West Seattle Crime Watch: Morgan Junction home searched

(Photo by Christopher Boffoli for WSB)
Thanks to Blake for the tip on this: For the second night in a row, Seattle Police officers (including what appeared to be SWAT/undercover officers) showed up in force at a West Seattle location. This time, it was in the 6700 block of California SW. No word if anyone was arrested; before Christopher Boffoli got there for WSB, tipster Blake said it appeared nobody was home when police arrived. Christopher talked with officers, who said they could only say they were there serving a search warrant and conducting an investigation. The trucks shown in our photo towed multiple cars (according to Blake, they were checked out first by K-9). We’ll see if more information is available later this morning.

SIDE NOTE: No indication so far if this has anything to do with last night’s arrest of a man at 41st/Edmunds, but there’s a followup detail on that; the King County Jail Register shows that suspect got out around 9:30 last night after posting bond for $50,000 bail.

THURSDAY MORNING UPDATE: Seattle Police spokesperson Det. Mark Jamieson says it was a “narcotics search warrant served by the (Anti-Crime Team),” no further details at this point.

Sanislo Elementary student a ‘Neighbor Appreciation’ winner

A West Seattle student is among the winners in the city’s Neighbor Appreciation Day student art contest. Above, Sanislo Elementary fifth-grader Chandra Burnham took third place (see a bigger version of her work here). Winners (all listed here) are being honored this Saturday during Neighbor Appreciation Day, which also features myriad special fun city events (fire station tours, free swim at Southwest Pool, and more) – see them listed on the WSB West Seattle Events calendar.

Speaking of art … White Center Art Walk seeking WS/WC artists

February 9, 2011 11:42 pm
|    Comments Off on Speaking of art … White Center Art Walk seeking WS/WC artists
 |   West Seattle news | White Center | WS culture/arts

One more art note before the night’s out: Though the West Seattle Art Walk (tomorrow, 6-9 pm) is definitely the bigger of the two, the White Center Art Walk is livening up our southern neighbor each month too … and tonight, WSB’er Amanda is putting out the call for more participants:

Calling all West Seattle Blog and White Center Now-reading artists! The White Center Art Walk happens every 3rd Saturday of the month from 6pm – 9pm. Proletariat Pizza, Full Tilt, Big Al’s, Dzul Tattoo, Dubsea, Company, Salvadorean Bakery, and Rozella’s are some of the participants. With all the new places moving into White Center, it’s becoming a great place to see local art!

We are looking for artists to participate. There are no commissions or hanging fees either! We are in need of two artists for this month (the 19th) at Full Tilt and Big Al’s. Looking for family friendly art, but are open to all kinds of art. Please contact Amanda Kay Helmick for submission information. smyliegrl at gmail dot com

West Seattle Art Walk tomorrow – and a 91-year-old’s retrospective

(Photo of Jean Lovejoy, courtesy Stephanie Hargrave)
Tomorrow night, all around West Seattle, it’s the February Art Walk, 6-9 pm, with a stop or two off the official map. One that’s come to our attention is Jean Lovejoy‘s retrospective, presented by Stephanie Hargrave in South Admiral (3234 California SW). Stephanie notes that Jean is 91 years old and still going strong. She hopes you’ll come by to meet her and enjoy her art. Here’s what Stephanie has to say about Jean:

I met Jean Lovejoy a year ago at an art sale/fundraising event I was having at my studio. She came with one of her daughters, Madeline, who mentioned she was an artist. I was immediately intrigued. She embodied something. As it turned out, that ‘something’ was a lifetime of art making – the type of dedicated, focused art making that can keep a person curious, creating and constantly learning for years. I just adored her. To me, she was a presence not unlike what Georgia O’Keefe must have been – petite, solid, bright and imaginative.

Madeline mentioned that Jean was looking for a gallery to show her work, and that she wanted to do a retrospective show. I told her she was welcome to have a show at my studio if she liked, and to my delight, she accepted.

