West Seattle, Washington
01 Saturday
(Photo by Ellen Cedergreen for WSB)
Two West Seattle Crime Watch items – this first one, from within the past hour. We received a note asking about a big police response to the Junction QFC. WSB contributor Ellen Cedergreen was there and says some kind of argument/confrontation was involved, apparently involving someone known to frequently hang out outside the store. He had to be subdued, Ellen reports, and a woman who was with him was yelling at officers; Ellen says the two were taken away, as were the dogs they had with them, and that SPD says they’ll be considered to be trespassing if they return to the store. We have an inquiry out seeking more information from police. No injuries reported.
1:18 AM UPDATE: Southwest Precinct Lt. Alan Williams says, “At about 8:07 p.m. officers were dispatched to remove a group of six trespassers from the QFC … At least one of the trespassers also made some threats against the complainant who had called 911. One of the trespassers, an adult male, was uncooperative and threatened the officer’s life. The officer placed him under arrest but had to struggle with the suspect in order to take him in to custody. A second suspect, an adult female who was part of the group of trespassers, obstructed the officer while he was making the arrest so she too was arrested by back-up officers. In addition to the threat charge and resisting arrest, the male suspect will be booked on an outstanding felony warrant. The female suspect will be booked for obstructing the officer. No medical attention was required by anyone involved.”
(back to original 9:12 pm story) Second item:
As reported here on Friday, police say car thieves have been busier than usual lately. Here’s another theft. From J:
My blue 1965 Volkswagen Beetle was stolen from in front of my house … in Fauntlee Hills between 10 pm and 6 am Sunday night/ Saturday morning. If you see this car anywhere else, it is not where it is supposed to be. If anyone does see it give a call to the SPD. They have been contacted and a report has been filed. License plate is 062 zvk. Thank you.
The second of three King County Council hearings on “the future of Metro“ – and the closest one to West Seattle – is at 6 pm tomorrow night downtown. If you missed the backstory: King County Executive Dow Constantine says that either Metro needs to raise more money, or cut service. The current proposal on the table for more money is a $20 car-tab fee. Constantine has asked that the county council simply approve the fee, which would require a two-thirds vote; so far, it appears the council may fall one vote short, which would mean it couldn’t be approved without going to voters. Before the council makes its decision, it’s having three hearings – starting with one last week in Kirkland – to hear from citizens. (After tomorrow night, the third and final hearing is 6 pm July 21st at Burien City Council chambers.) Since our first report on this, the county has come out with more documentation on potential cuts – including this map showing how some routes might be affected – and a table showing the list of potentially affected routes can be seen here. If you can’t make either upcoming meeting, you can send written comments by going here.
4:30 PM: Avoid the westbound Spokane Street Viaduct – truck trouble has backed it up to I-5. We’re trying to find out if it’s the same truck we tweeted about while stuck in traffic in the same spot two hours ago. Anyway, bottom line, avoid the I-5-to-99 section of the bridge TFN.
4:41 PM: Thanks to those who are sending photos, including Brad, whose pic we just added. Looks like the same spot where a truck was stuck in the 2 pm hour.
On Twitter, one driver says it’s truly a dead stop … and some people are out of their cars (as seen in the photo tweeted by Rob, added above).
4:56 PM: WSDOT says via Twitter that the stuck semi is FINALLY being towed off the Spokane Street Viaduct – still will take the backup a while to clear, though. The truck apparently lost a wheel (we had noticed a flat while passing it in 2 pm hour). Thanks to Ashley for the photo above showing the truck (and tow crew).
6:13 PM: Sounds like all’s getting back to normal – let us know if you’re experiencing otherwise. Meantime, just added the photo above this paragraph, taken by Danny McMillin – note the skateboarders on the new construction alongside the jammed-up road. (Click to see a larger version.)
