West Seattle, Washington
28 Saturday
We’ve been doing some upgrades to the underpinnings of the site lately, including moving to a more powerful server, but this afternoon something is going wrong that’s rendered the site inaccessible off and on this past hour. Just wanted to say, we apologize, and wanted to let you know that fine talented technical experts are working on it. If there were major news and WSB itself was down, we would use these other channels to get the news out:
Facebook – facebook.com/westseattleblog
Twitter – twitter.com/westseattleblog
Backup site (not a mirror of WSB, but something we can post longer stories on if necessary):
westseattleblog.wordpress.com
Also worth noting, our partner site White Center Now runs off different servers in a different location so would not generally be having trouble if this site is: whitecenternow.com
Thanks again for your patience and support.
Tonight when Morgan Community Association meets at 7 pm at The Kenney, the agenda includes an update on the area pump stations operated by King County Wastewater Treatment. That’s been planned for quite some time – but there’s something new to talk about, after this news release sent out by the county today, regarding trouble with a “tidal surge” – read on:Read More
That’s WSB photojournalist Christopher Boffoli‘s video from the Beach Drive slide scene, where city crews were back working today. Though SDOT had said the road would be closed, commenter Peter (on our earlier report) and Christopher both report that it’s been allowed through one lane at a time, with flagger help. SDOT had said they expected today’s work on the slope – which first slid last week – to be done by 4 pm, and that they would be monitoring the site daily TFN while evaluating what else to do. We’ll be heading toward the area soon to check on its status. 4:30 PM UPDATE: From Marybeth Turner at SDOT:
To aid with traffic, SDOT’s Street Maintenance crews made modifications on site that allowed one lane of Beach Drive SW to remain open. They were able to clear away the debris from the roadway while using flaggers to let traffic by. Our urban forestry crews also removed trees that might otherwise fall onto the roadway or power lines. SDOT crews finished earlier this afternoon and then left the street as it was before, with one lane open and drivers taking turns. We will continue to monitor this site.
We are at Seattle Municipal Court, where a brief hearing for 31-year-old Ryan Joshua Cox, arrested twice last year for serial vandalism in West Seattle – graffiti that usually included a three-word anti-gay slur – has just concluded. The goal of the hearing was to determine if he was competent to stand trial on the 10 counts of property destruction with which he was charged after his December arrest. After Cox’s first arrest last year, similar charges were dropped because he was found not competent, and the case was not determined to be one in which authorities might consider trying to “restore competency” through forced medication. This time, there was discussion that might be possible. But what just happened is that Cox was brought into the courtroom – thin and trembling in a brick-red jail jumpsuit – and asked if he knew why he was here; here is our transcription of what followed:
Cox: “I was being harassed by my relatives … to strike back at them (I did) anti-gay graffiti.”
Judge Edsonya Charles: “How does that strike back at them?”
Cox: “(unintelligible) The goal of the cult is to force me to commit suicide or turn gay, so I strike back by discriminating against all gay people.”
It was subsequently pronounced that he was determined — through his behavior in court as well as a report that was presented to the court — to be incompetent to stand trial. The city attorney who is here told the judge they believed “restoration is not possible in the time we have” (we are waiting for her to become available after other cases, to explain what that means). So the charges are to be dismissed and Cox will be referred to Western State Hospital for “possible civil commitment.” Asked if he understood what that meant, Cox replied, “I could use the 40 bucks.” Judge Charles said, “I don’t know what that means, but …” Cox replied, “That’s the walking money they give you … when I was dismissed before.” And with that, officers led him back out of the courtroom. ADDED 3:06 PM: Per the city attorney’s rep – In a misdemeanor case, they are only given three weeks to try restoring competency; for felonies, the time frame is longer. The evaluation in this case suggested doctors saw little chance that Cox would respond to treatment in that time. So now instead, he will be referred for civil commitment, which we had discussed before with Mike Finkle, the city attorney’s office Mental Health Court expert. He explained that the hospital has 3 days for an evaluation and then the state can file a petition to have him involuntarily committed for 2 weeks inpatient or 90 days outpatient, after which the state can petition for a full hearing that could result in another 90 days of commitment and so on, up to, potentially, six months at a time. “Every six months, they either file a new petition, or release you,” it was explained.