We spoke the other day over tea, and I asked some questions about her life and art. At the age of 30, she told her husband she’d really like to take some art classes, and began with printmaking. She absolutely loved it and was good at it. Her teachers noticed her, often commenting on how talented she was. She continued taking classes and workshops – drawing and design classes at the UW, three years at The Factory of Visual Arts, three years of collagraph classes with Barbara Bruch, three years of painting under Jacob Elshin, six years of painting under Allen Wolf, more drawing and printmaking workshops and classes at Pratt Fine Arts Center as well as the Seattle Parks Department. She has also taught art to seniors over the years.

Read More

West Seattle coyotes: Totem pole, Morgan Junction sightings

Three coyote sightings to share tonight – two in the same spot, so may well have been the same coyote – read on!Read More

Mourning local historian, community advocate Ron Richardson

Family, friends, and history buffs are among those mourning Fauntleroy resident Ron Richardson, who has died after a year-plus fight with cancer. He is known well for his involvement with so many parts of the West Seattle community, particularly the Southwest Seattle Historical Society.

We first met Ron in 2008 after running a story about the ever-changing war-toll sign in front of his home across from Lincoln Park – he himself then provided a followup. Later that year, Ron and wife Sherry Richardson were featured here again for their campaign to get signs reminding people not to idle while in the ferry lines.

Despite the public nature of some of what he was involved with, Ron, who was 75, had always been a private, humble person, and dealt with his health challenge with quiet dignity as well. We spoke with Sherry Richardson this afternoon; she says Ron’s memorial is set for 2 pm Tuesday, February 22nd, at The Hall at Fauntleroy.

We asked Sherry what she wanted people to know about her husband, if they didn’t know him well and know all this already: She talked about his community involvement, particularly with Fauntleroy, which was central to his study of local history. Instead of just looking to historical events, she says, Ron believed that everyone had a story to tell – not just regarding their history, but a story that existed on several levels. A sincere interest in people is what drew him into the study of history. We were lucky to have benefited from some of his contributions here (like this story about a historic Fauntleroy estate) and on our partner site White Center Now (he studied WC history too, with one example this HistoryLink.org article about the old roller rink).

SWSHS past president Judy Bentley (added Thursday) adds, “Ron was a member of the Southwest Seattle Historical Society Board until the end of 2010, when he could no longer participate in board meetings but kept coming to events at the Log House Museum. Ron loved local history and was known for his walking tours of the Fauntleroy and White Center neighborhoods. A tour led by Ron always held delightful surprises — front-porch interviews with long-time residents, little known paths along the waterfront, new bakeries that brought neighborhood history and culture alive. He was a passionate and dogged advocate for historic preservation, most recently for the Seaview building at The Kenney.”

Instead of flowers, memorial donations are invited for any or all of three causes: The SWSHS (which you can reach through the Log House Museum); the University of Washington Brain Tumor Research Fund (donations will be accepted in Ron’s name through the Neurology Department); and the school-building Central Asia Institute, known through the book “Three Cups of Tea.”

West Seattle Whale Watch: Orcas in the area again

4:12 PM: Local whale experts have spotted the orcas off West Seattle again – Fauntleroy and heading north within the past hour – so if you’re by the water, keep an eye out.

4:28 PM: A caller just mentioned that there’s a NOAA research boat in the area of the whales – so if you’re looking for them, look for that boat.

West Seattle front-lawn fire truck’s owner ordered to remove it

(WSB photo from December 2010)
Two months after that retired mid-’70s-vintage Oregon fire truck turned up on a front lawn along 44th SW in The Junction (here’s our original story), its owner says he is under orders to move it. Gary Elliott e-mailed WSB to say:

I am the owner of the tribute to firemen/women (the fire truck in the Junction). The City of Seattle has notified to “discontinue the outdoor storage of the fire truck in the front yard.” The housing and zoning Inspector Maggie Dang would not grant me the time I needed to explore other options, I am left with scrapping the fire truck for metal unless the WS Blog has other options?

