West Seattle, Washington
18 Thursday
UPDATED 8 AM: School closures/changes for Friday, December 20, 2013 – please e-mail us your changes/closures at editor@westseattleblog.com
PUBLIC:
Seattle Public Schools: 2 hours late, no Head Start, no AM or PM kindergarten/preschool. Buses on snow routes, no out-of-district transportation. The 1-hour early release plan for today IS still in effect, per district e-mail.
Highline Public Schools: CLOSED today, but offices open
Vashon School District: 2.5 hours late, no AM kindergarten
PRIVATE
Explorer West Middle School (WSB sponsor): Late start at 10 am
Holy Rosary School: Late start at 10:25 am
Hope Lutheran School CLOSED
Kennedy Catholic High School CLOSED
Our Lady of Guadalupe CLOSED
Seattle Lutheran High School: Late start at 10 am
Shorewood Christian School: Late start at 10 am; no pre-K
West Seattle Montessori: CLOSED
Westside School (WSB sponsor): Late start at 9:30 am
SOUTH SEATTLE COMMUNITY COLLEGE: 2 hours late
(KEY INFO, 11:42 AM: Seattle Public Schools 2 hours late; other school changes/closures too, all listed here … Metro starting to return to normal after a morning on snow routes … SDOT snow-response map here)
(Latest bridge and Viaduct views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
4:48 AM: The snow has arrived. Light coating on cars, some on the ground, but not the street, where we are. How about you? The Winter Weather Advisory for our area is now in effect until 10 am, and the forecast still says snow might continue until late morning before turning to rain. SDOT says its crews are out:
The Seattle Department of Transportation crews worked through the night treating hills and curves on snow routes with anti-icer. Bridges and overpasses have also been treated. By 3:30 a.m. light snowfall began at various locations around the city with no accumulations. At 4 a.m. the department dispatched 21 trucks equipped with plows and salt to patrol city streets in advance of the morning commute.
(SDOT cam at Fauntleroy/Alaska; more cameras here)
5:08 AM: It’s starting to stick on the road. (Remember the city maps plowed/de-iced routes here.) King County just announced the Vashon Water Taxi is canceled for today (which at the very least will affect buses from the Fauntleroy ferry area as commuters come in via WSF instead).
(Thanks to Richard for tweeting that photo from Delridge/Andover)
5:34 AM: Just in from Seattle Public Schools – “2 Hours Late, No Headstart, no AM or PM kindergarten/preschool, Buses on snow routes.” (And today’s 1-hour early release is still in the plan, too.) We are listing ALL area school changes/closures of note here, and you will find that link as well as other key links/toplines at the very top of this story.
6 AM: Metro has just announced ALL buses are on snow routes TFN. We also just got a text from a 21 rider saying her/his bus is stuck on the West Seattle Bridge eastbound on-ramp. Meantime, Highline Public Schools (White Center and points south) just announced it’s CLOSED; adding that to the school-info page. We are getting private-school reports now too (please e-mail us at editor@westseattleblog.com or call/text 206-293-6302).
6:29 AM: More school delays/closures – Hope Lutheran, Our Lady of Guadalupe, (added later) West Seattle Montessori are closed, Seattle Lutheran, Westside, Explorer West, Holy Rosary, South Seattle Community College all starting late – details here. Traffic note: Spinout crash on the southbound 1st Avenue South bridge; 21 bus reported to still be stuck on its onramp to the West Seattle Bridge (update: a few minutes later, “broke free,” reports Luke on board).
6:57 AM: Again, all Metro buses are now on snow routes, but some are still getting into trouble – from comments, a 21X is now reported stuck at 100th/44th in Arbor Heights.
7:15 AM: Thanks to Greg for that photo from 55th/Alki. We shared via Instagram a quick clip of conditions at Thistle/California as of 7 am – see it here. Meantime, if you have Friday trash pickup, Waste Management says there are some delays today but if they do NOT get to you today, they will “collect your regular amount of recycling, garbage and food and yard waste” tomorrow (Saturday, December 21st).