West Seattle’s next major road project, the Fauntleroy Expressway seismic retrofit, is getting closer to construction. This involves the southwesternmost section of the West Seattle Bridge. Since our last update in January, the timetable moved further back into the year, but the city is now starting to make the rounds to get the word out, beginning with tomorrow night’s meeting of the Junction Neighborhood Organization. We had been working on an update, and here’s what we found out from SDOT: The project includes steel-column jacketing, reinforced-concrete “girder seat extensions,” reinforced-concrete footings, and bearing pads. It went out to bid in March; CA Carey Construction is the winning bidder, at $2,388,477, which SDOT says is more than $100,000 under their estimated cost. The money comes from the 2006 Bridging the Gap levy. There will be traffic effects, but the city says mostly during off-hours:
When construction begins traffic operations on the Fauntleroy Expressway will be unaffected during the day, especially during the a.m./p.m. rush hours. However, in order to make some of the necessary seismic improvements, we will close segments of the Fauntleroy Expressway and its on-/off-ramps periodically throughout the project. Those closures will occur during the night, early morning and weekend hours.
During closures:
* A minimum of one on-ramp and one off-ramp to and from the Fauntleroy Expressway/West Seattle Bridge will always remain open.
* The Delridge Way SW on- and off-ramps will be open.
* Signed detour routes will be posted and utilize existing arterials to minimize residential cut-through traffic.
* Uniformed police officers will be used, at times, to keep traffic moving.
“Significant construction activity” is expected to start in September and to last through the first quarter of 2012. You can find out more during the presentation at tomorrow night’s Junction Neighborhood Organization meeting (6:30 pm at Ginomai, southwest corner of 42nd/Genesee).
Just announced on various city websites including this one (with news conference video) – $3 million more to prevent SDOT job cuts and fix roads. Which ones? We’re checking. (Official news release here.)
In case you aren’t following the comments on last night’s report about the medical emergency toward the end of the day at West Seattle Summer Fest – though official information is not available because of medical-privacy laws, a commenter has provided this update on the man who collapsed and received “citizen CPR” before medics rushed in:
I am friends with the man and his family. He suffered a massive heart attack. He made it through the night and is in stable condition today. The doctors are optimistic about his condition. His wife is keeping us up to date. My thanks to everyone who helped out.
Comments on the previous story also have included more information about learning CPR – thanks to everyone who’s contributed information – as this shows, you never know when it could save a life.
From Beth:
I saw a VERY big coyote outside my window at 9:20 am on the 3600 block of 47th Ave SW [map]. The animal was in stalking pose and appeared to be alone. He was heading west out of my yard. I emailed my direct neighbors to get their animals inside but wanted everyone else to be aware as well.
Coyotes may be old news to some, but not to all, and that’s why we keep publishing sighting reports when we receive them. If you’ve never seen one, scroll through our archive of reports – last one included a very clear photo.
(Photo tweeted by @cpatchworks)
We’re not sure if this is the helicopter that’s been flying low over parts of West Seattle this morning, from Alki to Fauntleroy – haven’t gotten a close enough look yet – but in case you missed the advisory we published on Friday, here it is: A chopper based at Boeing Field is flying over local urban areas to get a baseline reading on “normal” radiation levels, not related to the Japan disaster, but as part of a two-year-old federal project. If you get a close look at the low-flying chopper, you can compare it to the photo on this page.
From the WSB West Seattle Events calendar:
HELP FOR CAREGIVERS:Are you a caregiver? Chances are if you’re doing one or more of the following for an older adult relative, neighbor, or friend you are in fact a caregiver: Bringing them food or groceries, driving them to appointments, running errands, helping with yard work, checking in on someone, doing a load of laundry for them, visiting them on a regular basis, assist someone with household chores or paying bills, or organizing someone’s medications. Caregiver advocate Amanda is available to be consulted 8:30 am-2 pm Mondays at Senior Center of West Seattle (4217 SW Oregon St), Mondays, to help you connect to in-home services, housing options, Medicaid eligibility, respite, adult day health, support groups, counseling, legal options, transportation, nutrition, and more.
NEW AFTERNOON EXERCISE CLASS: Starting today, Monday and Friday afternoons, also at Senior Center of West Seattle (4217 SW Oregon St), Mondays and Fridays (July 11-29, August 12-22nd, 3 pm – no class except Aug 1, 5 & 8). Cost: $35 for 10 sessions paid in advance. Instructor: Alicia Jean Demetropolis M.E.S. Includes seated/standing activity.
NDNC MEETS: North Delridge Neighborhood Council meeting, 6:30 pm. The council is meeting outdoors this summer as weather permits – this meeting is scheduled for the park alongside Delridge Community Center.
