West Seattle, Washington
24 Sunday
(Live view from the only WS Bridge camera currently in operation; see other cameras on the WSB Traffic page)
No road woes as the commute ramps up, but rain’s returning.
LOOKING AHEAD: If you use the Fauntleroy ferry dock, or travel the stretch of Fauntleroy Way north of it, note that it’ll be down to one tollbooth starting Monday, for about two weeks, because of the pump-station project north of the dock – as reported here. Here’s a recent aerial view of the project and dock, from West Seattle photographer/pilot Long Bach Nguyen:
The north tollbooth/lane is what’s closing, closest to the pump-station work. Washington State Ferries says the project will be discussed during a public meeting for the Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth route Monday night in Port Orchard, along with “proposed service reductions on some routes, new ferry construction, liquefied natural gas as a potential fuel for the fleet, and route-specific issues.” Meeting details and documents are here.
10:28 AM UPDATE: Crash on the eastbound Spokane Street Viaduct has led to the backup you’re seeing on the bridge cam right now.
‘Tis the season of the upside-down tree at Wyatt’s Jewelers (WSB sponsor) in Westwood Village … which got a special visit Thursday night from Santa Claus, among others:
The occasion – the November edition of the West Seattle Chamber of Commerce After-Hours get-together, which not only was a meet-up with Santa, but also a tour of Westwood Village businesses, including Giannoni’s Pizzeria:
At center is Giannoni’s proprietor Donna Burns, with daughter Georgia and friend Hanna. Back over at Santa’s Village (in the former Dress Barn space this year, as noted here), Rick Jump from the White Center Food Bank had a moment with Mr. Claus:
Next up for the Chamber: Mix, Mingle and Jingle, December 13th at Feedback Lounge (WSB sponsor). Adding that one now to our list of all things West Seattle Holiday-ish – see it here.
It wasn’t just a celebration of reading – but a celebration of books – for West Seattle Elementary School principal Vikki Sacco and students, including (clockwise from left) Cynia, Alejandra, Keyradin, and Layla on Tuesday morning. They welcomed visitors from Book Trust, a nonprofit that WSES has been working with since 2007. Book Trust espouses book ownership, and has helped WSES students choose and own thousands of books in the five years of their partnership. Owning books – having them at home – makes a big difference, Book Trust says, and it’s reaching out in the early years, noting that a child who isn’t reading proficiently by the end of third grade is four times more likely to become a high-school dropout. And not only do they seek to help kids own books, but also to give them a choice of books – as explained here. (Book Trust also accepts donations and volunteer help.)
At Highland Park Improvement Club last night, two meetings in one – the Delridge Neighborhoods District Council and Highland Park Action Committee together.
DNDC chair Mat McBride led the meeting. He pronounced it “very exciting” since, as he said, there’s been talk of “cross-pollinating” neighborhood councils. Among the topics:
HIGHLAND PARK SPRAYPARK, AND ART NEARBY: In about two weeks, Burien-based TF Sahli Construction will start construction of the long-awaited Highland Park Spraypark. We confirmed that today with Seattle Parks project manager Kelly Goold, who couldn’t be at last night’s meeting but sent the info with the team that came to talk about a proposed art project next to the spraypark.
Three thefts in West Seattle Crime Watch reader reports tonight – one car, two bicycles. First, from Sally:
I’m sad to say our car was stolen on Thanksgiving night or early the next morning from approximately 34TH & Trenton. It is a black 1997 Subaru Legacy Outback with dark tinted windows, license# AAE6984. It’s listed on the SPD GetYourCarBack page. If anyone sees it, please call 911 to report it.
From Jake:
My Bike was stolen off of my patio (Sunday) night – I live near the 76 gas station on the corner of Andover and California. It is a Flat Gray Giant Bowery Mashup, it has bullhorn handlebars and a beam rack with a black trunk bag. I have attached the most recent photo I have, however it looks a little different now.
If anyone has any information they can contact me at jakesilsby@gmail.com.
And from Greg:
Somebody took a mountain bike from the backyard at 52– 42nd ave SW. It had disk brakes, spare tube, and handpump. It was parked under the deck in the backyard, probably done during daylight hours within the last week.
