other cargo operations that were using it have been consolidated where the port had room.

Why two cruise ships departed Seattle today & then came back

8:04 PM: Some questions came in this evening about two cruise ships that turned around and came back after leaving Seattle this afternoon. The Grand Princess, according to Princess Cruises via Twitter, returned for a “technical issue” but the cruise line hopes it will be able to leave tonight. MarineTraffic.com shows it still at Pier 91 in Magnolia as of this writing. The Norwegian Pearl, which had spent the day at Pier 66 downtown, had to deal with a medical emergency, according to this tweet by KIRO, and is already back out to sea, heading through north Puget Sound.

10:23 PM: The Grand Princess is under way again – MarineTraffic.com shows it off Shilshole, northbound.

AAA-Washington presenting bicycling benefit Ride Around The Sound on September 13th

Exercise your lungs – while fighting lung disease. You can do that in six weeks by joining Ride Around the Sound, part of which will go through West Seattle and White Center. Though you might associate WSB sponsor AAA-Washington mostly with cars, it’s excited about this big bike ride, and here’s why:

AAA Washington is proud to announce that we are the presenting sponsor of the American Lung Association Ride Around the Sound this year. This event features three scenic routes between Seattle and Bremerton that range from 38 to 92 miles, making it perfect for both beginning bikers and experienced cyclists.

Your AAA West Seattle store employees invite all West Seattle Blog readers to join us in supporting this great organization, either by riding in the event itself or pledging your support for a rider. All AAA members get a 20% discount off the registration fee. In addition, we’d like to throw down a friendly challenge to our fellow WSB Sponsors to put together a team and ride with us! There are also opportunities to help promote the event by placing a poster in your window or linking to the ALA Ride Around the Sound website

Let’s help the ALA have a record fundraising year so they can continue to improve the health and wellbeing of our community.

Not an AAA member? You can fix that here. To see the three course alternatives for Ride Around The Sound, go here for the 92-mile version (which goes through Highland Park and White Center), go here for the 73-mile version, and here for the 38-mile version. To form or join a team, go here.

Eyes on the sky again next Saturday: Kite Festival in West Seattle

August 3, 2014 2:19 pm
|    Comments Off on Eyes on the sky again next Saturday: Kite Festival in West Seattle
 |   Fun stuff to do | Puget Ridge | West Seattle news

This weekend, planes and helicopters hold the spotlight. Next Saturday, a simpler, nature-powered form of flight will be celebrated here in West Seattle, during the Seattle Chinese Garden Kite Festival. In case you haven’t seen it in the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar yet, here’s the invitation:

Come fly a kite at the Garden’s ridge-top site! Bring your own or buy one at the festival for a fun afternoon with family or friends. Activities for all ages include kite flying demonstrations, displays, and kite painting. Put your own creative stamp on one you paint yourself — materials provided. The festival also includes music and dance performances, Chinese painting demonstrations — and a dim sum booth by Hong Kong Café.

Admission is free. The Chinese Garden is on the north edge of the South Seattle College (WSB sponsor) campus, on Puget Ridge at 6000 16th SW.

Happening now until 2 pm: Honey harvest with Seattle Bee Works at WS Produce

August 3, 2014 12:55 pm
|    Comments Off on Happening now until 2 pm: Honey harvest with Seattle Bee Works at WS Produce
 |   West Seattle news

(WSB photos by Katie Meyer)
Honey doesn’t just go from bee to jar. It has to be harvested – and that takes some skill. Right now, you can see how it works, by going to West Seattle Produce (4722 Fauntleroy Way SW) and checking out the “honey harvesting” that Krista Conner from WS-based Seattle Bee Works is leading.

If you have harvestable honey – bring it on over!

Update: USS Constellation now reported to be leaving Thursday – on its decommissioning anniversary

(US Navy photo of USS Constellation decommissioning ceremony, 8/7/2003)
Thanks to JanS for spotting an update this weekend on the expected departure date for the decommissioned aircraft carrier USS Constellation: The Kitsap Sun reports it now looks like Thursday, postponed from last Thursday, which in turn was later than a previously announced date. The KS story says this will be the biggest shipbreaking job ever for a yard in Brownsville, Texas, to which a tug from Seattle’s Foss Maritime will tow the “Connie” via a route all the way around the southernmost tip of South America, since it’s too big to fit through the Panama Canal. We’re watching this because it will be visible from West Seattle once it leaves Rich Passage and heads north into the open Sound. It’s been mothballed in Bremerton for more than a decade.

P.S. We found this webpage dedicated to “the Constellation’s final journey,” which in turn points to this San Diego report from last year with memories of Constellation veterans. And something else we discovered while researching to add to this – Thursday will be the 11th anniversary of the carrier’s decommissioning ceremony in San Diego.

TUESDAY NOTE: Kitsap Sun now reports it’s pushed back to a 5 pm departure Friday.