7:49 AM: Sue just sent word of a spinout crash on 4th Ave. S. under the bridge at S. Spokane. Roads in SODO are bare and wet, judging by this traffic cam further north on 4th. Also, just noticed when going back out that the snow is quick to turn to sloppy slush after it’s been walked on – so this does seem likely to be short-lived. So get out and build a snowperson if you can – here’s a 4 1/2-foot one just built by the “Bear boys” in Arbor Heights:
Back to traffic – a reminder and report from Cathy:
Please let people know to slow down approaching the “S” curves south of the 4800 block of W Marginal Way. Accident in the SB lanes (at least two vehicles that I could see) and I think SB traffic was being diverted to the two way turn lane. Officer(s) on site, but not many are slowing down approaching the accident despite the police flashers being on. There’s a lot of slush on the road here, and hoping you can get people to slow down before we start witnessing the yearly sight of cars flying out of the curves.
8:27 AM: From comments, multiple reports of a bus blocking the Olson/1st/etc. onramp to northbound 509. Meantime, SDOT continues working on roads; Pam reports from Gatewood that a snowplow’s been seen on SW Holden. We photographed one headed eastbound on Thistle past 42nd:
Also, in case you were wondering – roads are bare and wet in The Junction, as we go into one of the last few shopping days before Christmas:
Reminder that some schools are starting late – so the roads are going to get busier in the next hour and a half or so, in school zones. All the school closures/changes we have are listed here.
9:19 AM: And some photos on the ground from the Junction vicinity, from WSB contributor Christopher Boffoli. Crossing SW Oregon:
Junction Plaza Park on SW Alaska:
And California SW:
Thanks also to everyone who’s sent/sending fun photos – we’ll be building a gallery with those next, after transitioning out of this traffic/schools/etc. report, plus we have a couple non-snow stories to share.
11:16 AM NOTE: Some Metro routes are returning to normal. Meantime, the Vashon Water Taxi will be running again this afternoon.
8:17 AM UPDATE: Patricia just sent word that Bob G. has been found safe in Des Moines, and thanks everyone for being on the lookout. Original report from last night, below:
Instead of eight tiny reindeer, it’s two wheels for Santa Claus! Thanks to the person who texted that Admiral Way sighting late this afternoon. Gave us an excuse to leap into holiday notes:
HIGHLAND PARK CHRISTMAS MOVIE: Don’t worry about being snowed in – every weather expert we can find insists any snow will be gone by nightfall. So you can pencil in seeing “Home Alone” at the Highland Park Improvement Club (12th/Holden) on Friday night, free (bring $ for concessions), doors at 6:30 pm, movie at 7 – more info on the HPIC website.
ADMIRAL CHRISTMAS MOVIE: Then on Sunday at 4 pm, it’s the annual free Christmas movie at the historic Admiral Theater (2343 California SW) – “Arthur Christmas” this year:
As always, donations will be collected for the Humane Society, including $1 for every large popcorn sold, and you’re asked to bring pet toys, beds, food, collars, leashes, etc. Get there early to ensure your seat!
CHRISTMAS LIGHTS MAP REMINDER: Another highlight from our mapped list of lights:
That’s the always-amazing home at 4043 Fauntleroy – and if you forget how much time is left until Christmas, there’s a countdown clock:
We photographed it LAST night, so take a day off that. The whole block there along the east end of the bridge is bold and bright. The map has new locations too, including a few we haven’t photographed yet (but will!), like the decades-famous “Charlie Brown” house, at 2128 47th SW, and 5106 SW Stevens.
The holiday happenings that remain between now and New Year’s Day – including solstice events this weekend – are in the WSB West Seattle Holiday Events/Info Guide.
The Legislature has given up on reaching a transportation deal in time for a possible special session before its next regular session (here are details from our partners at The Seattle Times). So, King County Executive Dow Constantine says in a statement out late today, it looks like the county is going to have to start traveling down its own road for transportation funding:
A statewide transportation package that is fair and balanced is still our first choice, so of course I’m disappointed at the continued inability of state legislators to reach agreement on a solution. I urge lawmakers to take action on a balanced package as soon as possible in the next legislative session.
“But the consequences of continued delay are unacceptable. We need the tools to address our urgent transportation needs, and we need them now. In the absence of action by the state, we must pursue a local option that uses the tools currently available to us.
“I look forward to working with the County Council to determine the timing for a measure to put before voters, and the proper mix of revenues, so that King County voters can have the chance to save bus service and maintain local roads.”