BALLROOM AND SALSA: New dance classes launching with Balorico at Kenyon Hall. Call 206 679-7229 or e-mail balorico@gmail.com.
SING IT: Monday night karaoke with Kelli at Skylark Café and Club (WSB sponsor), 9 pm.
Story and photos by Ellen Cedergreen
Reporting for West Seattle Blog
This is a month to celebrate gardens and gardeners – with the West Seattle Garden Tour (co-sponsored by WSB) next Sunday, and two tours with West Seattle stops this past Saturday, including the grand-opening celebration for the Community Orchard of West Seattle on the north side of the South Seattle Community College campus on Puget Ridge.
First, we take you to a stop along the Seattle Tilth-sponsored Chicken Coop and Urban Farm Tour, which was citywide, but with some West Seattle stops, including author Lyanda Lynn Haupt‘s Gatewood home.
They use a byproduct from roasting coffee beans called “chaff.” It looks like hamster bedding and is nitrogen-rich, making it a good material for composting. As a bonus, it can be acquired free from local coffee roasters – just inquire with your favorites. Lyanda took visitors into the coop, where she picked up her chickens, allowing visitors to touch them.
From left to right: Adelade, Ethel, and Ophelia. Ethen is a Barred Rock; the other two are Buff Oringtons, a favorite breed of Lyanda’s. She says she’ll get an egg a day from each when they start laying, which should happen shortly. Also at her stop, visitors examined a coldframe in the yard.
Saturday’s other major tour was the Community Harvest of Southwest Seattle-presented Edible Garden Tour.
Behind the mesh is a baby hawk just rescued tonight near Dragonfly Pavilion in North Delridge (in the Longfellow Creek-side park area south of Allstar Fitness). Galena White says her neighbor found the baby, who was unable to fly; they tried to find expert help to rescue it, worried it would be easy prey for a predator if let alone, but no one was able to respond. Sarvey Wildlife Rescue advised them to try to catch it. And they did. Galena says her neighbor has dubbed the hawk “Mordechai“; the bird is en route to Five Corners Animal Hospital, and Sarvey will retrieve it from there.
Alki Arts owner Diane Venti, right, is celebrating her gallery’s 1st anniversary on into tonight – violinist Geoffrey Castle was scheduled to perform starting at 7. In our photo above, Diane is with nearby residents Celest and Karen, who made the first purchase of the day. The gallery’s featured artists today are Karen Dedrickson and John Constantine:
Alki Arts serves as more than a gallery – Diane also has opened it up for community events, from parenting workshops to parties to even a future-of-journalism discussion. It’s at 2820 Alki SW, online at alkiarts.com and on Facebook here (where the party invite says tonight’s festivities continue till 10).
That photo and the next one, just sent by a WSB’er who didn’t want to be identified, shows the first hint we had at the information booth of the emergency that was happening just yards away outside Cupcake Royale (previously reported toward the end of our afternoon festival coverage). Suddenly sirens pierced the ongoing buzz of festival revelry, and people rushed to clear tables from SW Alaska east of California so the Seattle Fire vehicles could get through.
We don’t know the condition of the man who suffered cardiac arrest. But we do know that if he has survived, heroic action by a bystander is no doubt the reason. A witness told us he collapsed; the bystander was soon doing CPR, as evidenced by the scanner call WSB contributor Katie Meyer heard, “citizen CPR under way.”
The call was a Medic Response, 7-per rule – enough personnel needed to make sure resuscitation can be performed. Following Medic 32 from nearby Station 32 (38th and Alaska) came Engine 32, Engine 29, and Medic 44 (an SUV-type unit with the on-duty supervisor). SFD personnel took over CPR. Festival crew and police worked to keep the scene clear, eventually putting up yellow tape – not because it was a crime scene, but because a crowd of gawkers gathered and needed to stay back. The CPR continued, and scanner traffic indicates other resuscitation means were used.