Online city records confirm that there was a complaint about the fire truck a month ago, the city investigated, and decided it’s in violation, with the compliance deadline just extended to March 15th. Since the owner asked if we have “other options,” we’re asking you – any ideas?

Film crew coming to Fauntleroy starting this weekend

A film crew is coming to Fauntleroy, starting this Saturday. As a few WSB’ers have mentioned in e-mail, notices have been distributed to nearby homes, and “No Parking” signs are up; we also have spoken with location manager Dave Drummond, who shares this information:

The independent feature film “After the Ghost” will be filming scenes at a residence in Fauntleroy, a short distance north of the ferry terminal. Filming will occur on February 12-16 and Feb 19-21, both during the day and sometimes at night. The production is coordinating with the Fauntleroy Community Association and all nearby residents regarding parking, noise, and other potential impact to the area. Traffic on Fauntleroy Way should not be significantly impacted during daytime and peak hours. Minor traffic delays may be experienced late at night in that area, as Seattle Police will be conducting intermittent traffic holds for some scenes.

“After the Ghost” will be directed by Seattle’s Skip Moody and is being produced and shot entirely in Western Washington. For more information about the production or the impact to the Fauntleroy area, please contact Location Manager Dave Drummond at dave@drummondmedia.com

“After the Ghost” is described online as a “present-day supernatural drama”; you can find out more about it here.

Lincoln Park attack suspect Duane Starkenburg pleads not guilty, barred from all parks in King County

(Starkenburg at left)
Here at the King County Courthouse, 46-year-old Duane Starkenburg has just appeared for arraignment on the charges he’s facing in connection with three attacks on women in Lincoln Park. He has been out of jail since two days after his January 25th arrest; he arrived at court in a suit and tie. With King County Superior Court Judge Ronald Kessler presiding, Starkenburg pleaded not guilty to the two indecent-liberties charges and one attempted-indecent-liberties charge against him. Prosecutors asked not only that he continue to be prohibited from being in Lincoln Park, but also that he be prohibited from being in any public park or “marked walking or jogging trail” in King County, “for the safety of the community.” The judge agreed. Starkenburg’s bail status has not changed; he remains free on $175,000 bond. Next up in the case: A hearing on March 28th. (Photo credits: Top, Tracy Record/WSB; right, Mike Siegel/Seattle Times, republished with permission)

West Seattle Wednesday: Politics, schools, job-search help…

(Photo by Pye42 from the WSB Flickr group pool)
From the WSB West Seattle Events calendar: A presentation about the Port of Seattle is part of the agenda for the 34th District Democrats tonight, 7 pm at The Hall at Fauntleroy Westside School (WSB sponsor) open house for its new Middle School program, 6-7 pm, details here … There’s also an open house at West Seattle Montessori/West Seattle Academy (WSB sponsor) open house, 6:30-8 pm … Final performances of “The Real Inspector Hound” presented by the Chief Sealth International High School Drama Club are in the campus Little Theater at 3 pm and 7 pm (free) … Chat with School Board member Steve Sundquist, Delridge Library, 11 am … West Seattle Garden Tour Committee Meeting and Potluck at 6:30 pm: Help plan this year’s 17th Annual West Seattle Garden Tour – RSVP to info@westseattlegardentour.com … South Seattle Community College‘s WorkSource Center has a free job search workshop, 4:30 – 6 pm in the WorkSource office located in RSB 79 … Glee Club practice at the ActivSpace building from 7:30 until 9:30 PM. Their message: “We are not professional singers, just a group of people who enjoy singing. There is no audition, and no previous experience necessary.” … More on the calendar!

Checking on what the helicopter is WAS searching for

Getting multiple reports of a helicopter over Arbor Heights/Roxbury – checking to see what it’s looking for. (And a moment after we published this – the chopper headed northward, away from the area. But we’ll still see if we can find out what it WAS here for. If we don’t get that info soon, we’ll check again with police later this morning.)