This would seem to suggest so-called “Plan B” – explained here one month ago as “existing state law (allowing) the Metropolitan King County Council to enact an ordinance creating a transportation benefit district with specific revenue authorities, including sales taxes and a flat annual vehicle fee” – is more likely than ever.
5:25 PM: Police are converging on Westwood Village after a report that the Rite-Aid store was held up by a robber who said he had a gun. The only description mentioned in radio communications so far – “Asian male.” While he gave a worker a note that said he had a gun, no gun was seen.
5:40 PM: No updates on that case yet – our crew at Westwood says officers are searching the area as well as talking to workers in the store. **Meantime** – If you are seeing/hearing the Guardian One helicopter in the area – they also are helping with the investigation of another incident not far away, a break-in reported in the 8800 block of 30th SW (map), reported within this past hour, with the resident coming home to discover a break-in and suspecting the burglar(s) might still have been in the house.
5:56 PM: Back to the Rite-Aid robbery – our crew has just talked to police on scene. They will say only that “merchandise” was taken; they do have a more detailed description of the robber – Asian, male, 20s, 5’4″ to 5’6″, wearing a black jacket. Police are continuing to search neighborhoods in the area. To be clear, we have not heard ANY suggestion that these two cases are related – just happened that they were in the same area, and with the helicopter over here, albeit briefly, we needed to mention the burglary too.
9:23 PM: The SPD Blotter post about the holdup contains one new bit of information – confirming the “merchandise” was drugs, stolen from the pharmacy.
Thanks to Lashanna Williams (second from right, above) at Lafarge Seattle for sharing that photo and the following report on the friendly competition between workers at the two cement companies (and other community giveback):
This week has been busy for the Lafarge Seattle Crew. Wednesday, we were all along West Marginal Way doing some deep cleanup on the pedestrian and bike path.
It’s also the time of year for the annual Lafarge vs Ash Grove Food Drive Competition for Northwest Harvest. Lafarge Cement has retained the title and trophy for yet another year! The Ashgrove team will be visiting the Seattle plant tomorrow morning to present the trophy for a 2013 victory!
Great job Lafarge and Ashgrove!
Lafarge donated 560 pounds of food, $146 cash/checks, and $600 in grocery-store gift cards, Lashanna reports; Ash Grove donated 348 pounds of food and $150 in cash/checks.
(WSB photo by Patrick Sand)
The Southwest Precinct promised more foot patrols during the holiday season, as reiterated when we published this year’s round of safety advice. This afternoon, the precinct’s top two were on foot in The Junction – Operations Lt. Pierre Davis and precinct commander Capt. Joe Kessler. They stopped in businesses, greeted passersby, and talked with us for a few minutes too. We asked about the recent major investigations – no new information in either the High Point murder or Roxhill Park rape; Capt. Kessler mentioned that Seattle Parks had been out in the park clearing some overgrowth to improve visibility. Asked if today had been as relatively quiet as it has sounded to us so far, they did mention that if you saw a major response in Arbor Heights earlier, that was a search warrant being served. (No other details yet.)
P.S. Before we caught up with Lt. Davis and Capt. Kessler in The Junction, the precinct asked us to share this holiday message:
Southwest Precinct's Holiday Message
If you can’t see the message in the frame above – click here for a PDF version.
A sign like the one you see on the right will soon mark a new bicycle counter to be installed along the 26th SW neighborhood greenway in North Delridge. SDOT‘s Dawn Schellenberg says it’s one of three going in around the city “to help measure how well neighborhood greenways are performing.” It’s not a big counter with display like the one on the West Seattle “low bridge”; Schellenberg says it’s just a small metal controller box with “two small tube sensors (that) will stretch from the box across the street” on 26th between Oregon and Alaska. Though it won’t have a display, she says, “We will put the data online and update it once a month, probably starting in February.” People who live in the area will get postcards soon with information about the installation.