Festival crews cleared the curbside lane on the east side of the street all the way from Alaska to Oregon. The man was moved into the medic unit, where efforts continued a while longer before the crew left for the hospital, and while they were in transit. And that’s the last we heard. Two things worth noting: If there is an emergency and there is nothing you can do to help, please stand back and keep the area clear – the gawkers were way too close here. Also, consider learning CPR – you might be the bystander sometime, when someone suddenly collapses or is seriously hurt. Here’s one option we found for CPR classes in West Seattle; please let us know about any others you’re aware of, so we can add the info here.
10:47 PM: We have exchanged e-mail with the aforementioned bystander, who prefers to remain unidentified. He says he wasn’t the only citizen to jump in and help – a Cupcake Royale team member, he says, “took charge and did the mouth-to-mouth and got me going” on the chest compressions.
High-thin clouds, not too hot, not cold, it’s the “just right” final afternoon of West Seattle Summer Fest in The Junction. Belly dancing’s on the “informal stage” here at California/Alaska (by our HQ in the Information Booth) right now; it was TILA Real Estate’s “Minute to Win It” a bit earlier:
(No, that’s NOT Guy from the Food Network. Excellent lookalike, appearing here for his second consecutive year.) And we just heard from Stu Hennessey of Alki Bike and Board with a reminder that his electric-bike/conversion demo is coming up in the GreenLife area at 2 pm (west side of California, just north of Edmunds). Police tell us it’s been a trouble-free Summer Fest from their standpoint. Whether you’ve already been or not, c’mon down for the final hours – booths till 5, music till 5:45. P.S. Shoutout to the North Andover, Massachusetts, family and friends of Alex Young, who is enjoying Summer Fest with West Seattle relatives and dropped by to say hi. Farmers’ Market is on till 2.
2:17 PM UPDATE: That’s Evergreen Tang Soo Do Academy, putting on a martial-arts demonstration a few minutes ago. The sun’s back out, and the blue sky is winning the battle over the clouds. We’ve seen some other sights – they went by too fast even for us to photograph, but we saw someone pushing a dog in a stroller.
3:34 PM UPDATE: The photo’s from WSB contributor Stephanie Chacharon, who explains, “Visit Team Red Footed Boobies outside the post office! Passing out bottled water and boobie cookies in return for a donation to the Susan G Komen Foundation. (And keep an eye out for them at Alki on a sunny day soon!)” Meantime, before the festival ends, we had to go get a photo of this year’s single most-talked-about food item:
That’s the deep-fried peanut butter and jelly sandwich. It had the buzz all weekend long. Its creators are online, here. (And of course, they’re on Facebook.)
4;24 PM UPDATE: There is a medical emergency right here at California and Alaska – a man collapsed and medics have been giving him CPR ever since they rushed over moments later (we’re told a citizen had started CPR before their arrival). Tables were quickly cleared on the east side of SW Alaska to clear a patch for three fire units that are here. They are about to take the man to the hospital; we will write more about this separately.
4:39 PM UPDATE: Medic 32 has left with the patient, with three other fire units following. Efforts to save him were continuing.
4:53 PM UPDATE: The festival’s wrapping up for vendors; even the info booth will be broken down close to 5, so we’ll have to move on. The last music act starts at 5 – The Fuzz.
A reminder before we get back to West Seattle Summer Fest coverage – three nights this week, the westbound Spokane Street Viaduct (that’s the West Seattle Bridge between I-5 and Highway 99) will be closed overnight, 11 pm-5 am, Tuesday-Thursday nights. (That also means the exits to The Bridge from I-5 will be closed during the shutdown.) It’s part of the ongoing SSV-widening work; here are the details on SDOT’s “On the Move” site.
While you’re in The Junction for the West Seattle Farmers’ Market and/or Summer Fest, drop by the Keller Williams lot on the east side of California just north of Oregon to get stocked up on strawberries. The West Seattle Rotary Berry Sale (WSB sponsor) has a few more buckets left and will sell them to walk-ups, first come first served, 11 am-2 pm today. $25 for 7 1/2 pounds, $40 for 15 pounds. Freezable if you don’t have some massive use for them all immediately. (And you can order the next two rounds, blueberries and/or raspberries, in advance online.)