West Seattle Crime Watch: SWAT team at 41st/Edmunds

(Updated Wednesday morning with new information from Seattle Police)

(Photos by Christopher Boffoli for WSB, added 11:07 pm)
10:16 PM: Breaking right now – what appear to be SWAT officers making arrests in the 41st/Edmunds vicinity (map) on the south side of The Junction. Christopher Boffoli is there for WSB and says what he’s been told so far is that it’s a narcotics operation. The intersection’s blocked off, so steer clear TFN. More to come.

10:39 PM: Christopher says police at the scene confirm narcotics/SWAT officers involved, and that two people have been arrested. A car is being towed away. The intersection has just reopened.

11:30 PM: No additional details – and there may not be any before morning, if then (we’ll be checking the jail register, among other places to harvest info) – but also of note, both Christopher and WSB contributor Katie Meyer report that from observation in The Junction and from radio traffic, this was the result of a planned stakeout, with support units standing by for blocks around until the operation was over. (Christopher adds that Gang Unit detectives were seen participating, too.)

WEDNESDAY MORNING UPDATE: New details from Seattle Police spokesperson Det. Mark Jamieson: He says this was part of a “pretty extensive ongoing undercover narcotics operation – involving Gang Unit, Southwest Anti-Crime Team, and members of the FBI Safe Streets Task Force.” Over the past month or so, he says, “they had been buying on several occasions from a pretty prolific drug trafficker and gangster … and yesterday they decided to do the ‘order up take down’.” They had just “concluded a transaction and moved in to make the arrest.” The suspect they were seeking is a 40-year-old with a felony criminal history; Det. Jamieson didn’t have information on what kind of drugs he allegedly was dealing, but says he was armed with a “stolen handgun” so he’s been booked into King County Jail on weapons charges as well as drug charges.

We just checked – he’s still in as of 8:30 this morning. (A quick check of his court record reveals a long list of cases, including a Court of Appeals case in he appealed his convictions for “multiple counts of driving while license suspended and attempting to elude a pursuing police vehicle,” challenging the terminology “immediately” rather than challenging the violations themselves. He lost.) Det. Jamieson says a 48-year-old woman was in the car with him, but she was released after being questioned at the Southwest Precinct.

Admiral Neighborhood Association: Safeway project changes; more

“Full house!” as Admiral Neighborhood Association past president Mark Wainwright put it, arriving at the ANA meeting tonight at Admiral Congregational Church – more than two dozen people.

The evening’s main event was a somewhat tense appearance by the Admiral Safeway project team, explaining the recent, seemingly sudden change in the project (reported here two weeks ago) – doubling the number of the residential units in the building on the southeast side of the site, discarding the flex-work office component (we first reported the change when it appeared on the city’s Land Use Information Bulletin, and Safeway shared an explanation later that day).

Safeway’s Sara Corn and Fuller/Sears architect Bill Fuller explained that the change was the result of financing troubles unfolding after construction began; ANA president Katy Walum read an official statement gently chiding the team for not having given the group a heads-up. In turn, the Safeway team implored the ANA to bring any concerns to them in the weeks ahead rather than just debuting them before the City Council when the proposed change comes up for a future hearing. More on this, and other meeting topics, ahead:Read More

High-school postseason basketball: Chief Sealth IHS win, West Seattle HS loss

Final scores are in from both of tonight’s postseason high-school boys’ basketball games: At Chief Sealth International High School, the Seahawks beat Eastside Catholic, 61-50; West Seattle High School lost its road game at Lakeside, 57-42.