Pam e-mailed to say, “I walked out of my house at 47th and Lander [map] around 12:30 pm today and saw a coyote running north on 47th. Any other sightings reported?” As previously discussed, coyote sightings aren’t all that rare, but not everyone is aware of the coexistence advice in stories like this one we published last weekend. Here’s our archived coyote coverage.
For the first time in almost a year, there’s a construction crane in the Junction/Triangle area. Last one to leave was at Capco Plaza (here’s our February 2009 report). Before that, the crane for Harbor Properties’ Mural (WSB sponsor) left in November 2008. And today, the crane’s going up for Harbor’s next project – Link, along 38th between Fauntleroy and Alaska. WSB photojournalist Christopher Boffoli spotted it a little while ago, and got some information from the crew: The base will be set around 11, with its bottom “probably at least 30 feet below grade. So it will probably take them a couple of hours to get enough pieces of crane in place so that it stands out over the other buildings.” And he asked the big (literally) question: How tall will this crane be? 118 feet. More numbers: Link will have 200 apartments and 14,000 square feet of retail space; its construction began in November, with demolition of the auto and school buildings that were on the site. 12:38 PM UPDATE: Checked with Emi Baldowin at Harbor. They are putting up the crane base today but the rest of the crane is scheduled to go up on January 28th.
That’s our video from last July, as West Seattle Hi-Yu Summer Festival Queen Georgia Mitchell and Princesses Kelly Nealson and Veronica Pupava were coronated. Who will get the crowns at the next coronation? The process has begun, now that applications are being accepted. Coordinator Shirley Enebrad forwarded two important forms for anyone interested; the application (here) and the accompanying letter (here). The application form fully describes qualifications and expectations – but here are the key points:
Applicant must be a female 17 years of age and not have reached her 23rd birthday by August 1st. Applicant can never have been married and must be single (not engaged) at the time of coronation. These limits are based on the Seafair rules, since the Hi-Yu Queen will be participating in the Seafair Scholarship Program the following year. She must be attending high school or a high school graduate; attending school, working in, or a resident of West Seattle. The West Seattle area includes the Alki Peninsula to the Burien City limits. This is a varied border, within the following zip codes: 98106, 98116, 98126, 98136, 98146. If you have any questions about your eligibility, please contact the organization by e-mail: misswestseattle@hiyu.com
Prizes include scholarship $. The deadline to enter is March 31st.
Reminder of the road closure reported here last night – SDOT plans to work most of the day at the scene of last week’s slide in the 6000 block of Beach Drive (map), and will close the road there till approximately 4 pm, with a detour planned to its south, Atlas to 49th to Canada (map).
MORGAN COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION: Everyone with an interest in the greater Morgan Junction area is invited to MoCA’s quarterly meeting tonight at 7, The Kenney (map). Agenda items listed at morganjunction.org – note MoCA plans to discuss the Spokane Street Viaduct Widening Project, which is about to move to a new phase with road/ramp closures taking effect later this week.
DELRIDGE NEIGHBORHOODS DISTRICT COUNCIL: 7 pm tonight, Youngstown Arts Center (map) – reps from key groups and organizations in eastern West Seattle gather for updates and discussions.
SEATTLE SCHOOL BOARD: 6 pm tonight at district HQ in SODO, with the agenda including votes on the new Student Assignment Plan and the $1.1 million sale of more Fauntleroy Schoolhouse property to the Fauntleroy Community Service Agency. If you can’t be there, you can watch live on cable channel 26, or online.
BASKETBALL CROSS-PENINSULA RIVALRY: Last night it was the boys – tonight it’s girls’ basketball with West Seattle High School hosting Chief Sealth High School. JV at 5:45, varsity at 7:30.
And more (including the WS Elementary Resource Fair/Open House outlined here) – the WSB West Seattle Events page is here.