The National Weather Service has changed the alert for possible Friday morning snow to a Winter Weather Advisory, in effect 1 am to 1 pm – read the alert here. One to three inches of snow is possible before it changes to rain in the afternoon. The alert changed after the Weather Service’s midday “forecast discussion” noted that while precipitation is undeniably on the way, “everything else related to snow vs. rain, snow accumulations, and start and end times remains in the Holy Moly zone of uncertainty.” Updates as we get them …
Today we’re welcoming Proletariat Pizza as a new WSB sponsor – as they invite you to join them for lunch!
Proletariat Pizza is serving not only pizza (slices as well as whole pies) but also sandwiches, salads, and other specials for lunch, starting at 11 am weekdays. Proprietors Mike and Stefanie Albaeck (Highland Park residents, shown above with Hollis) say it’s an idea they’ve been working toward or a long time; originally, they were thinking about opening a sandwich shop, but decided instead on pizza. And now that Caffé Delia is renovating its own space next door, after starting off in the Proletariat space during mornings/early afternoons, it’s lunch time for Proletariat!
Proletariat Pizza‘s daily lunch menu rotates – regularly featuring a cured-meat sandwich as well as a quinoa salad – in addition to the full Proletariat dinner menu (see it here). Slices are also available, and lunchtime continues until 3 pm, when dinner begins. Daily lunch specials are often featured on the Proletariat Facebook page. Stefanie and Mike also want you to know that the daily lunch specials always include a gluten-free option, as does the dinner menu.
Proletariat Pizza also recently expanded its space, as noted here, and they want you to know that space is bookable for parties – just contact them, 206-432-9765, or e-mail proletariatpizza (at) gmail (dot) com. They’re at 9622-A 16th SW in downtown White Center; online at ProletariatPizza.com.
We thank Proletariat Pizza for sponsoring independent, community-collaborative neighborhood news via WSB; find our current sponsor team listed in directory format here, and find info on joining the team by going here.
(Mt. Rainier and the Duwamish River at sunrise today; photo by Chi Duong, via the WSB Flickr group)
From the WSB West Seattle Holiday Events/Info Guide and our year-round calendar:
‘SHOP LATE THURSDAY’: The Junction invites you to shop until 9 pm at many stores, one more time before Christmas. That includes WSB sponsor West Seattle Cyclery at 4508 California SW, which just shared the news of a 20 percent off sale, not just this evening, but all day long, plus an extra 10 percent off clearance items. Other participating stores are listed here. And we have word of one artist studio participating – Linda Thorson‘s open-studio sale hours at 4407 SW Dawson, with cast stone garden sculpture/architectural detailing, 5-7:30 pm, with part of the proceeds going to the Mary’s Place shelter for homeless women and children.
‘WRAP IT UP’: Want somebody else to do the wrapping? Furry Faces Foundation and Animal Aid and Rescue Foundation are wrapping, by donation, again tonight. This time it’s at The Beer Junction, 6-9 pm. (4511 California SW)
DEVELOPMENT MEETING: For the third consecutive Thursday night, there’s a community meeting sparked by the 6917 California SW “30 apartments/no offstreet parking” development. First, community groups presented a development-rules-as-they-are-now primer of sorts on December 5th (WSB coverage here); next, the project’s developer met with the community on December 12th (WSB coverage here); tonight, it’s an official city meeting requested by community petition, to take comments on the project’s potential environmental effects (traffic, noise, and more) – see the official notice here. 6:30 pm, Senior Center of West Seattle. (California/Oregon)
SCHOOL CONCERT #1: It’s the winter concert for Denny International Middle School and Chief Sealth International High School at 6:30 pm in the Sealth auditorium. (2600 SW Thistle)
(added) SCHOOL CONCERT #2: Just in – “Tonight at 7 pm in the West Seattle High School Theater will be the Music Program’s Winter Concert. It will feature the Orchestra, Jazz and Concert Bands.” (3000 California SW)
NIGHTLIFE: Multiple venues, multiple performers – see the listings on the calendar (click any line to find out more).
Thanks to the WSB’er who didn’t want credit but did want to share this photo of Shorewood Christian School‘s Ignition Youth Group out caroling at Westwood Village last night. If we had known in advance, we’d have added it to the WSB Holiday Guide – not too late to add anything your school, organization, or business has coming up for Christmas, New Year’s, etc. – editor@westseattleblog.com. (Tonight’s holiday-and-otherwise highlight list is coming up shortly.)