What’s up for the rest of your West Seattle Sunday

(Barred owl, photographed by Mary Metz at Camp Long on Saturday night)
From the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar and beyond:

BLUE ANGELS AND SEAFAIR: Please see our preview published overnight. If you’re going to watch the hydros, note that one of the first round of winners spent time in West Seattle recently:

Listening to Channel 7 coverage this morning with awards from Saturday racing, we heard that a heat was won by the Les Schwab Tires/Red Dot hydro on display in The Triangle this week – at which time Stephanie Halcomb brought over her charges from Bright Horizons for the photo above. (And don’t forget, I-90 across the lake is closed one more time, 12:15-2:40 pm.)

BENEFIT BAKE SALE: Two local students are raising money for the Humane Society and the animals it cares for; read about them here. 10 am-3 pm. (36th/Dakota)

WEST SEATTLE FARMERS’ MARKET: 10 am-2 pm as always, and market management says via Facebook that some vendors are having “sales” today. (44th/Alaska)

LIVE MUSIC IN THE AFTERNOON: 3-5 pm at C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor), Keith Cook plays. (5612 California SW)

FIRST-QUARTER MOON: At and before dusk, that’s tonight’s skygazing highlight, from the latest edition of Skies Over West Seattle.

OPEN-MICROPHONE JAM: Every Sunday night in August at Feedback Lounge (WSB sponsor), hosted by Lynn Sorensen – just show up with your voice and/or instrument – details in our calendar listing.

West Seattle Crime Watch: Gunfire investigation

We’ve had several reports of what sounded like rapid gunfire in the past half-hour somewhere near High Point/Sunrise Heights/Gatewood. Police had been investigating for a while before one officer finally reported (as monitored via scanner) finding a shell casing. This was after a dispatch to go check out an alley off the 7300 block of 35th SW, but we don’t know for sure if that’s where it turned up. No reports of anyone having been hit/hurt, so far.

One more time: Blue Angels’ Seafair 2014 finale this afternoon

While the Blue Angels‘ Seafair show – performed one final time today – is staged for viewers in the main festival zone on Lake Washington, you don’t have to go that far to catch glimpses and flybys during the show. On Saturday, JayDee photographed the majestic view above from the same place he caught this one:

Yes, those are the 4th Avenue South Costco gas pumps. The “warehouse” parking lot is a decent viewing zone. Of course, Costco is right in the Boeing Field approach. On the west side of BFI’s runway, you’ll get this view as they take off – quick clip courtesy of Lise Thivierge:

And this view as they land (our short iPhone Instagram clip)

Watching from Boeing Field (parking lot on the west side of the runway, just north of the tower) on Saturday afternoon, we noticed more aircraft than years past, in part at least because of Marine Week. The Blue Angels take off at about 1:30 pm; they’re preceded and followed by other aerial acts – listed here – and if you do watch from Boeing Field, facing east, where you can see many of their maneuvers, especially the really high ones, you can follow along with the kirotv.com live stream via your smartphone (though we noticed a significant delay – seemed like at least 10 seconds, which in TV time is forever). Seafair-wise, today is also the final day for ship tours – schedules/locations here.

P.S. Remember the airshow brings one last I-90 closure – 12:15 pm to 2:40 pm.

West Seattle scene: Spectacular Saturday sunset

Thanks for the sunset photos, concluding a day that started with a “sun-derstorm”! Top, from Greg; next, from David Schneider.

More in the works.

ADDED 11:07 PM: From Kevin Callahan:

(Those are the “crepuscular rays.”) From “Seattletimebandit,” who noted, “Wires or not, still spectacular”:

And from Michelle Riggen-Ransom, a wider view with the aforementioned crepuscular rays:

Thanks again!

Tomorrow: West Seattle girls’ benefit bake sale – 2nd year in a row!

After great community support for their first benefit bake sale last year, these two local girls are doing it again tomorrow and hope you’ll stop by. We received this announcement with the photo:

Gwen and Muriel, Schmitz Park 5th graders, are putting their love for animals to work again through their second annual Humane Society bake sale! Delicious cupcakes, cookies, brownies, and more! They’ll be back at the corner of 36th and Dakota this Sunday, August 3rd, from 10-3. The girls are also sponsoring a barrel from the Humane Society to collect cat or dog food (wet or dry), animal toys, or new scratching posts. Cash and check donations are very welcome; all proceeds go to Seattle Humane Society.

West Seattle summer: One week until the Delridge Day festival!

August 2, 2014 4:00 pm
|    Comments Off on West Seattle summer: One week until the Delridge Day festival!
 |   Delridge | West Seattle festivals | West Seattle news

One week from today (on August 9th), it’s West Seattle’s next big summer festival – Delridge Day, in the park next to Delridge Community Center (Delridge/Genesee). Here’s the schedule for the day, just made public by organizers:

And remember the free outdoor screening of “The Lego Movie” in the park the night before (9 pm Friday, August 8th) – here’s our preview of that.