ADDED: Sealth advances to the next round. More on tonight’s home game, ahead:Read More

Followup: Memorial this Sunday for Shorewood teen hit by car

February 8, 2011 7:57 pm
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 |   Shorewood | West Seattle news

Family friends of Carter Allen, the 14-year-old Shorewood boy who died last weekend of injuries suffered when a car hit him three weeks earlier, asked us to share word of his memorial. It’ll be at 2 pm this Sunday at the school he attended, in the gym at Evergreen High School (830 SW 116th; here’s a map). Family friend Ericka adds:

HS3 will need volunteers to help set up or bake cookies for a reception following. Donations for the family can be made through PayPal (link) and 100% of the funds will go to Carter’s family to cover medical, funeral and other necessary expenses. Cards & donations can also be sent to Carter’s father:

Derek Allen
10805 26th Ave SW
Seattle, WA 98146-1991

Followup: What you missed at the West Seattle Triangle open house

We reported “live” last night from the West Seattle Triangle open house, which drew more than 60 people, including local neighborhood and business leaders as well as city planners. (Here’s our story, including video of what City Councilmember Tom Rasmussen had to say.) If you couldn’t be there – you can still take a look at what was presented, now that it’s all published to the city’s website. The introductory overview is here; the “boards” are here, including the final few pages focusing on the potential of 85-foot-high buildings in part of The Triangle, 20 feet above current zoning; and a closer look at the “street-use concept” proposal is here. Next steps: These concepts get official city reviews, with more opportunities for you to officially comment.

Heard the planes over West Seattle? We did too.

(Photo added 10:57 pm – taken by “Uncle Mikey” in Schmitz Park area)
4:03 PM: Checking around to see what that was all about … one person on Twitter says it was “three fighter jets,” someone else described it as two fighter jets escorting a plane. Yet another person on Twitter says two F-16s and an A-6 Intruder.

4:10 PM: KING calls it “a photo op, F-18s & EA-6B.” (Still looking for details, though, half-an-hour later … will add whenever some emerge!)

4:54 PM: Now it seems a historic MiG-29 may have been the noisemaker, with “chase planes.” So says KIRO 7. Here’s the MiG’s test-flight takeoff from Snohomish County:

Story still in motion, though!

9 PM: As Mike points out in comments, looks like we have our final answer – details on the photo op that KING mentioned. (The MiG, apparently, was a coincidence.) Here’s the KING story, with photos of the planes you heard/saw.

West Seattle schools: Lafayette playground makes goal, bids soon

February 8, 2011 2:55 pm
|    Comments Off on West Seattle schools: Lafayette playground makes goal, bids soon
 |   How to help | West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

It’s full speed ahead for the latest phase of the longrunning playground-improvement project at West Seattle’s most populous elementary school. Organizers of the Play It Forward campaign raising money for Lafayette Elementary‘s playground say they achieved the goal of matching funds/labor/materials to get the $100,000 city grant they had won, so they “are on schedule to head out to bid for the project as soon as some of the construction drawings are finalized,” according to Deborah Hazlegrove, who adds: “Our intention is to break ground after school is out and have a brand-spanking new playground for the kids when they return in the fall.” In the meantime, you’re invited to the next community meeting updating the project – February 17th, 7 pm, school library – and they’re still fundraising, so if you have ideas to help with that and/or with promotion, they’d love to see you there, or to hear from you any time (e-mail Holly at rhgrambihler@msn.com).

Happy anniversary, West 5: Founders ‘humbled’ by icon status

(West 5 team, coaxed outside briefly during “Spring Cleaning” day last Sunday)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

Their restaurant/lounge is laden with reminders of West Seattle’s past – and is an irresistible part of West Seattle’s present. As West 5‘s founders celebrate their establishment’s 8th anniversary today, they’re seeing a bright future.

To follow up on the anniversary announcement published here 2 weeks ago, we sat down to talk with Dave Montoure and Dean Overton on Super Bowl Sunday, when they traditionally close West 5 for “spring cleaning” – which goes far beyond just bringing out mops, buckets, and sponges. All around us, team members (who we’re told volunteered to come in and help) were joining their bosses in intensive work – with the day’s plan including even drywalling.