(More area traffic cams on the WSB Traffic page)
Will it snow tomorrow morning or not? Mixed opinions out there, and even the National Weather Service is hedging its bets. But that’s TOMORROW – first, time to get started keeping watch on today.
You’ve heard how passengers stopped an armed robber on board a Metro Rapid Ride bus in Morgan Junction on November 25th. Now, surveillance video from the bus shows exactly how it happened. Our friends at KING 5 showed the video last night – play the story above to see and hear what happened, including the moment one passenger, facing the robber and his gun, grabs him and pushes him away, seemingly without even stopping to think about it. We first reported it that night as a big police response drew attention and as the story started to emerge – the video matches what we were told by people who were on the bus; 19-year-old Trevonnte Brown of Beacon Hill was arrested immediately, charged days later, and was back in court earlier this week, where he pleaded not guilty to charges including a new one related to another bus holdup last month. He remains in jail, with bail set at $350,000 and his next hearing set for December 30th.
(January 18, 2012, photo shared by Suzanne, from SW Barton in Fauntleroy)
11:55 PM: It’s been almost two full years since the last somewhat-major snowfall in this area – mid-January 2012. Since the forecasters are pretty much unanimous in thinking we’ll see a few inches Friday morning, we’re presenting some links you might want to check in advance:
*SDOT winter-weather-response map – see what routes near you will be plowed (same map, during storm conditions, will show what’s been plowed/salted and when, among other things)
*Metro snow/ice route lookup – see where buses will run if they change to the snow/ice plan
*Outside the city? (White Center, part of South Park) The county road plan is here
*Flying out or picking someone up on Friday? Here’s where to check Sea-Tac Airport status; here are general airport winter-weather logistics
As always, if you will find real-time, 24/7 coverage here, and your help is always appreciated in terms of snow reports/photos from your neighborhood/workplace/travel routes/etc. – but there’s no downside to preparation, and that’s the spirit in which we share those links. Anything else you want to know in advance?
3:26 AM: Don’t get too excited/worried yet. In the 3 am forecast discussion, the National Weather Service is already backpedaling a bit.
While looking for someone else’s status on the King County Jail Register, we happened onto a familiar name: Ryan Cox. He is in jail again, this time for an assault charge, to which he quickly pleaded guilty, and for which he was sentenced. Quick backstory: Cox made citywide headlines in 2009 after a series of vandalism incidents that mostly involved profane, homophobic graffiti scrawled on signs, homes, businesses. He was arrested and jailed several times after that, most recently in October 2012, for an attack on a fellow passenger as they exited a bus on Avalon Way. Last July, as reported here, he pleaded guilty to hate-crime and assault charges in that case and was released from jail, having already served more time by that point than the sentence he received. Some of the previous cases against him were dismissed because he was found incompetent to stand trial.
(Click any photo for a larger view)
If you didn’t get a chance to go look for orcas when we published word this morning that they were heading this way – here’s the next best thing. (Or maybe better – we went to look and missed them anyway!) West Seattleite Trileigh Tucker, our first tipster again today, got great photos, including breaches.
They are of course beautiful simply swimming by:
That’s Blake Island and Tillicum Village in the background. And here’s a group with a Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth ferry in the background:
The ferry in the top photo is one of the bigger ones on the Seattle-Bainbridge run. This time of year, orca sightings here usually mean they’re chasing salmon runs to chow down on. For some orca facts and figures – go here. And thanks to everyone who shared sighting info this morning/afternoon, so that others had a chance to go look for them too!
10:30 PM: Mike Russell is also sharing photos – here’s a link to his Facebook gallery, for starters.
3:38 PM: You’ve heard the rumors and hints of some snow Friday morning; now, the National Weather Service has just started beating the drum a little louder, with a Winter Storm Watch alert for Thursday night through Friday morning. You can read it here; basically, snow is considered likely for most of Friday morning, before temperatures warm and change everything to rain Friday afternoon. Of course, you know how it goes – the forecast is just a forecast and things could change; event the alert says, “There is still quite a bit of uncertainty regarding how this event will unfold.”
10:35 PM UPDATE: The uncertainty seems to be getting somewhat less uncertain. In WSB comments and on Twitter, the local expert who goes by “MetPatrick” is sharing his observations; and “chances are … very high” is what weather analyst Cliff Mass says on his site.