(Wednesday photo by WSB’s Patrick Sand)
5:21 PM: Just in from Seattle Police: The 37-year-old woman they were seeking in connection with yesterday’s car attack on two Chief Sealth International High School students has turned herself in:
On November 29th at approximately 4:25 p.m. today, the female suspect, a 37-year-old woman, turned herself in to officers at the Seattle Police South Precinct. She was transported downtown to be interviewed by detectives.
That’s from SPD Blotter. As we reported earlier today, the 17-year-old girl is out of the hospital, the 18-year-old girl still in.
ADDED 6:12 PM: The suspect talked by phone with KING 5 before turning herself in; here’s their story.
ADDED 8:04 PM: SPD Blotter has updated to say, “She was transported downtown to be interviewed by detectives and subsequently booked into the King County Jail for Felony Assault.” We won’t publish her name until and unless she is charged, but public databases show her to be a Highland Park resident, and her record does not show any felony convictions.
It’s not quite a group ceremony – but December 15, six days after the first legal same-sex weddings in our state, will bring the first West Seattle multiple-wedding, marriage-equality-celebrating event in West Seattle that we’ve heard of. Just announced by the Universal Life Church:
The Universal Life Church and other sponsors will provide 20 gay and straight couples with free weddings in a historic West Seattle landmark on Dec. 15.
The Universal Life Church Monastery announces that it will host “December to Remember,” a wedding event which will celebrate the legalization of same sex marriage in Washington state, on Saturday, Dec. 15, between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m.
The December to Remember celebration will be held at The Sanctuary at Admiral, a historic landmark in West Seattle. This free event will include individual luxury wedding ceremonies for 20 gay and straight couples, as well as flowers, cake, photographers, and music – all provided for the couples at no charge. A no host bar and meal options by Foodz Catering will also be available.
Between the couples, their guests, and members of the public, over 200 people are expected to attend this event.
We asked ULC spokesperson Andy Fulton if the 20 couples already were signed up. He says, “11 couples have confirmed that they are going to attend. 10 couples are gay (mostly lesbians), one is straight. They are old, young, have been together for decades, have only been dating for a couple of years, and everything in between. At least several couples have young children. We’re still trying to find additional couples. Interested couples can e-mail us at weddings@themonastery.org or fill out the form found on this page. Couples that expressed interest in participating based on their desire to share their love and their support for marriage equality were chosen. Couples who were merely interested in getting a free wedding were not.”
Almost two and a half years ago, the West Seattle Tool Library opened its doors (WSB first-day coverage here) – and this week they’ve announced they’re on the brink of signing up their 1,000th member. They’re looking for ideas on how to mark the milestone, and also inviting you to share your Tool Library story – this update on the Sustainable West Seattle website has the details. Looking for Tool Library hours and other info? Go here.
Summer Preston Diehm, former owner of West Seattle’s Next to Nature pet store in The Junction, will be remembered in the Central Washington town of Entiat this Saturday. Former store employee Liz e-mailed to say that Ms. Diehm, 37, died in a car crash in the Wenatchee area on Monday and they wanted to get word to the people here who knew her. The memorial is planned for noon Saturday (December 1st) at the Entiat Grange, 14108 Kinzel Street (map). Her family invites anyone who can get there to come share memories and stories. She had lived in the town of Ardenvoir, according to her obituary, from The Wenatchee World; the Next to Nature website says she owned the store 1998-2001.
Just in from The Admiral Theater: This year’s free holiday movie, to be screened at 4 pm Sunday, December 16th, benefiting the Seattle Humane Society:
The Admiral Theater is proud to announce this year’s free community Christmas movie……drum roll please….”The Nightmare Before Christmas“.
Painstakingly and meticulously crafted, “The Nightmare Before Christmas” is a beautiful and unforgettable film from start to finish. It is original, funny, and moving.
Again, admission is free but we are asking for a donation to my “pet” (pun intended) charity – The Seattle Humane Society.