Thanks to the staff at West Seattle Elementary in High Point for sharing the invitation to their big event tonight:
West Seattle Elementary School Resource Fair and Open House will be held January 20, 2010 from 5:30-7:30 pm. We invite all our WSE families, our targeted families in FSW, Family Partnership Grant and CLC families. ALL families are welcome and encouraged to come.
5:30 – 7:00
OPEN HOUSE: for families in the High Point Community and new attendance area.– Current families interested in hearing our school information are welcome.
– Classroom teachers and Bilingual classrooms, and special education classroom will be open and available for curious families to see what classes look and feel like at WSE.
6:30 – 7:30 CLASSROOMS OPEN FOR VISITORS
6:30 – 6:50 – School Vision, Focus and addressing concerns – Gayle Everly, Principal and Erin Tillman, Head Teacher
– Math and Reading Instruction Focus Presentation – Dan Rosson and Marian Fink7:10 – 7:30 – School Vision, Focus and addressing concerns – Ms. Everly and Ms. Tillman
7:30 – 8:30 – CLASSROOMS CLOSED, MS. EVERLY HERE TO WELCOME AND VISIT WITH LATE ARRIVALS.
West Seattle Elementary is at 6760 34th SW (map).
If you think it’s been quieter lately on the crime front – in some categories of crime, yes, it has. After outgoing Southwest Precinct Operations Lt. Steve Paulsen (right) passed the torch to his successor Lt. Norm James (explanation in our January 8th report) at last night’s West Seattle Crime Prevention Council meeting, Lt. James ran down the state of the stats on the peninsula – noting that several categories of West Seattle crime are down. Also at the WSCPC meeting, other new faces in West Seattle crimefighting were introduced, officers/executive committee members were elected, and a Traffic Unit rep talked about red-light cams – all ahead:Read More
Seward, Alaska, is almost 1,400 miles from West Seattle, but the two communities have a link: Accounting firm Jackson, Morgan & Hunt, PLLC (WSB sponsor), has donated $2,000 toward the Seward Community Library Museum Project, to help with the $1 million capital campaign covering about a tenth of its cost. JMH’s Alaska ties involve the commercial-fishing industry in Seward, Homer and Kodiak, with some of that community’s members relying on the expertise of principals Jim Jackson, Chuck Morgan and Scott Hunt. Their longtime business and personal relationship with Tom Tougas of Four Seasons Marine in Seward resulted in their decision to support the project; the photo above, provided by the Seward Community Library/Museum Building Committee, shows Jackson with committee vice chair Mary Tougas.
Tonight, the boys – Chief Sealth High School edged West Seattle High School in varsity basketball, 37-36. (We tweeted it as-it-happened at @wsblive.) ADDED 10:35 PM: In our video clip, that’s the Seahawks’ Keon Lewis who picked up the shooting foul off West Seattle’s LeTrey Newsome with only one second on the clock. Lewis, who was perfect at the free-throw line all night, sank his first shot to tie the game up, and then put Sealth ahead with his second shot. Read More
We’ve been checking with SDOT today on the aftermath of last week’s Beach Drive slide – and just got new information from Peg Nielsen about work they’ll do tomorrow:
A portion of the southern-most slide will be removed by SDOT crews. An SDOT Urban Forestry crew will trim down a few trees on the hillside in the same general vicinity (more north) to reduce the risk to the right-of-way and Beach Drive. SDOT intends to close Beach Drive for safety purposes from 9 a.m. until the crews complete the work, which should be approximately 4 p.m. While the road is closed, a detour around the slide area will be provided from Atlas Place SW to 49th Avenue SW to SW Canada Drive. Residents will be allowed limited access. The city will continue to evaluate the condition of the slide area daily.
That southern section of the slide moved further into the roadway yesterday, according to a photo a WSB’er sent us (above). We also asked SDOT a question we were asked via Facebook: Are they evaluating the slide zone to see if anything related to development upslope might have factored into this and resulted in property owner liability? Nielsen’s reply:
SDOT’s focus now is to safeguard public and private property. We are, however, documenting the situation while waiting for a geotechnical report that will recommend the best ways to stabilize the slope.