Not much point in being open that particular day, anyway, since West 5 is TV-free. That against-the-grain status is reminiscent of its origins as an establishment “free” of something else – smoke. Back in 2003, smoking was still allowed inside some establishments, but West 5 opened as a trailblazing nonsmoking lounge. Predictions of an inevitably quick death obviously, well, went up in smoke.

But did they imagine they’d make it to 8 years in business?

Read More

Update: New date for Lincoln Park attack suspect’s hearing

An update this morning in the case of accused Lincoln Park attacker Duane Starkenburg, the 46-year-old Gatewood man out on bond after being charged in connection with three incidents in which women say they were tackled and assaulted, most recently two weeks ago, the day he was arrested. The King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office says Starkenburg’s arraignment has been moved up a day. Instead of appearing this Thursday, he is now scheduled to appear tomorrow at 8:30 am in King County Superior Court downtown, room E-1201. (For those who have asked about the process – arraignment is usually a fairly short hearing at which a suspect enters a plea, though multiple defendants are usually scheduled in that courtroom simultaneously, and it could be some time after 8:30 before he appears.) KCPAO spokesperson Dan Donohoe says the charges against him remain the same ones filed week before last – two counts of indecent liberties, one count of attempted indecent liberties.

Community Orchard of West Seattle grows a website, plans classes

February 8, 2011 10:43 am
|    Comments Off on Community Orchard of West Seattle grows a website, plans classes
 |   Gardening | How to help | West Seattle news

(WSB photo from orchard work party last month)
Another step ahead for the new Community Orchard of West Seattle – it’s sprouted a website! You’ll find COWS online at fruitinwestseattle.org. And there you also will find details of two upcoming events to which community volunteers are heartily invited – classes followed by lunch and a work party, 10 am Saturdays, February 12 with the topic “Perennial Plantings” and March 12 with the topic “Annual Plantings.” It all happens at the north end of South Seattle Community College on West Seattle’s Puget Ridge (6000 16th SW) – RSVP info is on the brand-new website.

Suspected ‘polite robber’ gained infamy as the ‘Transaction Bandit’

WSB policy is usually not to identify crime suspects until they are charged. But there are a few exceptions – same ones we had while in citywide media – including cases in which the person is photographed/videotaped actually committing the crime. So with that said, we are reporting that 65-year-old Gregory Paul Hess is the man arrested in Top Hat and then booked into King County Jail late last night on suspicion of being the so-called “polite” robber who was videotaped (here’s KING5‘s original story) holding up the Roxbury Shell last Saturday morning.

Announcing the arrest on Monday afternoon, King County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Sgt. John Urquhart mentioned that the suspect had been previously convicted of armed robbery. Researching Hess’s background last night and this morning, we discovered that his criminal past brought him media coverage before: In 2003, he was arrested after a string of bank robberies (none in West Seattle) attributed to the “Transaction Bandit.” As was the case in the videotaped Roxbury heist, the robber in those cases waited until the till was open and then changed from customer to robber. Not only that – the “need money” story told by the Roxbury robber echoes the “Transaction Bandit” saga. Charges against Hess were detailed in this 2003 Seattle Times (WSB partner) story, which began:

Gregory Paul Hess hadn’t worked in months, and he had rent to pay and groceries to buy, federal prosecutors say in court documents filed yesterday charging Hess with bank robbery.

The 58-year-old Seattle man had quit his job steaming lattes at a Starbucks in Madison Park before Christmas, and he was sure his unemployment benefits would dry up any day, according to charges filed against Hess in U.S. District Court in Seattle.

According to federal court dockets we reviewed online this morning, Hess struck a plea bargain in 2004, pleading guilty to three of the five counts with which he was charged. He was sentenced to 4 years, 9 months in prison. According to the Bureau of Prisons website, he was released in July 2007. The King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office says he’s due for a bail hearing at 2:30 this afternoon.

3:38 PM UPDATE: Hess’s bail was set this afternoon at $250,000. Prosecutors have until Thursday to file formal charges.