Bring dog/cat food, toy’s, bedding, etc. and make the holidays bright for our 4-legged friends. …
This is a classic Christmas family movie and as usual, we urge the community to show up early. It fills up fast. The movie starts at 4 PM, Sunday, December 16th.
Adding this to our West Seattle Holiday Guide – where you can find dozens of other holiday events, offerings, and giving opportunities, now through New Year’s.
Eight days since the mangled trailer dumped on the street alongside Riverview Playfield was tagged with a three-day warning – and it’s still there. It came up at last night’s Highland Park Action Committee/Delridge Neighborhoods District Council meeting (full meeting report to come); commenters on our previous report believe it can be traced to a house on Puget Ridge. We went back a short time ago to check on its status, and found two people talking nearby: One was a Seattle Parks employee who said she’s been working to find out what can/will be done about it; she said she has talked with the area’s Community Police Team officer and is also contacting Seattle Public Utilities, since they deal with illegal dumping, but she said she has no answers yet. The other person was a man who said he wanted to salvage the tires off the trailer, but appeared to be rethinking that, given the police notice. Meantime, we also have a message out to SPD to see what happens from here.
4:36 PM UPDATE: Haven’t gotten that answer from SPD yet. But we do hear that our friends at KING 5 are picking up the story – Jim Forman is on the case as of about half an hour ago. We suspected it might have attracted citywide-media attention after our tweet during last night’s meeting:
Trashed camper from hell just came up at Highland Park meeting. “My kids keep asking me if there are dead people in there,” one woman said.
— West Seattle Blog (@westseattleblog) November 29, 2012
5:40 PM UPDATE: Got a little context from Community Police Team Officer Jon Kiehn – this isn’t a simple tow job because it appears the trailer has debris that could fall off. Since it’s been abandoned/dumped on SDOT property, that agency has to figure out how to stabilize it for towing. And as we learned during our stop today, Parks has a stake in it too since it’s adjacent to their facility. He’ll be checking tomorrow on the bottom line – how soon it’ll be removed.
6:59 PM UPDATE: Further followup from Officer Kiehn – he’s contacted SPU too, with whom he hopes to work ASAP to get it removed – as soon as the debris are removed so that it can be safely taken away. The delay, he thinks, might have been some crossed wires regarding one department thinking another had it handled. Regarding the issue of who did this and who might own it, he says those who believe they know who it belong(ed/s) to can e-mail him with that info and he’ll contact the suspected owner to investigate: Jonathan.Kiehn@seattle.gov is his address.
One update so far today in connection with yesterday’s attack on two Chief Sealth International High School students across from the school: Harborview Medical Center confirms that the younger of the two girls who police say were deliberately hit by a driver, the 17-year-old, is out of the hospital. The family of the other girl, 18, has asked Harborview not to comment on her condition. So far, there is no word of an arrest; we have a message out to Seattle Police to see if there is any other new information. (12:28 pm note: Just reached SPD by phone. Nothing new.)
Big weekend ahead for Christmas-tree buying, since December is about to arrive. If you’ve ever wandered through a Christmas tree lot and wonder which tree type was which, here’s some help: At the Holy Rosary School Tree Lot (WSB sponsor) this year, there’s a special setup you can check out before you browse and buy. From left in the photo above – Norway Spruce, White Pine, Grand Fir, Douglas Fir, Turkish Fir, Noble Fir. This is the third year Holy Rosary has sold trees at 41st and Dakota, on the north side of its own campus (after many years at other locations), and students like Mia Presser have been visiting neighbors this week to get the word out that it’s tree time!
The doorhanger Mia’s holding (see it here, if you didn’t get one) reminds recipients not only of the location but also that part of the proceeds go again this year – 15 percent, to be specific – to West Seattle Food Bank, West Seattle Helpline, and the Salvation Army domestic-violence shelter Hickman House:
You also can bring food donations to the tree lot and drop them off. The Holy Rosary lot is open 4 pm-8 pm Mondays through Thursdays, 3 pm-9 pm Fridays, and 9 am-9 pm Saturdays and Sundays.