Noted in an update just received from Mayor McGinn‘s communications director Mark Matassa (a West Seattleite) – Southwest Precinct Captain Joe Kessler is now on the Police Chief Search Committee. (The update was primarily intended to announce that the committee’s next meeting is 5:30 pm tomorrow at SPD HQ downtown. Agenda here.) P.S. Side note – If you have crime concerns to bring to SW Precinct leadership, tonight’s your chance, as the West Seattle Crime Prevention Council meets at the precinct, 7 pm.
Some new info out today from the Alaskan Way Viaduct project team. They’re out with a new report about the tunnel project’s projected cost, as well as potential tolls. The report is here; among the highlights, they say they’d charge different tolls for different times of day, potentially $3.50 during peak commute hours. Read on for the news release with toplines; the report’s also been summarized by our partners at the Seattle Times. (One of its points, the new alignment for the tunnel’s south end, was reported during the South Portal Working Group meeting covered here last month.)Read More
Just in from 8 Limbs Yoga in The Junction, a Haiti relief benefit class this Friday, all levels, Flow with Amelia, 5:45-7 pm, all drop-in class payments go to Doctors Without Borders – checks made out to DWB, or cash. Other ongoing fundraisers are listed here (you can find that page any time from the top of the sidebar at right). ADDED 4:28 PM: And we have word that Skylark Cafe and Club (WSB sponsor) has joined the Jan. 24 Dine Out for Haiti benefit, with a percentage of proceeds to relief efforts; La Rustica is also in on it.
1:10 PM: We are in SODO at Seattle Police Officers Guild HQ – with a room full of law enforcement officers from all over the area, and at the table in front of the room, former Southwest Precinct SPD Officer Jason McKissack (blue T-shirt), whose loss of medical benefits – since he cannot work following a vicious attack a year and a half ago – is triggering a campaign for legislation. Who else is here, is amazing. Officer Britt Sweeney, who survived the attack that killed SPD Officer Tim Brenton; Officer Brenton’s widow is here as well. “Call your legislators today,” Renee Maher, a law-enforcement advocate and police widow, is saying, re: HB 1679. 1:23 PM: Officer McKissack has just spoken. He says the city’s letter arrived just last Thursday, informing him of “medical separation,” and the hardest part was seeing his wife break down and cry. He also said it’s been tough to be off the job as he watched the recent officer murders – he feels like a “caged tiger,” wanting to do something: (video added 2:48 pm)
He also said the timing is unfortunate – he has found new medical treatment that may help him get better. Regarding the bill, advocates here say there are only six public-safety personnel statewide in the past 30-plus years who qualified as “catastrophically injured” and would be affected by this bill – Officer McKissack has not yet received that determination. (added 2 pm – his description of what he’s been coping with while trying to recover)
The Seattle Police Officers’ Guild also reiterates that they are accepting donations for his expenses through their fund. (The address is on this page on the SPOG site, with more information about the bill.) They also are “taking up other ideas on fundraising,” they say, and will have more on that in the weeks ahead. 5:30 PM UPDATE: Reminder, regarding fundraising: Two local karaoke hosts have stepped up for starters. Joe at Yen Wor announced on Facebook that he’s raising money for Officer McKissack’s fund Wednesday night at 9:30, and Willie Murderface announced in comments here last night that he is collecting for the fund this Saturday night at Goldie’s in Georgetown (WMF is a West Seattleite).