Third and final day of West Seattle Summer Fest is about to begin. Vendors are scheduled to be open 11 am-5 pm; music goes till 5:45 pm. Below the map, some highlights:
MUSIC – ALL ON THE CALIFORNIA-NORTH-OF-OREGON STAGE: Here’s the lineup. The live music starts at noon with the 85th Street Big Band, and runs through The Fuzz at 5. The official Summer Fest beer garden is up near the stage, too, by the West Seattle Eagles‘ aerie.
LIVE PERFORMANCES AT CALIFORNIA/ALASKA: Not in the festival guide, but you’ll find a list at the Information Booth. We’ll update this when we’re back on site in a bit, but we know it starts with TILA’s “Minute to Win It” at noon, and later, there’s another Sugar Rush cake-eating contest (above, our photo from Saturday’s edition).
SUMMER FEST KIDS’ AREA: Open 10 am-5 pm today. The rides are at SW Alaska and 44th SW, mostly in the Wells Fargo parking lot but a few actually on Alaska, next to the Farmers’ Market. Here’s our earlier report listing the rides and the pricing. Free activities too – like art!
SIGN UP FOR WEST SEATTLE IN MOTION: WSB is media sponsor for West Seattle In Motion, as noted earlier this week. The “drive a bit less and get fun incentives for keeping track” program, running through fall, officially launched with Summer Fest, and if you sign up at the In Motion booth, we understand you’ll get your free bus tickets and access to other deals on the spot. In Motion is in booths 26-28, on the east side of California, midblock between Alaska and Edmunds
HACK-CYCLE: Last chance to check this out in the corral by Junction Plaza Park (Alaska between 42nd and California). And bring your neglected/no-longer-needed bike, to get a crash course in tool-wielding while transforming it into something new … or show up and help human-power the project. It’s explained here.
GREENLIFE: The sustainability zone is in a parking lot on the south end, just past Bikram Yoga, and east of the 44th/Edmunds Chase drive-thru. Today’s demonstrations start at 11 am with “Green Cleaning Materials,” and continue till “Making Beer at Home” at 5 pm. Full schedule here.
INFORMATION BOOTH:More reps from neighborhood groups will be there today, along with the West Seattle Chamber of Commerce and WSB (hi!) – we have festival guides and other info about not just Summer Fest but also other big events in the weeks ahead as well as West Seattle in general, come say hi – can’t miss it in the heart of the festival zone, California/Alaska (right under the traffic signals).
Hard to miss the flyers around The Junction, affixed to utility poles, touting “resurrecting the Redline,” the bar/restaurant that used to be in the 35th SW/almost-Avalon spot now inhabited by The Bridge. The flyers mention Twitter (here) and Facebook (here) accounts that so far are fairly devoid of details, so we dug up contact information for former Redline proprietor Scott Goerig, to ask if he’s involved: Scott’s reply: “I am part of a team who are in fact doing it, as I retained the brand. The twitter and facebook are brand new and will be updated as we progress construction and can let West Seattle know where, what, and when as we progress. Its gonna be a state-of-the-art electrifying spot that will appeal to every single person. Think of it as a popular board game, good for use; ages 2 – 102. Stay tuned.”
(Photos by Stephanie Chacharon for WSB, unless otherwise credited)
Before we roar into West Seattle Summer Fest Day 3, one last round of photos from Day 2. Top photo – a reminder that some of what you’ll see and hear just isn’t on the schedule. For example, WSB contributor Stephanie Chacharon caught up with that musician and reports: “One-man-band Francis Brennan came all the way from Centralia to perform at this year’s Summer Fest. He stumbled upon the final day of the street fair last summer and had so much fun that he decided to return. Keep an eye out for Francis, tapping his feet to the tune of his trusty ‘contrapparatus.’ Like what you hear? He can be reached at onemanbandseattle@gmail.com.” She also spotted this balloon artist outside Petco:
And that’s another reminder to see what the Junction retailers are up to, outside and inside their stores – as the next few photos show!
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(Fireboat and ferry, seen off Alki before the Seafair Pirates’ Landing on Saturday)
The final day of West Seattle Summer Fest gets going at 11 am in The Junction, and we’ll have the daily guide later this morning (along with a last round of Saturday photos). First – a quick look at other highlights of what’s happening around West Seattle today:
LITTLE LEAGUE CAR WASH: West Seattle Little League 10-11 All-Stars’ fundraiser car wash for state tournament expenses, Bar-S Playfield (64th SW and SW Admiral Way), 10 am-2 pm (details here).