Along with the trees, you’ll find wreaths and garlands, too. In case you have any trouble finding them – though it’s barely a block off California – here’s a map. They’re open daily, with the aforementioned hours, through Sunday, December 16th – and tomorrow night, you’re invited to a special community event – the first ever Holy Rosary Tree Festival, 6-9 pm Friday (November 30th):
Invite your family and friends for festive treats, crafts/activities for the kids and a LOT of holiday cheer! A professional photographer will be there to take free digital family photos. THANK YOU to Filmateria Productions for providing the photographer.
As the county’s Barton Pump Station Upgrade Project north of the Fauntleroy ferry dock continues, there are occasional alerts about potentially major traffic effects. Here’s one that just came in via the Washington State Ferries e-mail-alert system:
Beginning Monday through Friday, December 3 to December 14, the north entrance lane and tollbooth at Fauntleroy will be closed due to the Barton Pump Station Upgrade Project. WSF recommends purchasing tickets online or at kiosks as pre-ticketed vehicles will be directed around the booths as needed to fill the dock and vessels. Please plan ahead and expect possible delays.
You can find details on the pump-station project here.
(Photo courtesy West Seattle Kiwanis; that’s ‘elf’ Karl de Jong)
As you might have noticed if you travel the Fauntleroy end of the West Seattle Bridge, the Kiwanis Club of West Seattle Elves have put up a banner at “Walking on Logs” as another reminder that their Community Pancake Breakfast is coming up Saturday, 7 am-11 am – ticket details and more in this WSB story. That’s one of the many events/notes you’ll find in the WSB West Seattle Holiday Guide, covering now through New Year’s. From the guide and from our regular WSB West Seattle Event Calendar, here’s what’s up today/tonight:
PRESCHOOL STORY TIME: 11:15-11:45 am at Delridge Library (Brandon/Delridge), free and fun for the little ones.
FREE WINE TASTING: 5:30-8 pm, the December Collector’s Club wines will be showcased at West Seattle Cellars (WSB sponsor), 6026 California SW. P.S. If it’s your FIRST visit to WS Cellars, you get 10 percent off your purchase – as explained here.
SHOP LATE THURSDAYS IN THE JUNCTION: After the Thanksgiving break, it’s back to this holiday-season staple – with many shops open till 9 pm (see the latest list of participants here). One special feature this week: West Seattle Fashion Night with local boutiques on the runway at Shadowland – details here.
‘THE GIRL WHO KNEW TOO MUCH’: Local filmmaker Amy Benson is again showing the rough-cut version at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center (4408 Delridge Way SW), 6 pm, free. Something different this time: She and her filmmaking partner Scott Squire now are running a Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign in hopes of raising money to cover their final expenses as they get ready to go back to Nepal for one more shoot as they explore a growing threat to the lives of girls and women there.
DESIGN REVIEW FOR 3062 AVALON: As previewed here last night, the next project to go before the Southwest Design Review Board for “early design guidance” is a 100-plus-unit building proposed next to another planned 100-plus-unit building, this one at 3062 SW Avalon Way. The meeting’s at 6:30 pm at the Senior Center of West Seattle (California/Oregon).
WESTSIDE BURLESQUE REVUE: The monthly extravaganza at Skylark Café and Club (3803 Delridge Way SW) is tonight at 9 pm (21+ only).
(Live view from the only WS Bridge camera currently in operation; see other cameras on the WSB Traffic page)
6:55 AM: No major incidents so far. One note for on-peninsula driving – Mayor McGinn has announced that the grace (warnings only) period is extended for the city’s four speed cameras in school zones, including the one on Fauntleroy Way near Gatewood Elementary, till December 10th. His news release from yesterday (read it here) says the cameras already have led to almost 6,000 warnings.