Local runner Clark Gilbert joins coast-to-coast MS-fighting relay

Clark Gilbert, a local runner and coach, has headed east to be part of a coast-to-coast relay raising money to fight MS. He left Friday for Brooksville, Pennsylvania, where he will start running the 17th segment of the annual MS Run the US Relay. He shared this info:

This relay started in April from LA with 17 different runners running various segments across the United States to finish in New York City. Each runner basically runs a marathon (26.2 miles) per day for 5 to 7 days as part of their segment. The Relay is a 3,000-mile relay run across America to help raise awareness and funds to help CURE multiple sclerosis (MS).

After finishing the 17th Segment, from Brooksville, PA to Sunbury, PA, Clark will continue running the Relay route along with Segment 18 runner, Valerie Olberding (from Bozeman, MT), to Fort Lee, NJ. At Fort Lee, they will be joined with other relay runners and supporters for the final 14-mile leg into New York City on August 16. August will be the final event, ending this year’s Relay.

In 2013 (photo at left), Clark ran two segments, #6 from Vernal, UT and then 18 from Mahoney City, PA, to New York City. Clark and his wife Shelly live and run in West Seattle. Besides running, Clark works at West Seattle Runner and is a running coach working with P3|Running. For information on donating, please visit: coachclarkruns.com/ms-run-the-us-relay.html

Update: 1 hurt in SUV/motorcycle collision at 35th/Trenton

10:50 AM: 35th northbound is blocked at SW Trenton right now because of a collision; scanner indicates it involves a car and motorcycle. Details as we get them.

11:12 AM: One person was taken to the hospital via medic unit, which was just leaving as we got to the scene. One lane of traffic was moving in each direction.

11:17 AM: And now they’re fully opening northbound. We don’t have any info on the condition of the person who was hurt, but the fact that traffic is reopening suggests it wasn’t life-threatening, or else they would be calling out the Traffic Collision Investigation Squad.

West Seattle Saturday: WS Outdoor Movies get ‘Sleepless’; outdoor Shakespeare; indoor music; Seafair airshow with Blue Angels…

(Photo by Tiffani Rivera, taken from the Water Taxi on Friday)
After a startling start to the morning, with what you could call “sun-dershowers,” the weather is supposed to make way eventually for a sunny, warm afternoon. First, the Seafair info:

SEAFAIR, INCLUDING BLUE ANGELS AND SHIP TOURS: The Blue Angels are expected to fly around 1:30 pm (could be earlier, though, the airshow times are approximate), with the I-90 closure scheduled for 12:15 pm-2:40 pm. If you are planning to watch their takeoff/landing from the Museum of Flight at Boeing Field, which has other special activities scheduled too as part of its Need for Speed” festival, note that its adjacent parking lot is closed today and tomorrow – this page on the MoF site has parking info. Interested in touring the ships seen in the “parade” back on Wednesday? Here’s that info.

Also from the calendar:

RIPS BREWERS YOUTH BASEBALL RECRUITING SHOWCASES: All day today and tomorrow, and again next weekend, at Southwest Athletic Complexsee the flyer for age breakout; open to players 10u through 18u. (2801 SW Thistle)

BALLOT DROPOFF VAN: Voted yet? It’s not just a sleepy primary – Proposition 1, asking if you want to create a permanent Park District for extra Seattle Parks funding, is a major issue. Tuesday is the deadline to get your ballots in; there are dropoff vans at West Seattle Stadium and in Greenbridge 10 am-5 pm today, as well as 24-hour dropboxes elsewhere in the county – see the list here.

VOLUNTEER ORIENTATION: 11 am-1 pm at the Log House Museum, it’s your next chance to find out about volunteering with the Southwest Seattle Historical Society, which appreciates help in a wide variety of specialties – read about it here. (61st/Stevens)

WEST SEATTLE OUTDOOR MOVIES: The SW Seattle Historical Society is involved with this too! They’re tonight’s spotlight sponsor for “Sleepless in Seattle.” Movie’s free. We hear Quadrato is bringing pizza. Gates open 6:30 pm – bring your own chair/blanket to stake out early (there’s preshow music, too) and money for nonprofit-benefiting raffles/concessions – also for West Seattle Bridge 30th anniversary T-shirts and commemorative coffee, as SWSHS’s bridge-i-versary celebration concludes. Show starts at dusk, 9-ish depending on how clear the sky is by then. Hotwire Online Coffeehouse (WSB sponsor) courtyard. (4410 California SW)

LIVE MUSIC AT C & P: Alan Ehrlich performs, 7 pm. (5612 California SW)

SHAKESPEARE IN THE PARK: “Othello,” presented by GreenStage, free! At Camp Long, 7 pm. (5200 35th SW)

WEST SEATTLE MEANINGFUL MOVIES: “The Economics of Happiness” screens at 7 pm at Neighborhood House‘s High Point Centerdetails here. (6400 Sylvan Way SW)

LIVE MUSIC AT THE CASK: Jude performs, 9 pm. (2350 California SW)

LIVE MUSIC AT POGGIE TAVERN: Pick a song from the hat as Mad Hatterz perform, 9 pm. (4717 California SW)

AND MORE … on our calendar.