WEST SEATTLE FARMERS’ MARKET: Yes, even on Summer Fest Sunday, the show must go on for the Farmers’ Market, usual hours, 10 am-2 pm in The Junction (44th/Alaska).
FLING A FRISBEE: The monthly second-Sunday edition of West Seattle Family Ultimate Frisbee is scheduled at 11 am, Hiawatha Playfield (2700 California SW), southeast corner.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ALKI ARTS!: It’s the Alki Arts (2820 Alki SW) one-year anniversary celebration, with artists’ demonstrations and live music, refreshments (including champagne), and a gallery-wide 10% off sale for the day. Artists’ demonstrations start at 1 pm and go until 6 pm. At 7 pm, violinist Geoffrey Castle will perform (till 9 pm).
CONCERNED ABOUT THE STATE OF HEALTH-CARE COVERAGE?: The Health Care for All/Action Team is a grass-roots group concerned that our state has 800,000 citizens with no health-care coverage. If this issue concerns you too, they invite you to join them today, 2-4 pm at Southwest Library‘s second-floor meeting room (9020 35th Avenue SW).
WEST SEATTLE GET FIT, NEXT ROUND: Tonight, it’s West Seattle Get Fit Info Night, 5:30 pm at West Seattle Runner (WSB sponsor; 3727 California SW), with training starting July 31st – goal is to run the Amica Seattle Half Marathon at the end of November, “couch to marathon training plan.”
BUY YOUR WEST SEATTLE GARDEN TOUR TICKET(S)! It’s now one week till this year’s West Seattle Garden Tour (co-sponsored by WSB), and this is a perfect day to stop by one of the locations where the ticket book – which has coupons as well as the tour-site locations (etc.) so it’s a deal that could ultimately not cost you a thing. Ticket locations include two in The Junction, if you’re going for Summer Fest and/or the Farmers’ Market today – ArtsWest and TrueValue.
At the West Seattle Summer Fest information booth, besides “where’s the stage?” “when’s (fill in the band name)?” and “anybody here selling strawberry shortcake?” frequent questions include the dates of other upcoming major summer events. So, a couple quick notes tonight on three of the biggest events ahead (all of which we are co-sponsoring):
WEST SEATTLE OUTDOOR MOVIES START ONE WEEK FROM TONIGHT: Next Saturday (July 16th), get to the Hotwire Online Coffeehouse (WSB sponsor) courtyard early and stake out your spot for the season’s first of six West Seattle Outdoor Movies, “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” (trailer above). Each movie screens at dusk and will have preshow entertainment this year (find the schedule here). Free, but bring a few bucks for concessions and raffles that raise money for local nonprofits.
WEST SEATTLE GRAND PARADE, TWO WEEKS FROM TODAY: 11 am Saturday, July 23rd, the big parade coordinated by American Legion Post 160 rolls down California from Lander to Edmunds, with floats, bands, community entries, motorcycles, and more – including traditional favorites like the Seafair Pirates and All-City Band, and there’s always something/someone new. The parade’s online at thewestseattleparade.com and on Facebook here.
ALKI ART FAIR, TWO WEEKS FROM TODAY/TOMORROW: Also on July 23rd, plus July 24th, this year’s Alki Art Fair at the beach. WSB is a co-sponsor for the first time, and while you’ll see a longer preview here in the next day or so, there’s advance word on the Art Fair website now – including the Alki Bathhouse centennial celebration, and music on two stages!
Two reader reports out of the WSB inbox tonight – first, a woman with a warning about a man she says pinched her tonight at West Seattle Summer Fest; second, a door-to-door alert – read on for both:Read More
8:10 PM: Thanks to Nathan for the tip that more than 300 homes/businesses are reported without power in southwestern West Seattle, from Brace Point southward and toward the water, including a stretch west of Marine View Drive. He says that while his home didn’t lose power, it did lose Comcast service. The City Light outage map indicates they are hoping to restore power within a few hours.
11:18 PM: Nathan sent an update that he lost his power not long after e-mailing us; meantime, the City Light map now estimates restoration after midnight.
1:24 AM: Estimated restoration time is now after 11 am.
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