ADDED 9:21 AM: Suggestion for West Seattle bus riders, via Twitter:
Just got on the 21X: Faster, less crowded and at a normal interior temperature. Vastly superior to C Line cc: @kcmetrobus @westseattleblog
— Paul Balcerak (@paulbalcerak) November 29, 2012
(From the design packet for 3062 Avalon Way)
The neighbors who came to a Southwest Design Review Board meeting in September to show concern about the 108-unit building planned for 3078 Avalon Way SW are planning a return trip tomorrow (Thursday) night to comment on its similar-sized prospective next-door neighbor. The project to be reviewed this time is at 3062 Avalon Way – first mentioned here 3 weeks ago – 107 apartments and 80 parking spaces on a site that now holds two older, small apartment buildings and a house:
The images are from the design “packet,” viewable online in advance of the meeting (6:30 pm Thursday, Senior Center of West Seattle at California/Oregon); the architect is Caron, same as the project reviewed in September. The concerned neighbors are along 32nd SW to the north, and according to e-mail discussions shared with WSB, their research has yielded a new point since their September show of force: When the West Seattle Junction urban-village plan was drawn up more than a decade ago, theirs was described as one of three pockets of single-family homes whose neighborhood character was to be protected. So that’s their rallying cry now.
You don’t have to live near a project to have a say at a Design Review meeting, so if you are interested in input – particularly on the size and shape, also known as “massing” – you should be there too; a public-comment period is part of every design-review meeting.
(Photos by Christopher Boffoli for WSB)
8:29 PM: Seattle Fire units are rushing to a “fire in building” call in the 4800 block of SW Juneau (map). More shortly.
8:36 PM UPDATE: Per the scanner, it’s described as a wall fire and said to be under control. (2 minutes later) It’s now “tapped,” and SFD is calling off the units that hadn’t arrived yet. They’re keeping four units at the scene – two engines, a ladder truck, and battalion chief. No reports of any injuries.
8:42 PM UPDATE: Added a photo. Meantime, the fire marshal is en route to look into the cause.
9:02 PM UPDATE: Our crews at the scene have talked to the neighbor who called the fire in after seeing smoke and some flames. He confirms to WSB this house was unoccupied – it’s undergoing remodeling. So definitely no injuries; cause remains under investigation.
ADDED 9:04 AM MONDAY: Seattle Fire spokesperson Kyle Moore tells WSB their investigator “determined the fire was accidental, caused by electrical wiring in the wall which overheated and ignited the kitchen. Estimated loss is $40,000.”
The National Weather Service includes our area in an alert out tonight – a “coastal flood advisory,” for possible tidal overflow, especially during the high tides the next two mornings. At 6:08 tomorrow morning and 6:41 Friday morning, the high tide will be just under 12 feet – but a “tidal anomaly” may push the water a foot or two higher. So the NWS is alerting waterfront residents and anyone else who might be out on the shore.
5:38 PM: Thanks for the reports of police rushing with lights and sirens – they’re headed to an “assault with weapons” call in the 5600 block of 42nd SW. More shortly.
5:42 PM: The call has “closed” on the Seattle Fire online 911 log. But we’ll still check with whomever we find at the scene.
5:46 PM: We’re told at the scene that while this went out as “assault with weapons,” it’s now believed to be self-inflicted. As we always mention in such cases: Crisis Clinic is there for 24-hour help, including their hotline at 206-461-3222.
The photo is courtesy of West Seattle artist Lezlie Jane, along with an update on her newest work – homage to the Alki boardwalk’s past as a swimming hotspot:
Luna Girls on Alki have broken ground and begun the construction and installation phase of the project. The sculptures should be should be completely installed just after the start of the New Year. We’re still raising money to meet the construction costs via our Kickstarter campaign.
You can see the design and hear its story in Lezlie’s Kickstarter video:
The top photo, meantime, shows John Kroetch and his crew from Signature Landscaping, who are doing the construction. As explained in our earlier reports, Luna Girls on Alki joins the long list of artworks she has created for and installed at local parks.
Along the road to winning funding from the Seattle Parks and Green Spaces Levy Opportunity Fund, community-generated proposals from around the city have now been rated by Parks staffers. The levy’s Oversight Committee (which is chaired by West Seattleite Pete Spalding) heard the staff’s recommendations when its members met Monday night. In this region of the city, the two top-rated proposals were the South Park Plaza and Genesee Hill Park projects – the former recommended for its full funding request of $669,000, the latter recommended for $650,000 of its $750,000 request. The Genesee Hill project would develop a neighborhood park for the area, which currently doesn’t have one, and is blocked from using much of the currently vacant (but soon to be built on) Genesee Hill Elementary site; the South Park project involves creating a public park/plaza in the downtown area by the river and new bridge (scheduled to open in early 2014). This doesn’t mean other proposals are completely ruled out, nor does it mean these two are shoo-ins; as laid out in the timeline on the right side of this city webpage, presentations are planned in January, and the committee discusses prioritizations in February, with a public hearing in March and recommendations made to the City Council in April.