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
Tomorrow night, the Seattle School Board continues working on the next step in the new Student Assignment Plan – how to start the transition this fall, from a focus on “tell us what school you’d like to attend” to “your default assignment is a ‘neighborhood school’.” Some of the thorniest issues – like “sibling grandfathering” – are part of the transition, and the fine points highlighted West Seattle school board rep Steve Sundquist‘s open-door community chat this weekend. Read on for the discussion, plus the reason why he says he won’t be able to propose that some elementaries be “dual feeders” as he had hoped:Read More
Last month, we brought you early word of the West Seattle Preschool Fair that’s in the works for next month. More details are firmed up now: 12 programs are registered to participate in the event, and they have room for a few more (e-mail jenelle.forde@soundchildcare.org). The location is now set: 5:30-8:30 pm February 22, St. John the Baptist Episcopal Church (3050 California SW); in addition to the chance to talk with representatives of participating preschool programs, they’re also offering the Families Read Workshop during the Preschool Fair (6-7:30 pm that night) to help parents gain skills in promoting child literacy – space is limited (child care will be provided) and advance registration is required – same e-mail address as above, or call (206) 518-0261.
The West Seattle Cellars website now includes a tribute to shop co-owner Bear Silverstein, who died last week. We’re still getting notes from people who are just finding out; we had a short report on Thursday and have since talked with WSC’s Tom DiStefano. The memorial display was up when we stopped by the shop to ask him about his favorite memory of Bear:
Bear died of complications from multiple strokes. The Caring Bridge website that pays tribute to him says details of a memorial are still being worked out; WSC, meantime, invites people to “raise a glass and make a toast” in his memory.
(Sunrise photo by Carter, substituted 8:52 am for previous WSB pic)
FREE SELF-DEFENSE CLASS: The Senior Center of West Seattle is the site today of the latest in a citywide series of self-defense classes, taught by martial artists and supported by the Looking Out Foundation, Indigo Girls, and Compass Center, for the Fight the Fear Campaign, honoring the memory of Teresa Butz, killed in South Park last summer. The class is from 1-2 pm; preregistration is requested (206-932-4044) but drop-ins are OK.
SUSTAINABLE WEST SEATTLE: The Senior Center is also where SWS meets tonight, electing Coordinating Council members and hearing from new City Councilmember Mike O’Brien – more here; meeting’s at 7.
WEST SEATTLE CRIME PREVENTION COUNCIL: Also at 7, WSCPC meets at the Southwest Precinct, with an agenda including SPD’s Traffic Unit talking about issues including red-light cameras; this is also your chance to hear directly from SW Precinct police leadership about the latest West Seattle crime trends.
SCHOOL OPEN HOUSES: The open houses/tours season gets into full swing, starting with tonight’s open house at 6:30 pm at Lafayette Elementary (previewed here, with a schedule of events). Tonight’s also open-house night at The Center School (as noted in this WSB Forums post). The citywide list of Seattle Public Schools tours/open houses is here; independent schools’ tours are listed on the WSB Events page as announced.
ALAUDA BELLY-DANCING SHOWCASE: The popular monthly event is tonight at 7:30 at Skylark Cafe and Club (WSB sponsor), after the Spin Your Wax open-turntable session at 6 pm.
WESTSIDE SYMPHONETTE REHEARSALS: It’s the second week of the new season for this community orchestra, but you can still join – here’s our preview from last week – same times/location apply tonight.
NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICE CENTER FURLOUGH CLOSURES: The Southwest and Delridge Neighborhood Service Centers are closed today for a scheduled furlough day for all NSCs (this is NOT a city-government-wide furlough day – individual departments have their own schedules).
WEST SEATTLE LITTLE LEAGUE REGISTRATION: The 2nd registration night is tonight, 6:30 pm, West Seattle High School. Full details and the registration form can be found here.
More West Seattle events today/tonight/beyond, here.
Dates are now set for the next meetings of the Alaskan Way Viaduct/Seawall Replacement Project‘s South Portal and North Portal working groups. Those meetings will be the first since Mayor Mike McGinn announced last Thursday (WSB coverage here) that he will ask the City Council to approve a May special election to ask voters to pay $241 million in property taxes for faster-than-scheduled seawall repairs. (About $12 per $100,000 of property value, for each of 30 years; 60% voter approval required.) In the days since that announcement, we’ve collected reaction from 4 of the West Seattleites on the Viaduct/Seawall “working groups,” as well as from West Seattle-residing City Councilmember Tom Rasmussen, who now chairs the Council’s Transportation Committee. Read on for what they have to say.Read More
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