3:26 AM: In the 3 am forecast discussion, the National Weather Service is ratcheting down a bit.
‘Tis the week before Christmas – prime time to enjoy lights. Duane Davis shared that photo of his display and an invitation to come enjoy it, and others nearby:
Come by 4152 46th Ave SW and see the Cotton Candy Trees, multicolored junipers, and our glowing home. A combination of incandescent and LED lights adds a bright festival feel to our neighborhood. Continue to drive up the street and see our friendly neighborhood lighting competition.
We’ve added it to the WSB West Seattle Christmas Lights Map – which you can see at that Google Maps link, or embedded on our Holiday Guide page. Photos and/or address tips still welcome – editor@westseattleblog.com – we hope to resume scouting tonight!
The more active citizens and community groups get, the more important it is to know who’s in charge of what areas of emphasis in local government. So toward that end – the Seattle City Council has announced its “likely” committee chairs for next year. First, two areas of intense local interest: West Seattle-residing Councilmember Tom Rasmussen is expected to continue chairing Transportation; Councilmember Mike O’Brien is expected to become chair of Planning, Land Use, and Sustainability, the scope of which includes development and zoning. For the full list – including some renamed committees – read on for the council’s announcement:
(Robins photographed by Laura Goodrich earlier this month, shared via the WSB Flickr group)
From the WSB West Seattle Holiday Events/Info Guide and our year-round calendar:
CO-WORKING MEETUP: Even if you don’t regularly work at West Seattle’s first and only co-working space, WS Office Junction, you’re invited to be there noon-1:15 pm today for the twice-monthly co-working meetup: “These are informal meetings to share and talk about business ideas, projects, get feedback, build community and make new friends and business partners. Stay afterward to get your work done and follow up on all the information and ideas you got from the meetup.” (5230-B California SW)
HPAC SAYS THANKS, LOOKS AHEAD: On the Highland Park Action Committee‘s monthly agenda tonight, 7 pm:
We will be hosting the fire fighters from Station 11, and our Community Police officers so that we can express our gratitude for all that they do for our neighborhood. HPAC will be getting some chicken teriyaki from Highland Park’s own Wanna Burger and Teriyaki- Please join us to celebrate our awesome community and bring a little something to share. We will also be asking for your input on the direction HPAC will head in the next year, so bring your ideas – we’ll be asking you to share them in writing, so don’t worry- you won’t have to speak in front of everyone!
HPAC meets at Highland Park Improvement Club. (12th/Holden)
STUDENT CONCERT “Come celebrate the Christmas season with the student musicians of Hope School and Seattle Lutheran High School! 7:pm at Hope Church. The musical program includes holiday music performed by the choir, hand bells, chapel band and high school band.” (42nd/Oregon)
SANTA AT PEGASUS: You’re not out of Santa-photo chances yet – tonight the Jolly Ol’ Soul will be at Pegasus on Alki; photos are free with a $25 gift-card purchase, and Pegasus says it’s donating part of the proceeds to the Starlight Foundation Northwest. (2770 Alki SW)
LITTLE WOMEN AT ARTSWEST: Second-to-last week for the final 2013 production at ArtsWest (WSB sponsor), with the curtain rising at 7:30 tonight. (4711 California SW)
COMEDY AT THE FEEDBACK: West Seattle’s own Mona Concepcion is back at Feedback Lounge (WSB sponsor) hosting a night of live comedy headlined by Kermet Apio, with Matt Ericksen, Aisha Farhoud, Eden Nault, Danielle Radford, and Jeffrey Robert, starting at 8 pm. (6451 California SW)
10:23 AM: Thanks to Trileigh Tucker for sending word that orcas are expected to be passing this way again – this time, northbound, reported off Maury Island less than an hour ago. Please share the news if you see them. Meantime, remember Trileigh’s awesome photo of orcas off a Fauntleroy-Vashon ferry last weekend? See the view of them FROM the ferry, via Melissa Burks‘ album on Facebook.
11:28 AM: Donna from The Whale Trail says they’re visible without binoculars from Me-Kwa-Mooks.
4:25 PM: Trileigh shared spectacular photos, and we have published them separately.
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