(UPDATED with letter sent to Sealth families)
FIRST REPORT, 10:22 AM: SFD says two teenage girls are being treated after a vehicle hit them near Sealth. We have just arrived in the area. More shortly.
10:34 AM: The fire and police activity is focused in the street just east of the SWAC field across from the school. Principal Chris Kinsey (photo below) is on the scene and tells WSB co-publisher Patrick Sand that both girls are students.
They are on their way to Harborview Medical Center. This was originally broadcast via scanner as a hit-and-run. We are hearing talk of a possible suspect being found at a different scene.
10:48 AM: The possible suspect is at an address in White Center. Meantime, no word yet on the victims’ conditions. They were both described as conscious and alert, however.
10:55 AM: For those who are worried about students there – we just talked again with principal Kinsey and he says e-mail is about to go out to the Sealth community; we will be checking with SPS communications about that. We have learned that scanner traffic described one girl as 17 years old – we don’t know the age of the other.
11:05 AM: At the scene where police pulled over a possible suspect vehicle in White Center – two young women came over and talked with us and the rest of the media and say it was a case of mistaken identity.
11:28 AM: Here’s what SPD Blotter says about the incident:
A 30-year-old woman struck two female students following an altercation this morning. Just shortly after 10 a.m., a female suspect intentionally struck two female students with her car, in the 2600 block of SW Thistle.
An altercation between the two victims and the suspect preceded the assault. The female victims 17 and 18-years-old sustained minor injuries. Both victims were treated on scene by Seattle Fire and subsequently transported to Harborview Medical Center.
The female suspect was driving a black (unknown model) Honda. During the time of this posting, officers were still searching for the suspect and vehicle.
Most of the responders have cleared the scene – except for TV trucks, and some police presence outside the school.
12:23 PM UPDATE: Sealth principal Chris Kinsey is sending this short note to Sealth parents:
Dear Chief Sealth International High School families:
I wanted to let you know about an incident that occurred today near our school. At approximately 10:15 A.M. two Chief Sealth students were struck by a car while walking in the 2600 block of Southwest Thistle Street, across from the school.
Both students were transported to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries and both were able to communicate with medical personnel. Seattle police are investigating the details surrounding the incident.
Please be assured that the safety and security of our students is our number-one priority. If you have questions or concerns, please contact me at (206) 252-8550.
Sincerely,
Chris Kinsey
Principal
Chief Sealth International High School
The district says both students’ parents have been notified. One girl is a 17-year-old junior; the other, an 18-year-old senior.
3:21 PM UPDATE: The district says Harborview reports that the older girl is in intensive care, and the younger one is in satisfactory condition. No word of an arrest, yet.
4:30 PM UPDATE: Seattle Police now say the suspect was expected to turn herself in this afternoon – but has not. This is from an update just posted to SPD Blotter:
Witnesses stated that the suspect got into a physical fight with one of the victims because the victim struck her (suspect’s) dog. The fist fight ended and the suspect left and returned to the area and located and chased the victim with a Taser. The victim ran away and was returning to school when the suspect reappeared with her vehicle facing the two victims. The suspect accelerated and hit both victims with her car. She then fled the area. …
The female suspect was driving a black (unknown model) Honda. After fleeing the scene the 37-year-old suspect called 9-1-1 and advised that she would surrender to police at 4:00 p.m. today. The suspect is still at large.
Anyone with information about her whereabouts is asked to call 9-1-1.
11:18 PM NOTE: Checked with police a short time ago. No word of any arrest, still.
NOON THURSDAY UPDATE: The 17-year-old victim is out of the hospital, Harborview Medical Center confirms. They also say the 18-year-old victim’s family is keeping information on her condition private.
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